6 -13

february

2006

wellesley honors three distinguished alumnae

Wellesley College has announced the three recipients of its 2006 Alumnae Achievement Award, which recognizes alumnae who have brought honor to themselves and to the college through outstanding achievements and is the highest honor given to alumnae. The following honorees will be recognized at the awards ceremony Friday, Feb. 10, at 5:30 pm in Alumnae Hall Auditorium:

• Persis Drell ’77, a renowned physicist at Stanford University. She received a B.A. from Wellesley in mathematics and physics and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. She began her career at Cornell University as an assistant professor, where her work focused on particle physics. In 2002, she became the first woman associate director of research at Stanford’s Linear Acceleration Center (SLAC), one of the two largest and most important facilities of its kind in the country. In 2005, she was named deputy director of SLAC and director of particle astrophysics. She serves as deputy project manager for SLAC’s first space experiment, Gamma Ray Large Area Telescope. She also will present a lecture, “The Quantum Universe,” on Feb. 9 at 4:45 pm in SCI 277.

• Nora Ephron ’62, an award-winning screenwriter, producer and director. Ephron has written for national publications including Esquire, The New York Times Magazine and New York Magazine. In the early ’80s, she began writing screenplays for acclaimed films such as Silkwood, Heartburn and When Harry Met Sally. In the early ’90s, she moved into directing and producing, creating films such as Sleepless in Seattle, Michael, You’ve Got Mail, Lucky Numbers and Bewitched. Among other honors, she has received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations.

• Pamela Melroy ’83, an astronaut and pilot on NASA’s Space Shuttle and a Wellesley trustee. She graduated from Wellesley with a B.A. in physics and astronomy and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. After earning her master’s degree in planetary science from MIT, she flew with the U.S. Air Force for six years as a copilot, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. In 1991, she became the second woman ever to be selected as a test pilot. Two years later she was selected as a NASA astronaut, one of 20 candidates chosen from more than 4,000 applicants. She has served as pilot on two flights and is expected to be commander of her next mission. For more information, call x2331.

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davis museum presents sri lankan film series

The Davis Museum and Cultural Center will present “Films of Prasanna Vithanage: Gender and Nationalism, War, Violence and the Place of Grief and Compassion,” a series of screenings, discussions and workshops, Feb. 8-12, organized by Geeta Patel, women’s studies.

“I constantly ask myself if I was being selfish and cruel in asking these people to re-create their trauma and hardship for my camera?” Vithanage has said. “Was I only concerned about the authenticity of my creation? This film has certainly awakened so many dualities and contradictions in me.”

Vithanage directed his first film Sisila Gini Gani (Ice on Fire) in 1992. It won nine Sri Lankan film awards including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. His highly successful films have gone on to garner awards from international film festivals and critics’ forums.

“Suffering is crucial to the condition of his characters and indeed it is an inescapable fact of life. However, Prasanna Vithanage succeeds in transforming that suffering into a modality of clarifying moral ideals,” write Wimal Dissanayeke and Ashley Ratnavibhushana of the Asian Film Centre.
A reception with Vithanage will be held Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 4:30 pm in the Davis Museum lobby. A lecture, “Cinema and Its Place in a Time of War,” by writer Robert Crusz, is at 5:15 pm in Collins Cinema, after which the film August Sun will be shown at 6:15 pm with a discussion at 8 pm. For more on the series, see the calendar or call x2034.

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sneaker success!

A group of Wellesley College students, led by Dana Stelmokas ’07, have helped the Center for Work and Service to coordinate a sneaker drive for St. Francis House, a homeless shelter in Boston. “In addition to collecting sneakers from members of the College, they reached out to area churches and shoe and sneaker manufacturers,” said Melissa Hawkins, CWS director of service and stipend programs. As a result, Saucony Inc. is donating 850 pairs of size 9 men’s sneakers and 360 pairs of women’s size 7 sneakers.

"We are continuing to get shoes for Saint Francis House," Hawkins said. "There are 72 pairs from the Wellesley Congregational Church and 50 from Wellesley College." For more on student volunteer efforts at St. Francis House, go here.

