Wellesley magazine Winter 2012

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| THE ELEMENTS OF (PERSONAL) STYLE | THE INCOMPARABLE CAT FRED | DIFFERENT DOORWAYS

OFF AND !

RUNNING !

A 2012 ELECTION PRIMER

MANNEQUINS COURTESY OF SALLY BOW PHOTO BY RICHARD HOWARD

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Wall Street Journal columnist Teri Agins ’75 has been serving up fashion advice in her “Ask Teri” column since 2005. Here, she offers some straight talk on cultivating personal style.

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ANN BOYAJIAN

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ARI SETH COHEN

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F.CO

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Features 18 OFF AND RUNNING: A 2012 ELECTION PRIMER

By Amy Mayer ’94 Wellesley asks College and alumnae experts to weigh in on issues related to the upcoming US presidential election, from the Tea Party to Twitter.

Departments 2

From the Editor

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Letters to the Editor

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From the President

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Window on Wellesley

by Alice Hummer, Lisa Scanlon ’99, Jennifer Flint, Jennifer Garrett ’98, and April Austin

28 THE ELEMENTS OF (PERSONAL) STYLE

By Teri Agins ’75 Fashion is largely a matter of taste. But Wall Street Journal columnist

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Shelf Life

their (well-tailored) sleeves.

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WCAA—Your Alumnae Association

40 THE INCOMPARABLE CAT FRED

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Class Notes

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Endnote— Different Doorways

by Samantha Cole ’94

Teri Agins posits that there are a few tricks that everyone should have up

By Susan Margulies Sheehan ’58 In 1995, a tuxedo-trimmed charmer moved into Susan Margulies Sheehan’s house and took over. Here, Sheehan writes about love, change, and loss with a cat named Fred.

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winter 2012 | volume 96 | issue 2

Editor Alice M. Hummer Associate Editors Lisa Scanlon ’99 Jennifer McFarland Flint Design Friskey Design, Sherborn, Mass.

Principal Photographer Richard Howard Student Assistant Abigail Murdy ’12

Wellesley magazine reserves the right to edit and, when necessary, revise all material that it accepts for publication.

Unsolicited photographs will be published at the discretion of the editor.

KEEP WELLESLEY UP-TO-DATE!

The Alumnae Office has a voice mailbox to be used by alumnae for updating their computer records. The number is 1-800-339-5233.

You can also update your information online when you visit the Alumnae Association website at www.wellesley.edu/Alum/.

DIRECT LINE PHONE NUMBERS

781-283-1000 781-283-2331 781-283-2344 781-283-2270 781-283-2352 781-283-2217

INTERNET ADDRESS

www.wellesley.edu/Alum/ |

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RICHARD HOWARD

Wellesley Policy: One of the objectives of Wellesley, in the best College tradition, is to present interesting, thought-provoking material, even though it may be controversial. Publication of material does not necessarily indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Alumnae Association, or Wellesley College.

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one of the many ways I identified myself was as “a math-science type who doesn’t like to write.” I had good training in how to put together a thesis statement and structure a paper, but I truly disliked the process of writing in those precomputer days—which involved a pen, a notebook, and hundreds of vehemently crumpled balls of paper. So I made a vow: In college, I would write as little as possible and immerse myself in the beauty of mathematics and plant biology.

Welcome to the real world, 18-year-old self. As I soon discovered, any liberal-arts college worth its salt requires rigorous training in writing across the curriculum. And so, thanks to distribution requirements, I came to find joy in analyzing literature. Majoring in math and Russian, I wrote a lot, in two different languages.

But it wasn’t until I landed my first job—at a daily newspaper, ironically—that I understood more about writing. One of the legends of the newsroom was a senior correspondent who had started in journalism when there were few women in the profession. She had survived imprisonment while reporting in a war zone and was one of the most respected reporters of her generation. Her raw copy, however, filled me with wonder. There were single sentences that ran 150 words, and meanings that had to be coaxed out of thickets of language. As I edited one of her articles for the first time, I had a simple epiphany: Writing is hard. Even people at the top of their game struggle with it.

It was one of the most freeing moments of my career—to realize that it is perfectly normal to have to duke it out with a piece of writing. I have come to see since then that the struggle is beneficial: When you try out and discard words, when you tear and repair, you bring ideas into focus. The most unexpected things can emerge.

The gift of the unexpected can also come when writer and editor collaborate. It’s one of the great pleasures of my job to interact with alumnae writers through the entire creative process—from the initial brainstorming of story ideas to the line edits on a nearly finished piece. The creative sparks fly in surprising directions. We laugh a lot. And yes, we struggle over knotty writing problems.

In this issue, I’m pleased to welcome back to the magazine two veteran writers: Susan Margulies Sheehan ’58 (a longtime contributor to the New Yorker) and Teri Agins ’75 (the Wall Street Journal) on topics that are somewhat unexpected for us. Sheehan weaves the story of Fred, her feline companion of many years. (A word to dog lovers: Don’t just turn the page. The essay is also about life’s richness, about growth and change, and about coping with loss.) Agins, a former reporter who now writes a fashionadvice column for the paper, tackles personal style with sass and wit.

Wellesley is an institution that has long put a high premium on the written word. Countless alumnae journalists have related how this or that professor gave them a rude wakeup call—with none-toopositive comments about their writing penned across the top of a paper. They struggled and went on to succeed.

