College Voice Vol. 29 No. 21

Connecticut College Digital Commons @ Connecticut College 2004-2005 Student Newspapers 5-6-2005 College Voice Vol. 29 No. 21 Connecticut College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/ccnews_2004_2005 Recommended Citation Connecticut College, "College Voice Vol. 29 No. 21" (2005). 2004-2005. 12. https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/ccnews_2004_2005/12 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Newspapers at Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. It has been accepted for inclusion in 2004-2005 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Connecticut College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author. First Class U.S. Postage PAID Permit #35 New London, CT PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE STUDENTS OF CONNECTICUT COLLEGE VOLUMEXXIX. NUMBER 21 FRIDAY, M4Y 6, 2005 CONNECTICur COLlEGE, NEW LONDON, CT arors Discuss Diversity By JOANNA GILLJA Frances Hoffmann, the Dean of the and faculty to exercise restraint dur- AssocIATE NEWS EDITOR College Maria Cruz-Saco, the Dean ing discourse. of Admission and Financial Aid Fainstein also took the opportu- On Wednesday, May 4th, at 7 Martha Merrill, and the Affirmative nity to announce the approval of a p.m., President Norman Fainstein Action Officer Judith Kinnmse. new interdisciplinary center at hosted a Dessert and Dialogue enti- Fainstein opened the dialogue by Connecticut College. The new cen- tled "Diversity, Affirmative Action noting that the College is dedicated ter, The Center for Comparative .and the Educational Program." The and "committed to creating a diver- Study on Race and Ethnicity, was dialogue, which was sparked by the sified and equitable community." voted into existence less than an r-eaction to the opinions of Voice However, Fainstein did urge the col- hour befnre the dialogue began. As columnist Nick Iyengar, was held in lege community to participate in of yet, the Center's academic com- CIrclerto "help answer specific ques- dialogues that foster discussion and ponents are still in the works. tions about practices and policies at disagreement on different issues. He However, the faculty has decided Connecticut College," according to added that diversity includes differ- that the program will not carry a cer- Camelweb. ences in ideology, race, and ethnici- tificate program like PICA or At the request of President ty and as a result, often fosters civil CISLA. Fainstein, various members of the discussion and free speech. Still, Currently, the primary focus of College's administration were pres- Fainstein stated that "free speech the Center will be a year long semi- ent. Among the administrators in invites civil discipline," thus accen- nar that consists of a 200-level attendance were Dean of the Faculty tuating the necessity for students "Gateway Course" about race and ethnicity. Feinstein, as well as many of the faculty members, hope to expand the Center to encompass a certification program and perhaps even a major and a minor in the area History Professor Bruce Kirmmse gave the third lecture in a series entitled "Pluto's Republic: Some Remarks about tbe LiberalArts" in the of race and ethnicity. Also, the Cbarles Clm Reading Room on Wednesday. His talk focused on notions of modernity, affectation, and fascism and the role theyplay in tbe administration hopes that the Center liberal arts. The lecture concluded with questions from the audience, which focused on Kirmmse's portrayal of these three ideas. (Cryan) will be a place for the faculty and students to freely exchange ideas with the aid of discussion groups Award- Winning Authors Speak at Conn and speakers. The official proposal By JULIA 1EFKowlrL Over the past thirteen years, the response to these questions, for this new center is scheduled to be EDITOR-iN-CHIEF Daniel Klagsbrun Symposium on Cunningham and Packer spoke of posted on Conn's website by the end Writing and Moral Vision has their paths to becoming professional of this week. Despite sunny skies and warm brought prominent authors such as writers and offered a series of anec- A variety of administrators, spring weather, students filed into Saul Bellow, Tobias Wolff, and dotes and advice for aspiring specifically the Affirmative Action Blaustein on the afternoon of Friday, Wally Lamb to Connecticut College. authors. Cunningham, who admitted Officer, Judy Kirmmse, spoke about April 29th for the annual Daniel The family of Daniel Klagsbrun that he struggled to have his books Connecticut College's Affirmative Klagsbrun Symposium. At four PM, established the annual Symposium published for many years before his Action program. Kirmmse began by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael in honor of their son, a CC graduate, breakthrough success, stated: lilt telling the story of Affirmative Cnnningham and the recipient of the who died tragically in 1988. takes