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campus rises to challenge of high energy costs

Energy-saving efforts on campus have paid off this winter, according to Director of Physical Plant Peter Zuraw, who encourages the community to build on its successes. “In early December, President Walsh informed the community of the tremendous impact fuel pricing was having on our college budget and asked each of us to step forward in helping to evaluate our energy use for ways we could eliminate waste and help cut our expenses,” he noted. The community pitched in, including turning out lights when not in use.

“In addition, we got a solid response from our student leaders helping to encourage the departing student body to abide by existing requests for unplugging electrical equipment, closing windows, turning down the heat and generally buttoning up the buildings as they left for Wintersession,” he said. The efforts had an impact. Electrical usage dropped 3% overall in December.

"During the concentrated effort that took place Dec. 23-31, we saw a 4.5% reduction in electrical usage. Even more impressive, we saw an 18% drop in steam usage. We saved $27,000 in that nine-day period alone,” Zuraw said.

January showed more savings. Electrical consumption is down 8.9% and steam a whopping 43.9%.
“Students will hold an electrical usage competition on the residence halls this spring,” Zuraw said. “We are going to reach out to everyone on campus to share the good news so far and ask for ongoing diligence.”

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south african photography shows a time of change

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, from 4-6 pm, the opening reception for “Ngaphaya Kwebala: Beyond Color,” a South African photography exhibition, will take place in Jewett Sculpture Court. On display through February, it showcases the photography of three women who lived and worked in South Africa before and after the end of apartheid: Jasmine Waddell, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Wellesley Centers for Women; Heather Flewelling, director of Student Multicultural Affairs at Milton Academy; and the Rev. Ashlee Weist-Laird of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, Mass.

The former head of Slater International Association, Anna Azaryev ’05, studied under Waddell at Oxford and suggested the exhibit. Opening night will include a performance by the Wellesley African Students’ Association (WASA) and speaker Danielle Debruyn-Grady of the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission, who has helped to model the inclusive human rights ideology of documents like the 1996 South Africa Constitution. For more, e-mail slatermail@wellesley.edu

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talking about hair and identity

On Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 pm in Harambee House, artist Michelle Filkins will present a program titled “Split Ends,” a multi-media installation involving music, black-and-white slide projections and a short film. “Split Ends” inspires audiences to think about social identity, racial identity and the personal and physical sacrifices individuals make to feel accepted.

“It was my personal struggle on identity that ended up being recorded in words, film and photographs,” Filkins said, “and I was honored to win three cash awards from the Five Colleges in recognition of it. As now I am honored to share it with the women of Wellesley College.” For more information, call x2133.

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don't miss: triple helix piano trio will present chamber music concert

On Sunday, Feb. 12, at 7 pm in Houghton Memorial Chapel, the Triple Helix Piano Trio, ensemble-in-residence at Wellesley since 1999, will present the next installment of its wide-ranging festival, “A Sense of Place: Chamber Music Shaped by Cultural Experience.” Now in its final year, the two-year festival explores the rich repertoire of chamber music inspired by, and often incorporating, authentic folk traditions. In addition, there will be a lecture/recital, “Listening to Mother Russia: What Animates and Defines Her Artistic Spirit?” featuring Thomas Hodge of the Russian Department and Triple Helix Piano Trio on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 12:30-2:15 pm in Jewett Auditorium.

Venturing eastward to explore the music of Russia, trio members Lois Shapiro, piano, Bayla Keyes, violin, and Rhonda Rider, cello, will make an unusual pairing of two of the country’s titans—the mid-19th century romantic master Peter Tchaikovsky and Dmitri Shostakovich, the mid-20th century master, who mixes acerbic harmonies with intense lyricism. Speaking from their different historical perspectives, the two composers share a passionate emotional power and conviction.

Triple Helix will perform Tchaikovsky’s well-known Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in A minor, Op. 50 (1882), dedicated to the memory of the great pianist, Nikolai Rubinstein, who had died the previous year, and the Trios No. 1 and 2 by Shostakovich, one of the 20th century’s most compelling and prolific composers and whose centenary is celebrated this year. For more information, call x2028.