That Wellesley crucible is still forging writers today, as I could tell from some student advice shared by a Writing 125 professor recently. It was hard-won wisdom, I suspect: “If you need two commas and a machete, then your thesis statement needs work.”

Right on, young writer. Write on.

Alice M. Hummer, Editor HEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL,

Wellesley (USPS 673-900). Published fall, winter, spring, and summer by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association.

Editorial and Business Office: Alumnae Association, Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481-8203.

Phone 781-283-2344. Fax 781-283-3638.

Periodicals postage paid at Boston, Mass., and other mailing offices. Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Wellesley magazine, Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481-8203.

College Switchboard Alumnae Office Magazine Office Admission Office Center for Work and Service Resources Office

From the Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

FOCUS ON EDUCATION

As a school psychologist who works primarily with Spanishspeaking students, the article by Anna Johns ’09 (“Unplanned Lessons,” fall ’11) resonated with me.

I particularly appreciated Johns’ unglossy mention of Waiting for “Superman” and Teach For America, both of which, I believe, have helped to create scapegoats of public-school teachers for the ills of American education. Education reform in the US has focused on tying testing to dollars instead of actually implementing changes that are proven to work.

One important change our country needs to make is to hold up teaching as an honorable profession with the status and pay that anyone who has tried to teach a group of 25 or more students for seven hours, five days a week, knows is deserved. Like Teach For America, the education departments in colleges and universities need to become competitive. Unlike Teach For America, these same departments should provide a com-

prehensive training for teachers, which is not the norm.

Currently, Wellesley students can only minor in education. I would love to see my alma mater become a player in what I believe is one of the major issues of my generation by producing smart, well-trained educators who would become models that other colleges and universities would strive to replicate. I applaud the College for providing opportunities to explore international and political issues (for example, the Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs). I wish Wellesley would apply the same energy and focus to an equally important issue that will affect not only how Americans will understand international politics, but the very women who will be entering the campus over the next decade and beyond. If such a respected institution were to tackle the unglamorous topic of public education, perhaps education reform could become less a polarized windsock and more an intelligent paradigm shift.

Edris Goolsby Harrell ’93 Wilmington, Del. STEVE BRONSTEIN

Wellesley welcomes short letters (a maximum length of 300 words) relating to articles or items that have appeared in recent issues of the magazine. Send your remarks to the Editor, Wellesley magazine, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481-8203, or email comments to magazine@alum.wellesley.edu.

THE LIBERAL-ARTS CURRICULUM

President H. Kim Bottomly disagrees with the report: Degrees for What Jobs? Raising Expectations for Universities and Colleges in a Global Economy. She

then makes the hypothesis that only a liberal-arts curriculum can provide employees who are selfdirected and have high ethical standards (“Dreamers, Designers, and Doers,” fall ’11).

In the interest of stating this false polemic without an academic bias, I must put forward an alternative viewpoint that she omits. The sciences, the engineering schools, the computer programs, and all other disciplines which teach specific job skills also produce employees who are self-directed, highly ethical, able to think and reason for themselves.

I worry about institutions who proclaim, “We will keep doing what we have done so well”: They are tethered to a tenure system that is outdated and discounts future disciplines to protect their own interests.

Just because an entity (corporate or educational) has had terrific success in the past producing buggy whips, or more recently gas-powered cars, this achievement does not set the pace or vision for the future.

The highest form of education is the ability to look at all sides of an equation, and in this case, clinging to just one facet of modern life, the humanities, as though only the humanities can teach integrity is both myopic and outdated.

Worse still, in a climate which saddles students with loans they can never hope to repay (with tragic consequences for their personal lives), it is my observation that this is an irresponsible policy for future generations.

Caroline Knauth Cabot M.A. ’79 Dover, Mass.

A response from the President: I must note that Caroline Knauth Cabot has misunderstood my hypothesis. My position is not that a liberal-arts curriculum is the only one that can produce employees who are self-directed and have high ethical standards—rather it is that a liberal-arts curriculum does this best and most consistently. In addition, I was not elevating the humanities above all disciplines (including my own). The humanities are currently under attack by people who do not understand their very important role in education. My comments are a defense of the currently beleaguered humanities as an integral part of any good education.

As for student loans, Wellesley is proud of our commitment to keep loan levels low. Our policy ensuring that no student graduates with more than $12,825 in packaged loans makes Wellesley a leader among US colleges in mitigating the debt burden for students.

President H. Kim Bottomly WOMEN ON THE HIGH COURT

I was reading my copy of the fall ’11 alumnae magazine, when I noticed something odd. In the story comparing the classes of 2011, 1986, and 1961 (“Incoming!”), the first paragraph notes that since 1993 the Supreme Court has always had at least two women on its bench. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired from the bench in January 2006. Justice Sonia Sotomayor didn’t join the Supreme Court until (Continued on page 79)

CONTRIBUTORS Wall Street Journal columnist Teri Agins ’75 (“The Elements of (Personal) Style,” p. 28) has advised WSJ readers on everything from “arm parties”—a flock of bracelets on your arm— to yoga fashion.

NEIL RASMUS/BFANYC.COM

Amy Mayer ’94, a journalist who has reported live on election returns for public radio, is watching the presidential horse race with interest from her home in Greenfield, Mass. (“Off and Running: A 2012 Election Primer,” p. 18).