a ferocious degree of fight and Action's arrival at Connecticut Whiting Writer's Award z:z Packer 10 the opening minutes of the determination." Packer revealed that College. Affirmative Action was spoke before a packed audience. panel, Professor Boyd posed a series she was initially an Electrical adopted by the College as a result of Judy Kirmmse, Affirl1UltiveAction Officel; discussed diversity with students and faculty (Pace) Professor of English Blanche Boyd of questions to Cunningham and Engineering Major, but switched her the Fanning Take Over in 1986. moderated the panel and introduced Packer. The majority of the event, field to English when she realized The 1986 Fanning Takeover was the visiting authors in an evening however, was a question and answer her passion for Creative Writing. "I Estelle Parsons to Give reading that took place in Ernst session between inquiring members loved to go to the library and read continued on page 6 Common Room. of the audience and the panelists. In 94th Commencement Address continued on page 6 By REBECCA WOLL "......ege ans enova ions for Summer Break amazing part of a liberal arts educa- Bv EUZABETII GREENMAN STAFF WRITER tion is not the degree you eam but AssOCIATE NEWS EDITOR This year's commencement the "profound and good effect on a speaker, Estelle Parsons, graduated person's thinking" and the transition Every year after students vacate in 1949 with a degree in govern- from simply a student to an intelli- the campus for summer vacation, ment. With a background in acting, gent, educated individual. She has Physical Plant (PP) takes advantage however, Ms. Parsons knew that this found that Connecticut College of their absence to complete the was the field she was meant to pur- treated her as an individual and a annual surruner renovations and var- sue and pursue she did, earning three woman rather than just a girl. The ious maintenance and construction Tony nominations, an academy school has given in her a wonderful projects. award for her role in Bonnie and sense of confidence and a useful net- Every summer they complete an Clyde, and an induction into the work of friends and allies, both of average of 50 projects, such as Broadway Hall of Fame this past which she has relied on throughout painting and undertaking larger January. Among other films and TV life. building renovations that require shows, Ms. Parsons was the first net- Parsons is thrilled to be speaking at outside contractors' assistance. PP vyork political reporler with The this year's commencement. She currently has a list of approximately Today Show and might be recog- explains that being asked to speak 2000 potential projects, all of which nized starring as Bev Harris in the is such a great honor and will be a cost over $2000. ever popular Roseanne. fun experience for her. Though she The major project this summer is Though it has been a while since says that a commencement speech the installment of a new turf field at Parsons was a student at Connecticut is one of the hardest things to write, the Silfen Track and Field Complex, College and though the college has she's going to "give it her all!" located below the Athletic Center. changed a great deal, including its Jim Norton, Director of Physical transformation from a women's col- Unsure of tlie stability to her Plant, referred to the project as "the lege to a cooed institntion, she topic, she intends to relay her expe- most exciting and certainly the explained in a recent interview that riences of how different the world is biggest" of the summer construction she has been back several times now compared to when she graduat- plans. The project, which began last Physical Plant has man)1 campus renovations planned for this summer, including projects in Smith Dormitory and BilJHall. (Cr;'an) since her graduation, including the ed and what an individual's place is week, should be completed by the million dollars. The renovation is project is estimated to cost approxi- list of rooms to be upgraded but are 1969 ceremony in which she was in the world. first week of July. primarily designed to provide faster mately $100,000. "subject to an availability of funds," given the college medal of honor. In A renown working actress and The new field will be composed service and better quality food with- The barrel roof over the Myers according to Jim Norton. addition, she has come to work with director, Estelle Parsons has not yet of a polyethylene plastic carpet and out reducing the area available for Dance studio and the majority of the Bill Hall and Fanning are crucial acting students, and in 1999 per- sat down. Her recent work. Empire filled with a combination of silica seating. The project is expected to Crozier Williams Student Center, to the College's infrastructure formed lMedial al the opening of the Falls is set to premiere on May 28th sand and rubber.

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