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colleagues in the news

The Newhouse Center for the Humanities and the Office of the Dean of the College have chosen benjamin bagby and katarina livljanic as the Mary Cornille Distinguished Visiting Professors in the Humanities for 2006-07.

Bagby is a vocalist, harpist and scholar who has been among the leading figures in medieval musical performance for 30 years. He was the founder in 1977 (with the late Barbara Thornton) of the musical ensemble, Sequentia, for which he has helped create and perform more than 65 innovative concert programs of medieval music and music drama. He also devotes his time to the solo performance of Anglo-Saxon oral poetry and has been commissioned by the Lincoln Center Festival to perform a major portion of the Beowulf epic in 2006. Educated at Oberlin and the Oberlin conservatory and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Germany, he has taught at universities and conservatories throughout the world.

Livljanic, a singer and musicologist, is one of the principal international specialists in medieval chant performance. Born in Croatia, she trained at the Zagreb Music Conservatory and received a Ph.D. at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris. She directs the vocal ensemble Dialogos, founded in 1997 with a mission to link new musicological research to innovations in medieval music performance. As a vocalist, she also performs in major international festivals with the ensembles Sequentia and Alla Francesca. She has taught and performed throughout Europe and North America and was decorated for cultural achievement in 2002 by the president of Croatia. Bagby and Livljanic live in Paris where Livljanic is maître de conférences in medieval music at the Sorbonne. They will be in residence at Wellesley for spring 2007, offering performances and teaching an undergraduate course and a faculty seminar.

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calendar

monday february 6

cws workshop. “Stipends.” 12:30 pm, Academic Council Room. Info: x2352.

japanese table. 12:30-1:20 pm, Tower Court private dining hall. Info: x7922.

cws workshop. “Jump Start Your Career Exploration.” 5-6 pm, GRH 338. Info: x2352.

meeting. CG Senate. 6 pm, Academic Council Room. Info: cgpresident@wellesley.edu.

cws workshop. “Alumnae/Student Mock Interviews.” 6-8 pm, GRH 441. Info: x2352.

meditation. 7-8:15 pm, meditation room, lower chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Info: x2793.

cws info meeting. “Wellesley Words on Wheels.” 7-8:30 pm, PNW 212. Info: x2352.

german table. 8-9 pm, Stone living room. Info: x1685.

bahá’í gathering. 8:30 pm, Freeman living room. Info: x4188.

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tuesday february 7

cws info session. Emily Cohen MacFarquhar ’59 Internship for International Journalism 12:30 pm, GRH 428. Info: x2352.

lecture."Federalism Revised: The New National Politics of Curriculum." Speaker: Dalia Hochman, Education Department candidate. 12:30-1:20 pm, PNE139. Sponsor: Education. Info: bbeatty@wellesley.edu.

exhibit opening.“Ngaphaya Kwebala: Beyond Color,” 4-6 pm, Jewett Sculpture Court. Sponsor: Slater; Davis World Cultures Fund. (See story.) Info: x1204.

discussion. “Halaqa/Study Circle.” 6:45-8:30 pm, lower chapel. Info: nkhalil@wellesley.edu.

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wednesday february 8

russian table. 12:30-1:30 pm, FND 416. Info: x3549.

spanish table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court private dining hall. Info: x3571.

cws workshop. “Preparing for a Career Fair.” 12:30 pm, PNE 225A. Info: x2352.

lecture/recital. “Listening to Mother Russia: What Animates and Defines Her Artistic Spirit?” Speaker: Thomas Hodge, Russian, with Triple Helix Piano Trio. 12:30-2:15 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: Music. (See story) Info: x2028.

open house for Student Activities. 1-5 pm, Wang Campus Center 220. Info: x2672.

film series. August Sun. Reception with filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, 4:30-5:15 pm, DMCC lobby; “Cinema and Its Place in a Time of War.” Speaker: Robert Crusz, film expert, 5:15 pm; film, 6:15; discussion, 8-10 pm. Collins Cinema. Sponsor: DMCC. (See story.) Info: x2051.

community meeting. 6-7 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Unitarian Universalists. Info: x3484.

workshop. “Mind over Body Image and Self-Esteem in the Media.” Speaker: Jessica Cunningham ’04, director, Education and Outreach at the Mass. Eating Disorder Association. 7-8:30 pm, PNE 139. Sponsor: Health Services. Info: x2821.

