3 - 10
april
2006

celebrate national poetry month with community readings

In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Friends of the Library will host “The Favorite Poem Project: A Community Reading of Unique Personal Treasures” Tuesday, April 4, at 7 pm in Wang Center 212. The event will feature readings by President Diana Chapman Walsh; Mur Wolf, technical services; Timothy Peltason, director, Newhouse Center; Frank Bidart, English, and other faculty, staff and students.

The event is part of the nationwide Favorite Poem Project, founded by U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997. Since its launch, the Favorite Poem Project has been dedicated to celebrating, documenting and promoting poetry’s role in Americans’ lives.

“If a poem is written well, it was written with a poet’s voice and for a voice,” Pinsky said. “Reading a poem silently instead of saying a poem is like the difference between staring at sheet music or actually humming or playing the music on an instrument.”

English major Simran Thadani ’05, this year’s Mellon library associate who is helping to organize the event, will present her favorite poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T. S. Eliot.

“I enjoy reading and re-reading it because it has so many layers and meanings, and through allusion bears the legacy of several great works written way before Eliot’s time, such as Dante’s Inferno, the Bible etc.,” Thadani said. “Eliot was wont to say that the greatest poetry, by definition, was poetry that you had to read and re-read to understand. His works are complex, but I get a real satisfaction out of figuring out his meanings—and also out of the mysteries that still remain to be solved after I’ve reached the last line.”

Thadani said the Favorite Poem Project promises to be entertaining and enlightening. “It will allow participants to be exposed to the variety of other people’s taste and to spend a cozy evening by a fireplace listening to some beautifully crafted works,” she said. For more information, call x3483.

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harvard scholar to speak on culture and school success

On April 6, from 12:30-1:30 pm in Pendleton Atrium, Prudence Carter, associate professor of sociology at Harvard, will present a lecture, “The Sociology of ‘Acting White’: Ideology, Identity and Social Boundaries.”

The lecture draws from her recently published book, Keepin’ It Real: School Success Beyond Black and White (Oxford University Press, 2005). The book explores how African American and Latina/o students from New York use their cultural knowledge, styles and practices to negotiate school.

Using student interviews and surveys, Carter helps to broaden our understanding about how successful African American and Latina/o students were able to use their own cultural capital to realize their ambitions. Her research refutes a body of scholarship that suggests these students have a cultural opposition to academic success because doing well in school is often associated with “acting white.”
Carter, a prominent scholar in the area of race and education, shows that successful students are able to draw from multiple cultural traditions to aid them as they move through school. She specializes in culture and identity, education, gender, mixed methods, race and ethnicity, urban poverty and social policy.

“Her talk will provide insight about how we should address the academic disparities experienced among African Americans and Latina/os,” said Donna Harris, education. For more information, call x3259.

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asian symposium

Wellesley’s Grace Slack McNeil Program for Studies in American Art and the Office of Academic Programs at Historic Deerfield Inc. will hold their annual Wellesley-Deerfield Symposium in American Culture Saturday, April 8, from 8:30 am-5 pm in Collins Cinema.

“Asia in New England: Cross-Currents in Architecture, Collecting and Design” will explore the impact of Asian arts and design on New Englanders. Leading scholars in the field of Asian export art and American art, architecture and decorative arts will explore Chinese, Japanese and Islamic influences on the region’s architecture, domestic interiors and decorative arts from the 1780s to 1900. Reservations are requested; e-mail lpriest@wellesley.edu or call x2042 for more information.

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how technology has changed our experience of film

Watching your favorite old films on DVD? University of London professor of film and media studies Laura Mulvey says you probably will find a different experience today than when you saw it in the theater. On Wednesday, April 5, at 4:30 pm in Science Center 277, she will present a lecture, “Discovering the Pensive and the Possessive Spectator.”

Regarded as one of the most prominent feminist film critics, Mulvey suggests that old films watched on video or DVD produce a “pensive spectator,” attuned to time and its passing. The lecture will be preceded by a reception at 4 pm.

A prolific writer, Mulvey’s most recent book, Death 24x a Second Stillness and the Moving Image, (Reaktion Books, 2006) explores the role new media technologies play in our experience of film, arguing that DVDs and home videos have fundamentally altered our relationship to the movies. For more information, call x2618.

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classicist to lead discussion about big questions

The Newhouse Center for the Humanities is presenting the Dorothy H. Magee Colloquium Series for 2006 with the theme of “Unavoidably Side by Side: Classical and Contemporary Discourses.” The next offering, “Where Have All the Big Questions Gone?”, is a lecture by classicist W. Robert Connor on Thursday, April 6, at 4:30 pm in Collins Cinema.

