Irish Band The Prodigals Play at Wells College

Celtic rockers from Manhattan bring jig-punk sound to Aurora

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series Committee is pleased to welcome the Prodigals to campus on Saturday evening, April 14. This funky Irish band will perform in Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall, at 7:30 p.m. Prices are $6 for students, senior citizens and the Wells College community, and $10 for the general public; free for Wells students. Tickets are available at the door the night of the performance or from the box office; please call 315/364-3456 to reserve. 

Prepare yourself for the Prodigals! This rockin’ Irish jig-punk band from the Big Apple pounds out a fusion of traditional Irish music laced with strong rock beats and lyrical story lines. Hailed by the Boston Herald as “…punchy Irish rock with fiery punk sensibilities,” the Prodigals offer up an indelibly Irish sound with their combination of vocals, drums, guitar, keyboards and accordion.

Critically acclaimed by American and Irish music journals alike, the Prodigals have been headliners at the Milwaukee Irish Festival and the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Fest, among many others. Their genre-spanning act has crossover appeal that resonates with a broad range of fans who appreciate traditional and modern Celtic music, rock, folk and world beat. The Prodigals were the only American-based band selected for inclusion on the “Rough Guide to Irish Music” compilation CD produced in 2005.

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series features professional guest artists and performers who are invited to campus to enrich the cultural components of Wells as a learning community. The acts are selected annually by a committee composed of Wells faculty, staff and students.

For more information about the Prodigals’ show and the Wells Arts & Lecture Series, please contact Siouxsie Grady, chair of the Arts & Lecture Series Committee, at 315/364-3232. More information on the Prodigals may be found at www.prodigals.com.

March, 2007

Sandra Diaz of Appalachian Voices speaks on mountaintop removal

The Wells College chapter of Amnesty International has invited Sandra Diaz, a field coordinator for Appalachian Voices, to campus for a talk on the impact of mountaintop removal coal mining. The multi-media presentation, entitled “Appalachian Treasures,” will take place on Monday, April 9 at 7:00 pm in the Art Exhibit Room, Macmillan Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. 

In the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia, the rural population is threatened as a result of mountaintop removal coal mining. Large coal companies use dynamite to blast the mountains, removing up to 1,000 feet of elevation to reach seams of coal below the surface. “Valley fills,” the term for the mining waste dumped into adjacent valleys, have already buried 1,200 miles of mountain streams.

Mountaintop removal leaves behind barren wastelands too remote to be viable for development and too disturbing in appearance to support a tourism economy like those flourishing in the non-coal regions of Appalachia. To date, mountaintop removal mining has flattened more than a million acres across the Appalachian coalfields. 

“Appalachian Treasures,” a multi-media presentation on mountaintop removal and its critical social and environmental justice impacts, discusses these ramifications and more.

“Although Appalachia may seem far from New York, we are all deeply tied to the region,” says Diaz. “Not only does much of the electricity powering our homes and businesses come from Appalachian coal, but the region's history, music, and famed self-reliance remain a great influence in American culture.”

Appalachian Voices is a citizens group that seeks to solve the environmental problems having the greatest impact on the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. Their mission is to empower people to defend the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage by providing them with tools and strategies for successful grassroots campaigns.

Diaz continues: “The Appalachian Treasures project is focused on ending this particular form of coal mining. Over the course of years working with coalfield residents, we realized that mountaintop removal would only continue if the American people remain unaware that such an unjust, destructive, and shortsighted enterprise is happening. Most coalfield communities are rural and isolated. In states where big coal companies hold overwhelming political power, the opposition of coalfield citizens alone is not enough to stop mountaintop removal.”

Amnesty International’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending abuses of human rights. These rights include physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination. The Wells College chapter of Amnesty International participates in urgent actions each month. As part of these monthly events, the student organization seeks to build awareness of human rights abuses, gain support for the release of prisoners of conscience, and sponsors speakers and events on campus. 

For more information about the Appalachian Treasures presentation, please contact Kelly Tehan, Communications Director, at 315-364-3260 go to www.appvoices.org for more on Appalachian Voices.

March, 2007

Dr. David Sadker will speak on gender-equal education

The Wells College Dean’s Council has invited Dr. David Sadker to deliver this year’s Beckman Lecture. During his two-day residency, Sadker, an educational researcher and author, will speak on “Closing the Gender Gap: Making Classes Work for All Students” on Wednesday, April 4. The lecture will begin at 4:45 pm in Cleveland Auditorium, and is free and open to the public. 