Writer Susan Margulies Sheehan ’58 (“The Incomparable Cat Fred,” p. 40) considers herself fortunate to live in the same zip code as her two Wellesley daughters, Maria Sheehan ’87 and Catherine Sheehan Bruno ’91.

Wellesley magazine is available online at www.wellesley.edu/ magazine.

Follow Wellesley on Twitter: @Wellesleymag.

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From the President

In the Century of the Woman

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BILL KNIGHT/ WWW.KNIGHTSIGHT.CO.UK

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To sustain our founding vision—that all of society benefits from the HE WORLD IS NEWLY OPEN TO AN IDEA that we at Wellesley contributions of well-educated women—we must move forward to bring have long held dear: A world that is good for women more “Wellesley” to this new world. We are busy building bridges—in is good for everyone. large part, by creating new strategic partnerships in key cities around the I was cheered when the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize globe, both with influential individuals and with organizations that have went to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and complementary strengths and values.

Tawakkol Karman for their leadership on behalf To this end, Wellesley is taking a leading role in the US State of women and peace. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Department’s first global effort to tap the power of women’s liberal-arts WuDunn in their 2009 book, Half the Sky, argue that women are the key colleges. On Dec. 15, 2011, the Women in Public Service Project, launched to a nation’s stability and growth. Our own Hillary Rodham Clinton by the State Department with Barnard, ’69 has said, “If women have a chance to Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and work and earn as full and equal partners Wellesley, held its inaugural colloquium. in society, their families will flourish. And The project aims to educate a new genwhen families flourish, communities and eration of global women leaders and nations do as well.” envisions a world in which political and At a December event in London cocivic leadership is at least 50 percent female presented by Wellesley and the London by 2050. Secretary Clinton delivered the School of Economics, I had the pleasure keynote remarks and was joined in discusof meeting many of you—all incredible sion by some of the world’s leading women Wellesley women—who hailed from 13 counluminaries. Among them: IMF Director tries. Madeleine Korbel Albright ’59 joined Christine Lagarde; Helen Clark, adminisus as our special guest, and she shared her trator of the United Nations Development extraordinary insight on the increasing role Programme and New Zealand’s forwomen are playing in advancing democracy. mer prime minister; and Atifete Jahjaga, I had a chance to talk about the role the first female president of Kosovo. that I believe Wellesley can and must play ‘If indeed we believe that This June, the project will convene at Wellesley in what promises to be the most complex century with 50 emerging women leaders from around the humans have ever lived through. If indeed we believe the advancement of women world—especially countries in transition—for a firstthat the advancement of women is the most effective is the most effective and of-its-kind institute offering intensive training and and foresighted way to address global challenges— foresighted way to address mentoring sessions. This institute is precisely the kind that women’s agency may be the most important global challenges—that of extension of Wellesley’s mission that we seek. factor in the next 100 years—then this is a pivotal time women’s agency may be the At my 2008 inauguration, I predicted that these for Wellesley. most important factor in the next hundred years will be known as the Century of Women now have the opportunity and responthe Woman. This vision has come into even sharper sibility to be equal partners in shaping our world and next 100 years—then this is focus. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under our future. In the last century, it has been Wellesley’s a pivotal time for Wellesley.’ house arrest for her role in Myanmar’s democracy task to prepare women for those roles and to endow —President H. Kim Bottomly movement, has renewed hope that her nation can them with the skills and sense of empowerment that get on the “road to democracy,” after speaking with make them effective leaders. In the 21st century, we Secretary Clinton during an unprecedented visit. Seen all over world news will continue to focus on educating for leadership—and we must also are photos of the watchful eyes of women through veiled cover—images sharpen that focus within a widening depth of field. that represent nations on the brink of historic elections and vast change.

As was frequently remarked in London, this is a world none of us Never before has the world demonstrated greater need and openness for has ever known, a world our founder, Henry Durant, could never have what Wellesley can bring to the international arena. And never before imagined. One discussion, “Power, People, and Social Media,” explored have women—Wellesley women, in particular—been more ready to make the impact of social media—its near-universal accessibility, its velocity, and a world-changing difference in our shared future. its viral tendencies—on the way we share information, sway opinion, and H. Kim Bottomly even foment revolution.

WoW

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY A NOTEBOOK OF NEWS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMPUS BY ALICE HUMMER, LISA SCANLON ’99, JENNIFER FLINT, JENNIFER GARRETT ’98, AND APRIL AUSTIN

Up THIS FALL, Carolin Ferwerda and a group of

students literally sent up a trial balloon over campus.

The balloon, made from Mylar emergency sleeping bags filled with helium, carried a camera housed in a juice bottle and stabilized by a cardboard tail. The goal of this maiden voyage was to map a student-run cooperative garden using highresolution aerial photography and GIS (geographic information systems).

Ferwerda is a research and instruction technologist on the library staff, focused on the technology used to work with numeric data (statistics) and spatial data (GIS). GIS, which creates maps that are linked to databases, is used on campus for everything from tracking the location of invasive purple loosestrife in the Science Center meadow to analyzing the geologic structure of craters on Mars.