Connor is former director of the National Humanities Center and president of the Teagle Foundation. In addition to the lecture, associated seminars and discussions will focus on the topic “Reading Plato’s Euthyphro” and on the questions raised by that classic text about the relations between religion and politics. Conceived and organized by Carol Dougherty, classical studies, this series brings together classicists and scholars from a variety of more contemporary disciplines to discuss the enduring problems in human life and thought and in teaching and scholarship. For more information, call x2698.

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triple helix presents middle eastern music

“From antiquity to today, the Middle East, like no other place, continues to have a vibrancy and passion to fascinate, exhilarate and inspire us all,” said Lois Shapiro. Pianist with the Triple Helix Piano Trio, Shapiro is also remembering her own inspiration for the fifth concert of the ensemble’s two-year Sense of Place festival.

On Sunday, April 9, the Trio, which has been in residence at the college since 2000, presents “From the Caspian to the Mediterranean: Music of the Many-faceted Middle East”—music of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel and Turkey—at 7 pm at Houghton Memorial Chapel. The six-event Sense of Place series was inspired by the Triple Helix CD of the same name, which was proclaimed by Gramophone Magazine to be among the best new recordings from North America in 2004. Trio members Shapiro, Bayla Keyes, violin, and Rhonda Rider, cello, will lead a companion lecture-recital, “Tracing the Zephyr’s Path through the Mysterious and Captivating World of Middle Eastern Music,” Wednesday, April 5, from 12:30-2:15 pm in Jewett Auditorium. For more information, call x2028.

don't miss: upstage presents political epic on the aids crisis

Playwright Tony Kushner’s epic about the AIDS crisis, Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches, will be presented by Upstage Theatre April 6 at 7 pm, April 7 at 8 pm, April 8 at 2 and 8 pm and April 9 at 2 and 7 pm on the Barstow Stage, Alumnae Hall. The play has many strong, well-defined characters, offering an acting challenge to the student cast. “I believe that good theatre goes beyond race and gender, that the characters are defined by so much more than what they look and sound like, that it has the power to transform something unfathomable into a semblance of reality,” said director Nandita Dinesh ’06. The play explores “the state of the nation” and the sexual, racial, religious, political and social issues confronting the country during the Reagan years as the AIDS epidemic spreads. Tickets are free to Wellesley/MIT/Olin students, $5 for Wellesley faculty and staff and other students, and $10 for all others. For more information, call x2220.

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colleagues in the news

frank bidart, English, has been asked to reflect on the work of late artist Ralph Hamilton in an remembrance written about Hamilton in The Boston Globe. “You can never quite figure out any sort of simple personality or character to the figure he’s painted,” said Bidart, who had been friends with Hamilton since the early 1970s.

karl case, economics, has been interviewed numerous times about current real estate trends in the national media, including by The New York Times in a recent story titled “Home Economics.” Case agrees that lack of supply has led to steep housing prices in the Boston area but attributes the housing shortage not just to zoning but also to the nature of the construction business and the scarcity of large, desirable tracts of land.

suzanne howard, environmental health and safety, has been interviewed by The Chronicle of Education on research she pursued with wilma slaight, archives, on Wellesley’s response to the flu epidemic of 1918. The story asked college officials across the country about their plans to respond to possible flu pandemics. At Wellesley, the topic has been discussed at meetings of the Emergency Management Group, of which Howard is a member.

judy jordan, Wellesley Centers for Women, has been interviewed by the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee for a story, “Women Rely on Other Women.” In the article, Jordan contrasts close friendships between men with close friendships between women. “Men’s friendships tend to be focused more on tasks, on practical things, on doing things together, and less on sharing emotionally or moving into emotional vulnerability,” she said.

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calendar

monday april 3

cws senior workshop. “Job Search Strategies.” 12:30 pm, GRH 130. Info: x2352.

lecture. “Generation Debt.” Speaker: Anya Kamenetz, author. 12:30 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: WALRA. Info: walramail@wellesley.edu.

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

foh workshop. “Why is a Hydrangea Blue? Fun Facts About Plant Chemistry.” Speaker: Sonja Hicks,
chemistry emerita. Reception: 1:30 pm; program: 2-3 pm, Botanic Gardens Visitor Center. Members: $10; others: $13. Info: x3094.

cws workshop. “Understanding the MBTI and Career Planning.” 4:30-6:30 pm, GRH 338. Info: x2352.

lecture. “Museums Today: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Speaker: Deborah Gribbon ’70, J. Paul Getty Museum. 5 pm, Wang Center, Tishman Commons. Sponsor: Art. Info: x2042.