Dr. David Sadker is a professor at American University’s School of Education. He and his late wife Myra have a national reputation for work in confronting gender bias and sexual harassment. He has directed more than a dozen federal education grants and is the author of five books, including the well-known Failing at Fairness: How Schools Cheat Girls. His articles documenting gender bias from the classroom to the boardroom have appeared in such journals as Phi Delta Kappan, Harvard Educational Review, and Psychology Today. The Sadkers’ work has been reported in hundreds of newspapers and magazines including USA Today, Business Week, The Washington Post, The London Times, The New York Times, Time, and Newsweek. He has appeared widely on television and radio shows, and is the recipient of a number of national awards. 

In his talk, Sadker will explore ways to implement gender-equal coeducation. While on the Wells campus, he will also conduct a faculty workshop aimed at helping professors think about ways they can more effectively teach coeducational classes. 

The Dean’s Council selected Dr. Sadker as someone particularly appropriate for Wells College at this time of transition to coeducation. “Dr. Sadker’s well known commitment to inclusiveness and equality and his excellence at conducting workshops that help participants recognize subtle forms of discrimination make him an ideal speaker,” said Dean of the College Leslie Miller-Bernal. “We are fortunate to have him as our Beckman lecturer; he is invited to speak at many institutions, not only in the United States but also in such countries as India.”

The Beckman Lecture Fund was established in 1952 by three Wells alumnae.  The Beckman sisters endowed the fund “with sincere appreciation of the enduring character of a Wells education.” They desired that Beckman lecturers “be distinguished for creative work and the ability to teach. The lecturer should be an original thinker, an artist in his or her field who can communicate easily and with enthusiasm.” 

For more information about Dr. Sadker and the Beckman Lecture, please contact Kelly Tehan, Communications Director, at 315-364-3260; visit the College’s Web site at www.wells.edu; or go to www.american.edu/sadker/ to read Sadker’s biography and take his equity quiz.

March, 2007

Sculpture of Arizona artist James Cook to be featured 

The Wells College Art Department is pleased to announce the opening of its next exhibition. A selection of mixed media sculpture by James A. Cook of the University of Arizona will be on display in the String Room Gallery from March 7 through April 6. The exhibit is free and the public is cordially invited. An opening reception to be held on Wednesday, March 7 from 7:00-9:00 pm offers an opportunity to meet the artist; light refreshments will be served.

James A. Cook is Assistant Professor and Chair of the 3-D Division at the College of Fine Art at the University of Arizona, Tucson. He has also taught at Cornell University and Elmira College. His work appears in private and public collections in the United States and abroad, and he has received commissions from institutions and individuals all over the world.

Cook received a Master of Fine Arts from the California College of Arts in Oakland and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of California at Berkeley. His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at numerous galleries around the world, including the Toledo Contemporary Art Center (Spain); Nathan Rosen Museum (Boca Raton, Fla.); Rousse Art Museum and the Sophia Contemporary Art Center (Bulgaria); Binghamton University (New York); the Johnson Museum at Cornell University; the Runnels Gallery at Eastern New Mexico University; and many more. 

The String Room Gallery is located in Main Building. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about the show and art classes at Wells, please contact William Roberts at 315/364-3237.

March, 2007

Singer-songwriter Yewande to give lecture/concert on music and race

Alternative soul singer Yewande will give a multicultural lecture/concert, "Bridging the Gap: Rhythms, Rhymes and Race in America," Friday, March 9, at 9:00 p.m. in Barler Recital Hall on the Wells College campus in Aurora.

In spite of hundreds of acclaimed performances around the world, nothing prepared Yewande (pronounced "ee-wan-day") for the social issues that weighed on the hearts of her youngest listeners. After nearly every concert, she was overwhelmed with sobering questions about race, prejudice and other deeply personal obstacles they seemed eager to share. Discovering the need for a platform that simply didn't exist, Yewande drew on her training from Carnegie Mellon University's Conservatory of Music and Howard University to develop a program that transcended the unspoken boundaries that still thrive in our society. She became fiercely determined to encourage greater racial tolerance and cultural understanding through the one thing that had always brought her diverse audiences together – music. 

Through a compelling lecture and entertaining performance, Yewande takes you on an unforgettable journey through historical social movements that shaped American popular music and culture. Through the three central cultures that defined America – African, European and Native American – the audience will explore music that forever changed the course of freedom, civil rights, war, and women's rights. The journey ends with a riveting concert of Yewande's award-winning songs and a Q&A with the audience. “Bridging the Gap” is a true celebration of human courage, unity and the undeniable power of music.