In this particular high-flying experiment, Ferwerda used GIS to knit the photos of the garden together into a map and then georeferenced them, “basically telling the images, this is where you belong on the earth’s surface, and these are your latitude and longitude coordinates,” she says.

Her aim, together with multimedia specialist Jim McLean, who assembled the camera rig, was to work out the kinks of the technology so it can be used for future student projects. “What I love about it is that it’s very multidisciplinary . . .

GIS . . . photography . . . the physics of flight,” An aerial photograph of the student-run cooperative garden, taken by a camera held aloft by a Mylar balloon.

she adds. “It’s also very hands on, and it’s fun.”

—AH Learn more about GIS at tinyurl.com/7bj23ZO.

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inPerson

JENNIFER YOO ’12, Tanner Conference Participant

Shall We Dance?

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‘You need to tense certain muscles, but you also need to relax others, and at the same time, you have to look like you’re completely fluid and not doing anything at all.’

—Jennifer Yoo ’12

of things you need to pay attention to. You need to tense certain muscles, but you also need to relax others, and at the same time, you have to look like you’re completely fluid and not doing anything at all.”

It was very unusual for a foreigner like Yoo to study at the Tokyo studio, and there were many challenges.

“Even with my level of Japanese, I had difficulty understanding,” Yoo says. Her instructor “would use cultural terms,” Yoo says. “She would also speak very fast, and she would frequently not repeat herself, unless I was doing something very wrong.” And when Yoo was doing something wrong, her teacher would not mince words.

“I remember quite distinctly she told me I looked like a chicken at one point,” Yoo says, although she is quick to clarify that her instructor “did not mean it in a negative way.”

Before her summer in Japan, Yoo assumed that after Wellesley, she would head right into a Ph.D. program and pursue a professorship in East Asian studies. But now she’s open to other possibilities. “With this experience, I’ve sort of changed my mind. Maybe I do want to teach, but teach these cultural arts and gain a mastership of them instead,” she says. “I do believe that learning the art of a country can speak volumes about that country’s background and its people, more so than you can learn in any book.”

—LS

RICHARD HOWARD

will never forget her first Nihon Buyo dance lesson in Tokyo last summer. Her 70-yearold teacher looked at her and instructed, in rapid-fire Japanese, “Bend your knees, turn your feet in, shoulders back, don’t stick out your butt, stomach in, head in the middle of your body, and don’t breathe.” And she made Yoo hold the position for several minutes, making sure that she got it exactly right, before she moved on. “From the very first day, she treated me like I was planning on studying for life, which was intense,” says Yoo. “But that intensity attracted me, very much so, to the art.”

Yoo was a bit surprised to find herself so committed to Nihon Buyo, a traditional Japanese dance form originally performed by geishas. It has its roots in Noh, a form of classical music drama, and Kabuki. “I had no real dancing experience. I did some ballroom dancing when I was younger, but I had blown out my knee,” she explains. Plus, “performing has never been something I thought I could do very comfortably.” But Yoo, who is an East Asian studies major and traveled to Japan for the summer to pursue her interest in cultural arts, thought it was worth a shot. “So I figured, if I don’t like it, then I Yoo gave a presentation on her experiences at the 2011 Tanner can just not go to the next lesson. So why Conference. To watch videos of other Tanner presentations, visit not try?” sites.google.com/a/wellesley.edu/ Yoo, a Koreancws-news/tanner-2011.

American who grew up in Newton, Mass., has always been interested in Japanese culture. At Wellesley, she’s studied Japanese theater and literature, but she craved more hands-on learning.

“Rather than read books by American researchers who have watched the performers and made their own conclusions, [I thought] maybe I can find a way to do it myself and make my own interpretations.”

She quickly learned that there is more to Nihon Buyo than meets the eye. When you watch a video of a performance, “You’re like, oh, I kind of get it. It’s very subtle. It’s very soft,” she says. “[But] when you are actually doing it yourself, you realize there’s a lot of intensity. There’s a lot JENNIFER YOO ’12

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY

GOING GLOBAL IN DECEMBER, Wellesley partnered with the London School of Economics to host the first in a series of global forums designed to expand the College’s reach in the world.

“London Calling,” a two-day event, drew overflow crowds who came to hear guest speaker Madeleine Korbel Albright ’59 (pictured at right, center) talk about the role women are playing in advancing democracy around the world. The second day featured a panel discussion with students and young alumnae, former fellows of the College’s Madeleine Albright Institute for Global Affairs, as well as a discussion on “Power, People, and Social Media” with academics from Wellesley and LSE. About 150 alumnae from 13 countries attended the event, which included plenty of opportunities for elbow-rubbing and networking.

A great success.

—JF BILL KNIGHT/ WWW.KNIGHTSIGHT.CO.UK

SCENES FROM TANNER CONFERENCE 2011

FAVORITE POEMS FOR THE CLASSROOM

THE SHORT LIST

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH Dan Chiasson

(below) once told an interviewer that he feels “involved in all steps in the poetry-production chain.” A poet himself, he has written three books of poetry, the most recent in 2010, Where’s the Moon, There’s the Moon. He is a widely published poetry critic—with reviews often appearing in the New Yorker and New York Review of Books—and he has served as RICHARD HOWARD

poetry editor for the Paris Review.

And at Wellesley, of course, he teaches poetry, “which exposes me to fresh and unformed young minds,” he says.

