City of Festivals

President’s Page Rochester — City of Festivals By Joel Seligman with Stanley Fish, one of the nation’s most celebrated humanities professors; Duke Richard Florida, a popular student of University’s Katherine Hayles ’77 (PhD), American culture, recently characterized critical theorist and influential scholar Rochester as one of the nation’s 10 leading of digital humanities, electronic litera- cities for music in a survey he published ture, and literature, science, and technol- in The Atlantic Cities. Florida explained: ogy; and Tod Machover, director of MIT’s “Rochester might seem a surprise in ninth pathbreaking Media Lab and champion of place. But the city has long had a distin- Opera of the Future, which combines 21st- guished symphony and it is home to the century music and technology. Eastman School of Music.” In another timely discussion, Bradford Indeed, Rochester has become a City of Berk, CEO of the Medical Center, Steve Festivals. Consider the last few months. Goldstein, president and CEO of Strong We celebrated the Memorial Art Gallery’s Memorial and Highland Hospitals, Den- Clothesline Festival, the Corn Hill Arts nis Whalen, executive vice president of the Festival, and the Park Avenue Summer Art Healthcare Association of New York State, Festival. Film aficionados can take in the and Wallace Johnson, director of the Cen- High Falls Film Festival and the Roches- ter for Primary Care, analyzed the challeng- ter International Film Festival. Music buffs es posed by health care reform. delight in the East End Music Festival and Arthur Miller ’56, ’08 (Honorary) fo- the highly acclaimed Xerox Rochester In- cused Miller’s Court on “Intercollegiate ternational Jazz Festival, which last sum- Athletics–Who Are They Playing For?” as mer attracted more than 187,000 people When people ask why a way to examine big-time college athletics from 30-plus states and 15 countries. we live in Rochester, and its societal impact. Former New York In September, the inaugural First Niaga- Giant Harry Carson and University Athletic ra Rochester Fringe Festival further forti- a compelling answer Director George VanderZwaag participated fied Rochester on the nation’s cultural map. involves our culture. in a discussion addressing the educational Produced by alumna Erica Fee ’98, the fes- versus commercial value of college sports, tival drew more than 33,000 people over We are a city of whether some athletes should be compen- five days, to a potpourri of nearly 200 per- extraordinary people sated for participation beyond the value forming attractions in 21 venues through- of a full scholarship, and the role that the out downtown Rochester. The University who value music, art, NCAA plays in governing college sports. was proud to host many of the festival’s great public and The opening concert for The Prismatic performances in Eastman Theatre and on Debussy, a monthlong celebration of the Gibbs Street, many of which featured our private schools, and 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy’s students, faculty, and staff. Planning is un- the life of the mind. birth, highlighted Eastman Weekend. der way for Fringe Festival 2013. Eastman Weekend also recounted the leg- We are unusual among United States acy of the late Rayburn Wright ’43E, dis- universities in not having a typical home- award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer, who tinguished faculty member and Eastman coming weekend, but instead having our has served as moderator of a dozen tele- alumnus, with an evening of jazz showcas- own intellectual feast, Meliora Weekend, vised presidential debates, including this ing celebrated Eastman alumni soloists, tal- which provided another stellar celebration year’s first presidential debate on October ented students, and faculty. this year. 3. Lehrer was fascinating as he gave us an When people ask why we live in Roches- Distinguished journalist Barbara Walters often humorous inside look at presiden- ter, a compelling answer involves our cul- delivered a memorable keynote address to tial debates over the years, including in- ture. We are a city of extraordinary people a sold-out audience at Eastman Theatre’s sights into the candidates, debate rules, and who value music, art, great public and pri- Kodak Hall. In comments marked by her election-year politics. vate schools, and the life of the mind. Fes- charm, humor, and candor, Walters shared Dean for Humanities and Interdisciplin- tivals epitomize much of what is special how she began her career in broadcasting ary Studies Tom DiPiero moderated this about Rochester. To write that Rochester is and talked about where she believes jour- year’s Presidential Symposium on “The a city of festivals is to recognize that Roch- nalism is headed. Humanities, Artistic Expression, and the ester is a city in which our culture, in the The George Eastman Circle welcomed Digital Age: Innovation and Opportunities,” broadest sense, matters.r Adam FeNster November–December 2012 ROCHESTER REVIEW 3 2_RochRev_Nov_2012_TOC.indd 3 10/26/12 10:45 AM.

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