Yewande has shared the stage with the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul, Enrique Iglesias and India.Arie. She is the founder of Lotus Records; her debut EP, "Evolution," is in stores now. 

Her performance at Wells College is co-sponsored by student multicultural group P.O.W.E.R. (Praising Our Work, Ethnicity and Race) and the Office of Campus Involvement. For more information please contact Alyssa Binns, interim director of campus involvement, at 315/364-3428 or abinns@wells.edu. 

February, 2007

New online resource features career opportunities at 23 New York State colleges and universities 

President Lisa Marsh Ryerson recently announced that Wells College has joined the new Upstate New York Higher Education Consortium (UNY-HERC). The online program is now available as a resource to effectively recruit and retain diverse and qualified faculty and staff, and assist their spouses and partners in securing area employment. 

Co-led by representatives from Syracuse University and Cornell University, Wells College and 22 other upstate New York colleges and universities are working together to cohesively provide employment listings at each of their respective institutions and address dual career needs in higher education.

New York State’s higher education institutions are a vital component of economic growth and development for the state and its local communities; they also provide some of the country’s best career opportunities for college faculty and professionals. This new resource brings together colleges and universities across the state to provide the best information, technology, networking and outreach programs.

In addition to featuring a free, comprehensive search engine for career opportunities, UNY-HERC also provides online information on local real estate, healthcare, arts and cultural resources and childcare, along with other helpful centralized links that can assist individuals and families new to a particular area. Online users can also sign-up for e-mail alerts for the latest jobs in their field and desired location.

UNY-HERC is composed of a diverse group of public and private schools, colleges and universities across the state, independent of schools in the New York City area. Member representatives—who have helped develop the consortium since January 2006 – include faculty, staff, human resource professionals, institutional leaders and faculty relations experts from each member institution. Other regions across the United States, such as New England, Metropolitan New York/Southern Connecticut, Northern California, Southern California and New Jersey have developed similar HERC consortiums. 

“The strength of the Upstate New York HERC comes from the collaboration of the provosts, vice provosts and human resources professionals at our member institutions,” says Syracuse University’s Camille Donabella, UNY-HERC’s acting director. “We are all committed to helping each other in recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff, and assisting dual career couples in their job search.”

For more information about Wells’ partnership with UNY-HERC, contact Communications Director Kelly Tehan at 315.364.3260 and visit UNY-HERC’s Web site: www.unyherc.org.

February, 2007

Spielberg’s Mike Fantasia of Hollywood talks about his role in global filming

Hollywood film location manager Mike Fantasia will speak on “Exploring the Globe: The Role of the Feature Film Location Manager” on Tuesday, March 6. Scheduled for 7:30 pm, the talk will take place in Cleveland Auditorium and is free and open to all.

Mike Fantasia, a graduate of SUNY-Plattsburgh, was working for the U.S. Forest Service in Montana when filmmaker Steven Spielberg came to town in 1989 to film the movie “Always.” Fantasia helped the location manager scout the region for possible filming sites, and then was hired to supervise twenty firefighters whose job it was to insure that the fire created for the film did not spread outside the perimeter of the set. Those four weeks literally sparked his interest in the film business and changed his future career path.

Since then, Fantasia has scouted and location-managed numerous feature films across the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Hungary, Austria, France, Slovenia, New Zealand and Mexico. Some of the more well known movies that Mike has worked on include “Blow,” “Catch Me If You Can,” “Seabiscuit,” “The Terminal,” “In Her Shoes,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” and “Munich.” He recently started work for Spielberg on the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series.

“I have had the pleasure of working with some of the premier directors, producers, cinematographers and production designers in the film business, many of whom have been nominated for and/or won Golden Globes and Academy Awards,” said Fantasia. In addition to Spielberg, Fantasia has worked with Cameron Crowe, Robert Redford, Curtis Hanson, Ted Demme, Rob Marshall, Sophia Coppola, and many others.

Auburn resident Nancy Bates, Wells class of 2008, organized Fantasia’s visit to Wells. Knowing of Nancy’s interest in screenwriting, Auburn mayor Tim Lattimore suggested Nancy contact Fantasia in Los Angeles about possible internship opportunities. 

“I thought inviting Mike to Aurora would be a wonderful opportunity for the Wells community,” said Nancy. “Mike will speak to us about his work on feature films, and I am especially appreciative of his time since he is graciously squeezing us in while in pre-production on Indiana Jones 4.”