Chiasson provided his “top 10” list of favorite poems to teach, with a three-way tie at the top.

10. “The Day Lady Died,” by Frank O’Hara—

7. “Lost in Translation,” by James Merrill—the best autobiographical poem of the last 50 years 6. “Split the Lark,” by Emily Dickinson—one of Dickinson’s best poems, a warning against the wrong kinds of scrutiny 5. “Home Burial,” by Robert Frost—the equivalent of the best scenes in Shakespeare. A couple argues over the death of their child.

4. “As One Put Drunk into a Packet Boat,” by John Ashbery—Ashbery’s inimitable, daffy, heartbreaking style 3. “Affliction 1,” by George Herbert—almost unspeakably moving 2. “My Cat Jeoffery,” by Christopher Smart— Mad Kit Smart’s wild litany for his cat 1. (tie) “This Dark Apartment,” by James

O’Hara’s great elegy for Billie Holiday, a clas-

Schuyler—a great, scathing poem about

sic “I-do-this-I-do-that” poem

romantic betrayal

9. “The Flower,” by George Herbert—simply the

RICHARD HOWARD

For more on “London Calling,” see “From the President” on page 4.

2. “The Auroras of Autumn,” by Wallace

most powerful lyric about what we would

Stevens—a terrifying poem; scarier to me

now call “depression”

than I can even express

8. “Crusoe in England,” by Elizabeth Bishop—

2. “Lycidas” by John Milton—the greatest poem

Bishop’s harrowing account of her own

in the English language by several football

loneliness

fields

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THEATER

Living the Dream

Above, left: Anna Moses ’13 as Cobweb, Stephanie Gebhardt ’14 as Mustardseed, Amalina Davé ’12 as Bottom, and Callie Kovacs ’13 as Titania.

Middle photograph, clockwise from top left: Erin Nealer ’15 as Demetrius, Kelsey Ridge ’13 as Lysander, Liz Wright ’13 as Snout/Wall, Carrington Obrion ’15 as Hermia, and Vannessa Greenleaf ’14 as Helena. Photos by Richard Howard.

Behind the Scenes at Shakespeare Society AS THEATERGOERS ENTERED Shakespeare House last fall, they could smell the enchanted woods of A Midsummer Night’s Dream before they saw them—an appealing spicy cinnamon scent. But if the smell triggered thoughts of a cozy kitchen, they were quickly banished when the set came into view—a dark vision of the famous woods, with a ghostly white, leafless tree and a wild-looking bower made of large bundles of twigs (in part cinnamon bark, the source of the spicy smell). The eerie atmosphere continued when the play began, with costumes tending toward gothic and performances that stressed the more unsettling elements of the comedy.

“I very much wanted everything to be based off the text, not based off of any film adaptation I had seen, or any stereotype of Midsummer,” explains Josephine Ho ’12, who directed the play. “I really just read the play as it was, word for word, and really thought about what the language says.”

One thing that she discovered was that the play was much darker than she expected. “It’s actually not as slapstick comedic as it’s been played in the past. It’s not all glitter and pink tissue-paper fairy wings, you know? It’s actually very dark.

It’s almost disturbing. It’s very psychological,” she says.

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Ho even explored the more serious side of Nick Bottom, the donkey-headed weaver and aspiring actor who provides comic relief throughout the play, says actress Amalina Davé ’12. The silly side of Bottom came easily to Davé—in fact, she says she often had to rein in her comic speeches—but Ho encouraged her to dig deeper into the character. “If you look at the text, Bottom really gets the short end of the stick. He sort of falls in love with this random fairy queen while he’s a donkey and doesn’t know it, and then forgets everything. So the little moment of perfect happiness that he had, he loses it, and he can almost remember it, but he can’t, and that’s really depressing,” Davé says.

The stage itself is a unique—and sometimes challenging— aspect of putting on a play at Shakespeare House. The quaint upstairs theater, which seats 40–70 people, has a beautiful high ceiling, which makes for unusual acoustics. And unlike a traditional proscenium theater, there aren’t any wings where actors can wait offstage. But there are advantages. “I personally like the intimacy with the audience,” says Micaela Palermo ’14, the stage

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY

MUSIC

CARILLON 101 PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, but practicing invariably brings mistakes—at least in

the music world. The wrong note that creates dissonance, the tricky rhythm that takes time to nail. If you’re a member of the student Guild of Carillonneurs, you may not want your practice sessions to be broadcast to the entire campus, so you may retreat to the practice clavier in the basement of Jewett. Donated by the class of ’51, who purchased it from Cynthia Borg Borghestani ’90, the practice instrument resembles the real thing in Galen Stone Tower, only without wires to connect the manual keys and pedals to clappers overhead.

When Guild Co-President Carla Staffaroni ’13 plays in Jewett, the loudest sound is the action of the levers and hammers and muted ringing tones. Like the

‘There’s something so personal about this space.

I can stand in the center of the stage, and I can either not acknowledge anybody here, or I can look at the person in the back row.’ Amalina Davé ’12

20 or so other members of the Guild, Staffaroni takes weekly lessons from professional musician Margaret Angelini ’85 on a second practice clavier in the tower, and then practices on her own. Unlike most colleges and universities with carillons, Wellesley does not employ a professional carillonneur, since the instrument was given specifically for student use. Staffaroni and fellow Guild members are expected to give concerts every two to three weeks—often 10 minutes long, the typical period between classes. “That’s more music than it sounds,” says Staffaroni.