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

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

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

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

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

tuesday april 4

foh seminar. “Painting Petals and Parts: A Floral Focus: Foundations.” Tuesdays: 4/4, 4/11, 4/25, 5/2. 10 am-1 pm, Botanic Gardens Visitor Center. Members: $100; others: $125. Info: x3094.

cws info session. “NY Chiropractic.” 12:30 pm, PNE 239. Info: x2352.

italian table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower. Info: x2616.

reading. Speaker: Jennifer Clements, poet. 4 pm, Slater House. Sponsor: Spanish. Info: x2402.

panel/film. “The Darfur Genocide.” Discussion, 4:30 pm, All About Darfur, 6 pm, and Lost Boys of Sudan, 8 pm. Wang Center, Tishman Commons. Sponsor: Darfur Committee. Info: x7183.

exhibit opening. Paul Rudolph: The Florida Houses. Speakers: Christopher Domin and Joseph King, architects. 4:30-6:30 pm, JAC 450. Sponsor: Art. Info: x2060.

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

foh event. “The Favorite Poem Project.” 7 pm, Wang Center 212. (See story, page 1.) Info: x3483.
class. “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.” 7-8:30 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Buddhist Community. Preregister: x2793.

films. 7-10 pm, SCI 277. Sponsor: Science Fiction & Fantasy. Info: x2679.

wednesday april 5

cws senior workshop. “Jump Start Your Career Exploration.” 12:30 pm, GRH 130. Info: x2352.

russian table. 12:30-1:30 pm, FND 416. Info: x2418.

spanish table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower. Info: x3571.

academic council. 12:30-2 pm, Academic Council Room.

concert. “Music from the Inside Out.” Triple Helix Piano Trio. 12:30-2:15 pm, Jewett Auditorium. (See story, page 2.) Sponsor: Music. Info: x2028.

lecture. “Discovering the Pensive and the Possessive Spectator.” Speaker: Laura Mulvey, film studies, University of London. Reception: 4 pm; lecture: 4:30 pm, SCI 277. Sponsor: Italian Studies. (See story, page 2.) Info: x2618.

reading. “Dispatches from a Not-So-Perfect Life.” Speaker: Faulkner Fox, author. 5-6:30 pm, FND 207. Sponsor: English. Info: x2591.

unitarian universalist worship. 6 pm, lower chapel. Info: x3484.

ceremony. “Town of Wellesley 125th Celebration.” 7-8 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Community Affairs. Info: x2386.

lecture. “Creating Culturally Blended Communities.” Speaker: Victor Villasenor, author. 7-8:30 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: Mezcla. Info: Mezclamail@wellesley.edu.

film. Three Times. Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien. 7-9 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: DMCC. Info: x2051.

thursday april 6

lecture. “The Sociology of ‘Acting White’: Ideology, Identity and Social Boundaries.” Speaker: Prudence Carter, sociology, Harvard. 12:30-1:20 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: Education. (See story, page 1.) Info: x3232.

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

chinese table. 12:30-1:30 pm, Tower Court. Info: CSAmail@wellesley.edu.

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

wcw seminar. “Getting to the Heart of the Mentoring Process Between Adolescents and Adults.” Speaker: Renée Spencer, researcher. 12:30-1:30 pm, Cheever House. Info: x2500.

lecture. “Where Have All the Big Questions Gone?” Speaker: W. Robert Connor, classics emeritus, Princeton. 4:30 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Newhouse Center. (See story, page 2.) Info: x2698.
softball vs. Amherst College. 4:30 pm. Info: x2003.

lecture. “Jewish Voices in a ‘Strange Silence’: Jews and the Shoah in France After Vichy.” Speaker: Renée Poznanski, Holocaust studies, Ben Gurion University. 4:30-6 pm, FND 120. Sponsor: Jewish Studies. Info: x1131.

lecture. “The Evolution of Mind Reading.” Speaker: Laurie Santos, psychology, Yale. 4:30-6 pm, SCI 396. Sponsor: Psychology. Info: x3019.

lecture. “Principled Differences: Military Intervention and the Ethics of Care,” Speaker: Virginia Held, philosophy emerita, Hunter College. 4:30-6:30 pm, PNW 212. Sponsor: Philosophy. Info: x2993.

dinner lecture. “Some Positive Developments in Post-Saddam Iraq.” Speaker: Thomas Cushman, sociology. 6 pm, College Club. Cost, info: x2700.

films. Hotel Rwanda, 6:30 pm; All About Darfur, 9 pm, SCI 277. Sponsor: Darfur Committee. Info x7183.

lecture. “North Korea Nuclear Crisis.” Speaker: Gordon Chang, Asia expert. 6-7:30 pm, PNE 225A. Sponsor: Asian Student Union. Info: ASUmail@wellesley.edu.

esl tutoring. (See 4/3 listing.)