While on campus, Fantasia will also make a career presentation to students. His visit to Wells is sponsored by the Dean of the College, Career Services, Campus Involvement, and the Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Art History Departments.

For more information about Mike Fantasia’s lecture, please contact Terry Bilak in the Office of Career Services at 315/364-3225. 

February, 2007

Nancy Gilbertson of Moravia to perform

The Music Department at Wells College is pleased to offer an evening of piano music. On Saturday, February 24, music lecturer Nancy Gilbertson of Moravia will present a free concert at 8:00 pm in Barler Recital Hall. The public is cordially invited to attend. A reception will follow the recital.

The evening’s program includes “Gavotte and Variations” by Rameau, four Chopin waltzes, two Rachmaninoff preludes, and the rarely performed “Piano Fantasy” by Aaron Copland.

Nancy Gilbertson has taught music at Wells College since 1987. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from Kent State University in Ohio. She has been a dedicated private piano teacher since 1973, and an active soloist and accompanist in central New York since moving to Moravia in 1986. Nancy released her first recording, Mediterranean Magic, in 2000. 

For more information about the performance, please contact Nancy Gilbertson at 315/364-3343. 

February, 2007

The sixth annual Wells College Gospel Workshop and Concert Weekend will be held February 16 and 17, 2007. The workshop is a two-day event in which the Wells College community and the local Aurora community come together to learn about and engage in singing this uplifting genre of music. No auditions are required and the event is free and open to the general public. Everyone is warmly invited to lift their voices during this inspirational weekend event. 

The Gospel Workshop Weekend is coordinated by Wells’ Gospel choir Appointed and the Dean of Students Office. L. Kirk Hatcher of Montgomery, Alabama will be choir director, and Ed Menifee of Atlanta, Georgia serves as music director.

All rehearsals and the concert will be held in Barler Recital Hall. The weekend schedule is as follows:

Friday, February 16 
Rehearsal 7:00-9:00 p.m. 

Saturday, February 17
Rehearsal 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 
Warm-up 6:30 p.m.
Concert 7:30 p.m.

No advance registration is necessary, but participants must attend both rehearsals. Those interested in participating in the workshop should contact Mehegan Murphy in the Dean of Students Office at 315/364-3311 by no later than Monday, February 12.

Gospel Weekend and Appointed are the brainchildren of former Dean of Students Karen Green. For more information about Gospel Weekend and the concert, please contact Mehegan Murphy in the Dean of Students Office at 315/364-3311.

February, 2007

Work by more than 40 students to be featured

An eclectic mix of art will be on display in Wells College’s String Room Gallery from February 7 – March 2, 2007. Artwork produced by students enrolled in studio art classes during the Fall 2006 semester will be shown. The annual student art exhibition is free and the public is cordially invited to view the show. An opening reception with refreshments on Wednesday, February 7 from 7:00-9:00 pm offers an opportunity to meet the student artists and view and discuss their work.

Nearly 50 students are exhibiting their work this winter. Media represented include painting, ceramics, photography, design, drawing, sculpture, and more. 

Associate Professor Theodore Lossowski and visiting instructor Melissa Roberts guided and instructed the students during the fall semester. They oversaw the students’ work in the studios and coordinated the installation of the show. Roberts temporarily replaced her father, Wells Professor of Art William Roberts, while he was on sabbatical leave. 

The String Room Gallery is located in Main Building. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information about the show and art classes at Wells, please contact William Roberts at 315/364-3237.

January, 2007

Having finished the atrium roofing and much of the exterior bricklaying, most of the work on the new science building has moved to the structure’s interior. Construction of the ceiling grid on the first level is underway, as is painting on the first and second levels. The elevator has been installed, and permanent electrical power to the entire building will soon be connected. Drywall hanging will be complete within the next few weeks. Return to wells.edu for future updates.

View from the southwest.

January, 2007

Renowned African-American pianist speaks on groundbreaking Supreme Court civil rights decision

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series Committee is pleased to announce that Leon Bates will be on campus Friday evening, February 9. In recognition of Black History Month, Bates will speak on Brown v. Board of Education in Barler Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Prices are $6 for students, senior citizens and the Wells College community, and $10 for the general public; free for Wells students. Tickets are available at the door the night of the performance or from the box office the week preceding the show. Please call 315/364-3456 after January 29 to reserve. 

Leon Bates is a world-class pianist who speaks articulately and from an historical perspective about the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. A child when the decision was handed down, declaring “separate but equal” unconstitutional, Bates reviews the sweeping benefits to minorities, especially African-Americans.

