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WESeminar
information
WESeminars offer a stimulating
intellectual experience through educational presentations by
Wesleyan faculty members, alumni, parents, and students.
Participants rekindle their connections to Wesleyan and gain insight
into the teaching and scholarship that take place at the University
today. WESeminars typically last 60 to 90 minutes. Space is limited
at all WESeminars and attendance is on a first-come, first-served
basis. Most seminars reach capacity seating, so it is best to arrive
early.
8 a.m.
– 9 p.m.
Welcome, Check-In, and Information
Everyone—alumni, parents, and families—should check in for final
weekend schedules (with updates and event locations), a welcome
packet, campus maps, and more.
Office of Alumni and Parent
Relations, 330 High Street
Morning and Afternoon
Attend a Class
Students may arrange with their professors for parents to visit
classes—or parents and alumni may obtain a class schedule at
Check-in (some classes may be restricted) and see what looks
interesting. Please plan to arrive on time and to stay for the
duration of the class.
10 a.m.
WESEMINAR 1
| Writing Slavery Back Into History: The Evolution of an American Past
After Reconstruction, white historians consistently de-emphasized
the importance of slavery to the political phenomenon of secession
and Civil War. In this context, Frederic Bancroft’s Slave Trading
in the Old South (1931) offered a radical treatment of slavery, both
in its reliance on the work of African American scholars and
sources, and in its view of slavery as an institution damaging to
slaves and the society which exploited them. Professor Potter’s
presentation will draw on that personal research, speculation about the
role of history in politics, and the alterations in consciousness
demanded by the writing of new histories.
Presenter:
Claire Potter, Associate Professor of History and
Director of American Studies
11 a.m.
WESEMINAR 2 | Treasures of the Davison Collection
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Davison Rare Book
Room, Head of Special Collections Suzy Taraba ’77 will present
treasures from George W. Davison’s (Class of 1892) splendid
collections of rare books. Highlights include a leaf of the
Gutenberg Bible, the Shakespeare folios, and Dickens’s novels in
their original serial parts.
Presenter: Suzy Taraba ’77,
University Archivist and Head of Special Collections
1 p.m.
WESEMINAR 3 | Inside a Poetry Workshop
Aspiring poets, lovers of poetry, and those who simply enjoy the
creative process are invited to join Adjunct Assistant Professor and
Visiting Writer Kate Rushin in a dynamic poetry workshop. Using
writing exercises and model poems, you will have the opportunity to
write and share your own poems. An alumna and current student poet
will join this session to share their writing experiences and recent
works.
Presenters:
Kate Rushin,
Adjunct Assistant Professor and Visiting Writer, African American
Studies Program; Amy Ma ’05, selected as one of Connecticut’s
Fresh Voices for the 2001 Sunken Garden Poetry Festival and winner
of the 2001 IMPAC-CSU Statewide Poetry Championship; Jennifer
Kelly-DeWitt ’97, freelance writer who will launch an independent
press, Pangaea Press, this fall
WESEMINAR 4
| Improvisation: A Choreographic Workshop
How can we, as performers, perceive emerging structures while
dancing and choreographing simultaneously? Three members of Headlong
Dance Theater share their approach to choreographic improvisation,
examining the dynamics of space, movement, invention, and
performance attention. This 90-minute workshop will integrate a
compositional sensibility with performing, culminating in a series
of dance structures choreographed and performed by the class.
Advance registration is required. To register, please call the
Wesleyan Box Office at (860) 685-3355.
Workshop Leaders:
David Brick
’91, Andrew Simonet ’92, and Amy Smith ’92, dancers and
choreographers with Headlong Dance Theater, a collaborative dance
company established in Philadelphia in 1993 and a recipient of a
1999 New York Dance and Performance Award for Choreography (the
Bessie) for “ST*R W*RS and Other Stories” at Dance Theater
Workshop
1
– 2 p.m.
Tour of the Freeman Athletic Center | Tour of the Olin Memorial
Library | Tour of the Campus
Student guides will provide
informational tours highlighting many aspects of each facility and
the Wesleyan campus.