Above: Amalina Davé ’12 as Bottom.

Whether it’s Bach or the Star Wars theme (and there are no limitations on what Guild members can play), it’s all hammered out first on the practice clavier.

—AH

—LS

CARILLON FACTS NUMBER OF BELLS: 32 WEIGHT OF LARGEST BELL: 1,600 lbs WEIGHT OF SMALLEST BELL: 80 lbs ONE PREREQUISITE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE GUILD: Being able to spell

c-a-r-i-l-l-o-n-n-e-u-r correctly.

RICHARD HOWARD

manager. With so many entrances and exits through the aisles, the audience is immediately drawn to whoever is entering the stage and beginning a scene. Davé is quite attached to the theater. “There’s something so personal about this space. I can stand in the center of the stage, and I can either not acknowledge anybody here, or I can look at the person in the back row,” she says.

Looking back at the fall semesTo see a video about the making ter, what was most rewarding—and of A Midsummers Night’s Dream, surprising—for Ho is how much visit youtu.be/L8HKrxFQrCc. people are willing to give to the project. “I am constantly blown away by how many hours my cast and crew have spent in this house,” she says. “It’s just remarkable. I don’t know if they sleep. That energy and that commitment and that feeling of community and really getting together and doing something, I think that is mind-blowing and is my favorite part.”

Davé echoes the sentiment. “Everybody knows everybody.

Everybody will always be here for anyone. I know I can walk into this house at four in the morning, I will probably find someone, and if I am really upset, they will listen to me,” she says. “We have bonded under this very bizarre little umbrella, which is this dead white guy who wrote stuff. And that was 400 years ago. So that’s what we’re sitting here in this women’s college celebrating. But beyond that, it’s the building, it’s the history the building carries. . . . It’s almost inexplicable, there’s this bond that happens almost instantaneously.” Almost like a dream come true.

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SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

BROWNING LOVE LETTERS, ENSHRINED ONLINE

RICHARD HOWARD

“I LOVE YOUR VERSES with all my heart, dear Miss Barrett,—

A Survivor’s Landscape dscape Mayling Soong Chiang ’17 Ink on paper 40 in. by 24 3/8 in.

Inscribed “Winter 1957”

Chiang is one of five paintings she gave to the College in 1958 that are now part of the collections at the Davis Museum.

Hers is an unusual story of a Wellesleyeducated young Chinese woman who married Generalissimo Chiang KaiShek, a rising military star of China’s Revolution, in 1927.

Madame Chiang played an important role in her husband’s government, and even visited the US to raise money for the Nationalist cause in the 1940s. Americans were struck The five paintings by by her beauty, Madame Chiang are not currently on display at the brains, and Davis, but can be seen by political amcontacting the museum. bition. But her reputation, together with her husband’s, was tarnished by corruption and violence.

When the Communists seized power in 1949, the couple and their Nationalist government fled to Taiwan.

Madame Chiang studied painting in exile. Her art follows a centuries-old tradition of wenren hua—“literati” painting—composed by scholars as a

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means of personal expression, according to Heping Liu, associate professor of art.

The Chinese distinguish between “literati” painting, in which poetic license might be taken, and “watercolor” painting, which is done from observation.

Landscapes, shanshui, hold the highest place in Chinese painting.

Shanshui means mountains and water, which are symbols of endurance and eternity. Madame Chiang painted this landscape when she was 60 years old (the Chinese regard a newborn as 1 year old), probably with a sense of being a survivor of political intrigue and turmoil. The red seal reads: “Long Life of May-ling.” Liu believes this painting reinforces the artist’s sense of her own resiliency and reaffirms her ties to Wellesley.

Madame Chiang has not yet received proper recognition as a painter, according to Liu. He calls her work “very competent, sophisticated, very expressive.” It is a pity, he says, “that her career as a literati painter was overshadowed by her life as a political celebrity.”

Elizabeth Barrett’s reply to Robert Browning’s first letter

— —AA 42-LINE LIN NE

THIS LANDSCAPE by Mayling Soong

and this is no off-hand complimentary letter that I shall write,” begins Robert Browning’s first letter to Elizabeth Barrett.

No offhand letter,, indeed. The couple’s love letp original g ters, enduring jewels of Wellesley’s Special Collections, are “a record of the creative genius of both poets, who wrote some of their best work during the time of their courtship,” says Ruth Rogers, curator of Special Collections.

Now, thanks to a collaboration between Wellesley and the Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University, these letters and other Browning materials will be digitized and available to researchers around the world at no cost. “Such a combined virtual collection would create the most important Browning repository in the United States,” says Rogers.

So far, the 573 love letters and all of Special Collections’ individual Elizabeth Barrett Browning full-length manuscripts have been digitized. Depending on funding, the next phase of the project will be digitizing the correspondence among the Brownings and the leading artists and authors of their circle, a large amount of which is also owned by Wellesley. Baylor University will continue to provide “The Brownings: a Research Guide,” an online database that will allow access to transcriptions and digital images of the materials from many sources, including Wellesley. Then, scholars around the world will be able to find love online— at least, the Brownings’ love letters.