On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren handed down a 9-0 decision that stated “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” Although wide resistance followed, it was a giant step forward for the civil rights movement and desegregation, revealing human tendencies to prejudge, discriminate against, and stereotype people by their ethnic, religious, physical, or cultural characteristics. Legally ending school segregation had far-reaching social and ideological implications that galvanized human rights struggles across America and around the world.

Since winning the Philadelphia Orchestra Senior Audition as a student, Leon Bates has emerged as one of America’s leading pianists. He has performed in virtually all of the major halls in the United States and on nearly every continent. He made his Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2001, and has appeared on the Today show and CBS News Sunday Morning. A former radio host, Bates discusses the personal impact that the Brown v. Board of Education decision had on his life and career. He will also demonstrate a few short piano works. 

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series features professional guest artists and performers who are invited to campus to enrich the cultural components of Wells as a learning community. The acts are selected annually by a committee composed of Wells faculty, staff, and students.

The final performance in the 2006-07 Arts & Lecture Series is a concert by Irish rock-punk band the Prodigals on April 14, 2007.

For more information about Leon Bates’ lecture and the Wells Arts & Lecture Series, please contact Siouxsie Grady, chair of the Arts & Lecture Series Committee, at 315/364-3232. 

January, 2007

At its fall meeting, the Wells College Board of Trustees elected three members to the Board.

John Andrew “Andy” Noel

Stephen L. Zabriskie

Carrie Collins ’06

John Andrew “Andy” Noel of Ithaca, N.Y. is the Meakem-Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Cornell University. He has led the university’s athletics program to unprecedented success in the seven years he has served in this position. His expertise in intercollegiate athletics will be key as Wells continues to build its programs.

In his capacity as director, Andy has hired top coaches and successfully upgraded a number of department facilities. He was a member of the team that raised $66 million in support of capital projects and endowment, helping to secure the financial future of the department. During the campaign, 21 coaching and staff positions were endowed, bringing the total number of endowed positions within the department to 30 – the most of any school in the country.

Earlier in his career, Andy was Cornell’s head wrestling coach from 1974 to 1988 and served two years as assistant director in the department’s public affairs office. A native of Lancaster, Pa., he graduated from Franklin and Marshall College with a bachelor of arts degree in history and received his M.A. in counseling and guidance from Colgate University.

After a year away from the Board, Stephen L. Zabriskie of Aurora, N.Y. has been elected to a fourth term as trustee. Steve, who previously served from 1995-2005 – the last two years as chair, oversaw the Board’s decision to become a coeducational institution, was instrumental in the creation of the current Strategic Plan, and helped envision the shape of a new Wells College.

The Zabriskie family has served Wells and the surrounding community since the College’s earliest days. Steve’s grandfather was Nicholas Lansing Zabriskie, whose wife Louise Morgan was the daughter of E.B. Morgan (Henry Wells’ business partner and the first president of Wells Fargo). 

Steve has been a director at Cayuga Lake National Bank for 31 years, and has served as president of Auburn Memorial Hospital, chair of the Central NY Regional Planning & Development Board, and president of the Cornell Cooperative Extension. As The Post-Standard newspaper proclaimed in 2002, “A tradition of public service entwines Stephen Zabriskie and Aurora like ivy and old buildings.”

He attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and later earned a B.A. from Ithaca College. 

Carrie Collins ’06 was raised in Soldotna, Alaska. During her time as a student at Wells, she was an exceptional student leader and enormously respected by her professors and her peers. She was president of Collegiate Cabinet during her senior year, and graduated in May with distinction in Public Affairs: Ethics, Politics and Social Policy. 

She also served as treasurer of Collegiate (student government body), the Programming Board, Symposium Club, and the sophomore class; chair of the Traditions Committee; and as Collegiate’s representative on the College’s Strategic Planning Committee. In her capacity as president of Collegiate, she was invited to make remarks at the College’s science building groundbreaking ceremony in April 2006.

At Commencement, Wells President Lisa Marsh Ryerson presented Carrie with the Presidential Leadership Award, noting: “This award is given annually to a student who has demonstrated particular initiative and responsibility in service to our community. This year’s recipient distinguished herself through consistent and dedicated leadership, her cooperative spirit, and her collaborative approach.” 

Carrie also won the Excellence in Student Governance Award and the Outstanding Leadership Award at the first Student Life Awards presented in May 2006.

For more information about these appointments, please contact Communications Director Kelly Tehan at 315/364-3260 or by email at ktehan@wells.edu.

January, 2007
 
 

Wells College News Archive
 

Last updated 01/03/2007