The Most Important Student Body is Yours
Learn about the health offices on campus: University Health Services, the Office of Behavioral Health for Students, and WesWELL, the Office of Health Education. This seminar will present several case studies regarding important health issues students may encounter. There will be time for questions about treatment and prevention options.
1:30 p.m.
WESEMINAR 5
| The Ethics of Cloning
Scientists have already cloned sheep, pigs, goats, cattle, mice,
rabbits, and even cats. Will humans be next? Debates in the media
and in Congress are heating up. Join the discussion as we explore
the ethical issues that cloning technology raises.
Presenter: Lori Gruen,
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
2–2:45 p.m.
How Does Wesleyan’s Mental/Behavioral Health Service Complement the University’s Educational Missions?
Where, when, and how do mental health services interact with personal development and a successful educational experience? Presentation plus questions and answers.
Presenter:
Philippa M. Coughlan, Ph.D., FAClinP Director, Office of Behavioral Health for Students
3 p.m.
WESEMINAR 6 | What Should
I Read After Huck Finn?
Join Mark Twain expert David
Sloane for a broad discussion of the works of Connecticut’s
greatest humorist. Consider Twain’s masterwork, Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, along with several of his other works on travel
and adventure, culture, and social criticism, including The
Innocents Abroad, Roughing It, Life on the Mississippi, A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Pudd’nhead Wilson,
and P.T. Barnum’s Autobiography. Bring your own favorite Twain
book to talk about.
Presenter:
David E. Sloane
’64, Professor of English and Education, University of New Haven,
named Connecticut College Professor of the Year by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Improvement of Teaching, past president of the
Mark Twain Circle, and author of several books on Mark Twain,
including
Mark Twain as a Literary Comedian, Mark Twain’s Humor:
Critical Essays,
and
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: American Comic
Vision
WESEMINAR 7 | Archives at
Home
We all have treasured family heirlooms or historical records that
are important to us. Learn basic archival procedures for preserving
and caring for paper documents, photographs, and mixed media
collections in this hands-on workshop. Space is limited.
Presenter:
Jeffrey Makala,
Processing Archivist and Reference Librarian
WESEMINAR 8
| Alternative Therapies for Treating Depression and Insomnia
Depression and sleep disorders such as insomnia have become
increasingly prevalent in the United States. Most treatments focus
on pharmacologic drugs that often produce marked side effects.
Professor Goel will present promising results from ongoing research
in her laboratory on how various nondrug treatments, including
bright light and negative ion therapy, improve mood and sleep.
Presenter:
Namni Goel,
Assistant Professor of Psychology
4:30 p.m.
WESEMINAR 9
| Climbing for Beginners
Join us for an introduction to basic rock climbing using the
climbing wall in Freeman Athletic Center. Wear comfortable clothing
and athletic shoes and challenge yourself to reach the FAC summit.
Safety instruction will be provided along with all climbing gear.
Space is limited.
Presenter:
Drew Black, Adjunct
Assistant Professor of Physical Education
WESEMINAR 10
| Leadership on the Line
As employees, parents, neighbors, and citizens, we are daily
presented with opportunities to exercise leadership. We are in
positions to ask difficult questions, address unresolved conflicts,
speak to higher values, and make a difference in the lives of people
around us. Be prepared for a candid conversation about the hazards
and rewards of leading and how to survive.
Presenter:
Marty Linsky P
’04, faculty member, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government, and chair of the School’s leadership executive
programs; consultant and trainer in leadership, communications, and
strategic planning; and co-author of
Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of
Leading
WESEMINAR 11
| The Bells of South
College
The South College Bells were installed in December 1918 as the gift of the Class of 1863. They are rung before and after Wesleyan’s Commencement ceremony and nearly every day at noon when the University is in session by undergraduate members of Bell & Scroll, a guild of dedicated bell ringers. Meet student chime masters and discover their broad repertoire. After the talk, visit the bell tower to see the console where the bells are played and view the bell chamber where they are housed. The tour involves climbing a narrow, spiral stairway and a steep ladder; space is limited for the tour and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Presenters:
Peter Frenzel, Marcus L. Taft Professor of German Studies; Gabriel Dillon ’03, Peter Harvey ’03, and Mariah Klaneski ’04, student bell ringers
4:30 p.m.