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY

OBJECT OF OUR ATTENTION

WELLESLEY’S HANGING GARDENS WOULD THAT SOUP TASTE BETTER with some herbs sprinkled in?

Need some greens for that sandwich? If you’re a patron of the RICHARD HOWARD

Leaky Beaker, the new café at the Science Center, you’re in luck: There are flavor variations close at hand, growing on the wall.

“It’s a hot thing in horticulture right now,” says Kristina Niovi Jones, director of the botanical gardens, referring to the living wall

BIOLOGY

not far from the Leaky Beaker’s refrigerated cases. On any given

A GENETIC FAMILY PO PORTRAIT

greens like mustard or mesclun, or even some edible flowers like

personal genomes has advanced very far and many medically significant variants have been discovered, the field still needs a lot of research and data to progress,” Anne says. “Once I am old enough to publicize my genome, I am considering doing so. That said, what we already know about genomes is very helpful already, so I would say it’s better to know what’s in your DNA rather than to be scared of its unknown contents.”

Anne has known since the fifth grade that she wanted to major in biology, but she’s excited that Wellesley will allow her to explore her other interests— history, Spanish, literature. But it is genomic research that gets her fired up.

“I am very happy that Wellesley is working on a genome browser! Can’t wait to have an opportunity to use it,” she says.

Wellesley’s genome browser, the G-nome Surfer, lets multiple users manipulate and organize genomic information with their hands using a large touch screen—quite a step up from Anne’s Excel spreadsheets.

nasturtiums and Johnny jump-ups.

The living wall is comprised of 2 ft. x 2 ft. flats that fit into an aluminum frame. A series of fine holes in the flats allows water to filter down from piping at the top. Herbs and greens are started from seed in the Fergusson Greenhouses and gradually angled and elevated closer and closer to vertical so the plants can acclimate.

“We wanted people to be impressed with how adaptable plants are,” Jones says, “and to see how easy it is to have fresh herbs and greens.”

Mission accomplished. Jones reports Leaky Beaker patrons regularly snip greens and denizens of the Science Center walk by just to catch a whiff of herb.

—AH RICHARD HOWARD

had two pulmo pulmonary lung—his embolisms—blood clots in the lung daughter, Anne West ’15, began an iinvesAnne, tigation into their family’s genome. A her mother, Judy Reinitz West ’79, ’79 her father, and her brother all had their eentire genetic code sequenced, and Anne spent months painstakingly comparing her computer family’s genomes on their home com study— using Excel. The results of the stu which they conducted with help from researchers at the Stanford University Unive School of Medicine—were published last Genetics.

September in the journal PLoS Genet Among their findings were that Anne inherited two gene mutations from her that put father tha For a demonstration of the risk for her at ris G-nome Surfer, visit www. youtube.com and search for embolism embolisms, as “G-nome Surfer Pro-Long.” well as a third mutation from her mother associated with inherited thrombophilia, a disorder that increases the risk of clots. Knowing this future. could help doctors treat Anne in the fu “I learned . . . that although the study stu of

—LS

JENNIFER FLINT

AFTER JOHN WEST

week, the wall might feature herbs like thyme, oregano, or curry,

LET IT RAIN

IF WE MUST HAVE RAIN— and in New England, it seems we must—at

least students confront the foul weather b by putting their best boot forward. Polka dots, plaids, All of that color adds some sunshine to a an otherwise gray day. For a slideshow of rain boots taken on a wet day on campus, visit well wellesleymag’s channel on youtube.com.

RICHARD HOWARD

leopard prints, and florals: Wellesley stud students’ rain gear is so much more than just sensible.

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WELLESLEY ATHLETICS RICHARD HOWARD

Focused on The Finish TO MOST PEOPLE, FIVE SECONDS

isn’t much. But to Keelin Nave ’14, five seconds may mean the difference between swimming at the national level and staying home.

Her goal this season is to swim the 500-meter freestyle event in less than five minutes. As of this past November, her best time was 5:04. “I’ve always heard about people going under five minutes in the 500, and it was almost inconceivable to me,” Nave says. “I really want to get this time and make it to nationals this year.”

Last season, Nave was named to the all-conference team for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), and she broke the school record with her 5:04.88 time in the 500 free. She also owns school records in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly. Nave nearly made it to nationals, as well, but wasn’t seeded high enough to make the final cut.

This season, she’s already been named a NEWMAC Swimmer of the Week (the first Wellesley swimmer to earn the honor), after winning every event she entered in a tri-meet To follow swimming results, visit www.wellesleyblue. com/sports/wswimdive/2011-12/schedule. against Clark and Roger Williams. She doesn’t do it for the accolades, although she admits that “everyone has a little bit of a dream of having their name up on the scoreboard.”

‘It’s really everybody who contributes.

It’s not one person.’ —Keelin Nave ’14

Her record-setting 500-meter performance actually came as something of a surprise. “I was just trying to get a personal record,” she says. “Despite being run down by mono, I ended up dropping 20 seconds [off my previous best time].” Nave gives a lot of the credit for her time to Head Coach Bonnie Dix, who customizes workouts for individual swimmers. “That was kind of proof of Bonnie’s coaching skills, because she knew what would work for me.”

Nave is also quick to point out how important the team aspect is to her success and the success of the Blue overall. “It’s really everybody who contributes,” she says. “It’s not just one person.”