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

cws senior workshop. “Interviewing.” 7 pm, GRH 130. Info: x2352.

upstage theatre. Angels in America. 7 pm, Barstow Stage, Alumnae Hall. Cost: Wellesley/MIT/Olin students, free; WC faculty/staff/other students, $5; others, $10. (See story, page 4.) Info: x2220.

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

performance. “Yo Soy Latina!” 7:30 pm, Jewett Auditorium. Sponsor: Multicultural Programs. Info: x2955.

friday april 7

foh seminar. “Painting Petals and Parts: A Floral Focus: Techniques.” Fridays, 4/7, 4/14, 4/28, 5/5. 10 am-1 pm, Botanic Gardens Visitor Center. Members: $100; others: $125. Info: x3094.
prayer/discussion. Muslim communal (Jummah). 12:30-2:30 pm, lower chapel. Info: x2656.

lacrosse vs. Bridgewater State. 4:30 pm. Info: x2003.

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

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

concert. Glee Club. 7 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2028.

films. 7 and 9 pm. Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Film Society. Info: x7043.

upstage theatre. Angels in America. 8 pm. (See 4/6 listing.)

saturday april 8

wellesley-deerfield symposium. “Asia in New England: Crosscurrents in Architecture, Collecting and Design.” 9 am-5 pm, Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Art. (See story, page 1.) Info: x2042.

tennis. Wellesley Invitational. 10 am. Info: x2003.

workshop. “Learn the Mbira.” Instructor: Albert Chimedza. 4/8 and 4/9, noon-4 pm, PNW 112. Sponsor: Art. Info: x2071.

upstage theatre. Angels in America. 2 and 8 pm. (See 4/6 listing.)
films. 7 and 9 pm. Collins Cinema. Sponsor: Film Society. Info: x7043.

concert. Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra. 8 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. Info: x2028.

sunday april 9

palm sunday.

worship service. 11:15 am, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Protestant CC. Info: x2685.

upstage theatre. Angels in America. 2 and 7 pm. (See 4/6 listing.)

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

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

concert. “A Sense of Place—From the Caspian to the Mediterranean: Music of the Many-Faceted Middle East.” Triple Helix Piano Trio. 7 pm, Houghton Chapel. Sponsor: Music. (See story, page 2.) Info: x2028.

monday april 10

administrative council. 11-noon, Academic Council Room.

japanese table. (See 4/3 listing.)

panel. “Biological Chemistry Careers.” Speakers: 1989 alumnae. 4:30-6 pm, SCI 278. Sponsor: Biochemistry. Info: x3153.

meeting. CG Senate. (See 4/3 listing.)

esl tutoring. (See 4/3 listing.)

reading. “New Poetry from Spain.” Speakers: Tina Escaja, Luis Munoz, Joaquin Rios Arrabal. 6:30 pm, Wang Center 104. Sponsor: Spanish. Info: x2744.

meditation. (See 4/3 listing.)

lecture. “Putin, Petroleum, Power and Patronage: The Dog Barks, But the Caravan Moves On.” Speaker: Marshall Goldman, economics emeritus. 8 pm, PNW 212. Sponsor: Russian Studies. Info: x2602.

german table. (See 4/3 listing.)

bahá’í gathering. (See 4/3 listing.)

event. “Spring Lip Sync: Wellesley Idol.” 9-10:30 pm, Wang Center, Tishman Commons. Sponsor: House Presidents Council. Info: HPCmail@wellesley.edu.

ongoing

foh exhibit. Wellesley Greenhouse Panoramas, through 4/13. Botanic Gardens Visitor Center. Info: x3504.

exhibit. Exploring Elbert: Giving Voice to African American History, through 4/14. Clapp Library Special Collections. Info: x2129.

exhibits. On the Edge: Contemporary Chinese Artists Encounter the West, through 5/24; Any Opinions?, through 6/3. DMCC. Info: x2051.

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