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thursday february 9

foh workshop. “Looking Closely: Learning to Use Plant Keys.” Speaker: Carol Govan, artist. 2/9 & 2/16, 10 am-1 pm, Botanic Gardens Visitor Center. Cost: members, $70; others, $90. Info: x3094.

chinese table. 12:30-1:20 pm, Stone-Davis living room. Info: CSAmail@wellesley.edu.

arabic table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court private dining hall. Info: x2916.

french table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Bates private dining hall. Info: x2403.

cws clinic. “Résumés and Cover Letters.” 3-4 pm, GRH 441. Info: x2352.

lecture. “The Quantum Universe.” Speaker: Persis Drell ’77, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. 4:45-5:45 pm, SCI 277. Sponsor: Physics. (See story, page 1.) Info: x3156.

italian table. 5:30-6:45 pm, Tower Court private dining hall. Info: x2616.

esl tutoring. 6-8 pm, PLTC small conference room. Info: x2480.

worship service. 7 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Protestant Christian Chaplaincy. Info: x2655.

multimedia event. “Hair and Identity.” 7-8 pm, Harambee House. (See story.) Info: x2133.

meeting. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. 7-9 pm, Wang Campus Center, Multipurpose Room 2. Info: wivcfmail@wellesley.edu.

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friday february 10

prayer/discussion. Muslim communal (Jummah). 12:30-2:30 pm, lower chapel. Info: x2656.

workshop. “Film and War.” With Prasanna Vithanage and Robert Crusz. 12:30-3 pm, Collins Cinema. (See story.) Info: x2051.

alumnae awards. 5:30 pm, Alumnae Hall Auditorium. (See story.) Info: x2398.

shabbat service. 5:30-6:30 pm, BIL 300. Info: x2685.

film/discussion. Death on a Full Moon Day. Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage. Reception, 5:30 pm, Collins Café; film: 7 pm; discussion: 8:15 pm, Collins Cinema. (See story.) Info: x2051.

bible study. 7 pm, Wang Campus Center 413. Sponsor: Asian Baptist Student Koinonia. Info: x1831.

concert. Brandeis/Wellesley Orchestra and Smith College Orchestra. 8-10 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2028.

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saturday february 11

films/reception. Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage. Walls Within, 3 pm; reception, 4:30 pm; August Sun, 5:30-7:30 pm. Collins Cinema and Café. (See story.) Info: x2051.

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sunday february 12

worship service. 11:15 am, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Protestant Christian Chaplaincy. Info: x2655.

films. Filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage. Ice on Fire, 3 pm; Dark Night of the Soul, 5 pm, Collins Cinema. (See story.) Info: x2051.

catholic mass. 4 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Newman Catholic Ministry. Info: x2688.

meeting. Darshana. 5 pm, lower chapel. Sponsor: Hindu Community. Info: x2794.

concert. “Music from Mother Russia: Slipping the Bonds of Reason to Embrace the Song of the Soul.” Triple Helix Piano Trio. 7-10 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. (See story.) Info: x2028.

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monday february 13

administrative council. 11 am-noon. Academic Council Room.

japanese table. (See 2/6 listing.)

meeting. (See 2/6.)

esl tutoring. (See 2/8.)

meditation. (See 2/6.)

cws workshop. “Alumnae Interviews.” (See 2/6.)

german table. (See 2/6.)

bahá’í gathering. (See 2/6.)

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ongoing

book sale. Clapp Library reading room. Donations: 50 cents to $4. Info: x2894.

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