All-Campus Conversation with President Douglas J. Bennet ’59, P
’87, P ’94
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Go Wesleyan! Dinner
Wear your Wesleyan colors and join friends and family members for
dinner in a fun setting. Advance reservations and payment suggested.
Please refer to the general information section and registration
form for further information.
Advanced tickets for adults
age 12 and over: $17
Advanced tickets for children
under age 12: $7
*On-site tickets for adults
age 12 and over: $22
*On-site tickets for children
under age 12: $12
*Dependent on availability
6 p.m.
Shabbat Services and Dinner
The service will be followed by a home-cooked (kosher) student
co–op dinner at 7 p.m. Reservations for dinner are necessary and
can be made through the rabbi’s office at (860) 685–2278.
Parents wishing to support the Shabbat meal may make contributions
to the Havurah.
The service will be followed by a home-cooked (kosher) student co-op dinner at 7 p.m. Reservations for dinner are necessary and can be made through Rabbi David Leipziger's office at (860)
685-2278 or by emailing dleipziger@wesleyan.edu.
Donations can be sent to:
Rabbi David Leipziger
c/o Wesleyan Havurah
Wesleyan University
171 Church St.
Middletown, CT 06459
6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Past Into Present
A celebration of GÜNTER GRASS, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, on the occasion of his 75th birthday
Presenters: Professor Herbert Arnold speaking on Grass's new novella Crabwalk; Professor Krishna Winston reading from her
translation.
Participants can also view an exhibition of Grass's literary and graphic works.
Refreshments will be served.
German Haus, 135 High Street
Sponsored by the Department of German Studies
8 p.m.
WESEMINAR
12
| Mars—As You’ve Never Seen
It
The Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey spacecraft are currently in
orbit around the Red Planet, returning data that changes our
understanding of Mars and its capacity for life. View images of the
planet with unprecedented detail that tell the story of its
water-rich Martian past and its wind-sculpted present—images that
compel us to return to Mars and guide plans for future exploration.
Presenter:
Martha S. Gilmore,
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who has
been a scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and is funded by
NASA to develop smarter rovers to investigate Mars and to select a
landing site for the 2003 mission
Dancing Legacies: 35 Years of
Dance at Wesleyan Anniversary Dance Concert
The Dance Department celebrates its 35th anniversary with a weekend
of workshops, panel discussions, and performances, including a
ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the newly reconstructed Pine Street
Studio on Saturday. Alumni and past faculty who are active in the
field as performers, choreographers, educators, and scholars will
participate in and conduct workshops that celebrate the role that
dance at Wesleyan has played in shaping its alumni and the field of
dance. The legacy dance concert features performances by dance
alumni representing each of the decades.
Theater, Center for the Arts
Advance tickets are required for this event and may be purchased
through the University Box Office at (860) 685-3355.
Tickets: $10 general, $8
seniors / Wesleyan faculty and staff / non-Wesleyan students, $5
Wesleyan Students
8:30 p.m.
WESEMINAR
13
| Celebration of Wesleyan Writing Fiction Reading: Roxana Robinson
Join acclaimed writer Roxana Robinson for a reading of selections
from her many works.
Presenter:
Roxana Robinson, award-winning fiction writer and
biographer, is the author of five books, including the novel,
This
is My Daughter, the story collection,
Asking for Love, and the
biography,
Georgia O’Keefe: A Life. Her work has appeared in
The
New Yorker, Harper’s, The Atlantic, and
Best American Short Stories. She is teaching this year in Wesleyan’s College of
Letters Organized by Anne Greene, Director of Writing Programs
Sponsored by the Wesleyan Writing Program, the Edward W.
Snowdon Fund, and the Russell House Prose and Poetry Series
9 p.m.
Stargazing (weather permitting)
Enjoy a view of the
stars while sampling heavenly delights such as Milky Ways, Mars
Bars, and Starbursts at the celebrated Van Vleck Observatory.
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