It is that team camaraderie that has kept Nave swimming since she was 6 years old, through clubs and high school. “We’re like a family,” she says.

“It’s also really fun to be able to swim your own race, but at the same time be contributing to the grander scheme of things.” What else has kept her in the pool so long? “I definitely am quite a competitive person,” she admits.

“With swimming, you can always challenge yourself in some way, and it’s exciting to see how you respond.”

The CROSS-COUNTRY team had a strong season, sending two runners to the NCAA National Championship.

Randelle Boots ’13 and Leah Clement ’12 each qualified for the national meet, with Boots taking 12th overall, for her second All-American performance in cross country.

The Blue finished sixth as a team at the regional NCAA meet and took second at the NEWMAC Championships.

Wellesley FIELD HOCKEY ended the 2011 campaign with a 10–9 overall record under new head coach Julia King. The Blue completed the NEWMAC regular season in third place with a 5–3 record. The team had three All-Region and All-NEWMAC selections, with Nathalie Gruet ’15 being named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.

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The GOLF team ended the fall portion of the season with a fifth-place finish at their home tournament, the Ann S. Batchelder Invitational. The Blue also recorded a dual meet win over Merrimack, ending the day with a two-stroke lead.

Blue SOCCER ended the season with a 4–11–5 season, falling to MIT 1–0 in the NEWMAC quarterfinals.

The TENNIS team had a fantastic fall season, going 10–1 and winning the 2011 NEWMAC Championship.

Wellesley won the title with a 5–1 win over secondseeded MIT. Brian Kuscher won NEWMAC Coach of the Year, Marie Watanabe ’12 won NEWMAC Player of the Year, and Melissa Clark ’15 was named NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.

The VOLLEYBALL team ended the 2011 season with a 23–9 overall record, dropping a 3–2 heartbreaker to Springfield in the NEWMAC Championship. Sydney Carfagno ’15 was named New England and NEWMAC Rookie of the Year.

LAST OCTOBER, Louise O’Neal, former director of athletics (1990–2006), received a Nike Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award. The award, given to those who help further women in sports through participation and leadership, was presented to O’Neal at the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators National Convention in Pittsburgh, Pa. “I’ve been proud to be part of the very early stages of developing opportunities for women in sports,” O’Neal said in response to receiving the award. “I’m bowled over by what is happening today. I hope today’s leaders will be able to look back in 30 years and feel they did things to better opportunities for women in sports.”

RICHARD HOWARD

O’NEAL HONORED

SPORTS SCOREBOARD The Blue CREW had a solid fall season highlighted by a sweep at the Seven Sisters Championship, winning every race at the event to take the team title. At the Head of the Charles, the Wellesley varsity-8+ tied for a fourth-place finish, the best finish in program history. The Blue also entered a four, taking 12th overall.

—JG

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY

CollegeRoad REPORTS FROM AROUND CAMPUS

STORYCORPS RICHARD HOWARD

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, economics titan Chip

Case failed his first econ exam in graduate school—and he admitted it on National Public Radio. As part of NPR’s partnership with StoryCorps, a project to encourage

BY THE NUMBERS: LANGUAGE STUDY AT WELLESLEY

Americans to record and preserve their personal stories, NPR senior correspondent

14

Linda Cozby Wertheimer ’65 spoke with Case, professor of economics, emeritus, about his years at Wellesley. Case described

NUMBER OF ANCIENT AND MODERN

his first day teaching (“I learned their names

LANGUAGES TAUGHT AT WELLESLEY

before they came to class, which kind of

406

freaked them out.”) and the projects he assigned students in urban economics.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN FIRST-YEAR LANGUAGE COURSES RANGING FROM

QUIET AS A MOUSE? RICHARD HOWARD

HINDI-URDU TO FRENCH

333

IF YOU THINK CLICKING is the only sound

that can come out of a computer mouse, STUDENT ART ON PARADE

NUMBER OF VERB FORMS LEARNED IN THE FIRST SEMESTER OF GREEK

160

NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ATTEND SPANISH TABLE EACH SEMESTER

3

Lara Helm ’12, Casey Grote ’14, Emily Lin

LIKE MANY TOWNS in this economic downturn, Wellesley

’14, and Karen Su ’14 created TUI.TAR,

has had a scattering of empty storefronts. Enter local artist

a user interface that allows the Microsoft

Laura Fragasso, who hatched the idea of bringing community-

Touch Mouse to make digital music.

based art to the streets. Sculptures by students studying

Techno-musicians using the TUI.TAR can

3-D design are now on display in a former lighting store,

pluck, strum, and record chords. TUI.TAR

and in another storefront are dresses created by student

won top honors at the 2011 User Interface

designers from a variety of materials, inspired by last year’s

Software and Technology student competi-

El Anatsui exhibit at the Davis (see “Art of Wellesley,” fall ’11).

tion in the “Most Creative” category.

NUMBER OF WEEKS REQUIRED TO COVER A SEMESTER OF FIRST-YEAR GERMAN IN THE DEPARTMENT’S INTENSIVE WINTERSESSION COURSE

LESS DEBT

To see the Touch Mouse in action, go to YouTube.com and search for “TUI.TAR.”

KIPLINGER.COM ranked Wellesley among

70

the top 10 private colleges in the country for the lowest student debt upon PETER VANDERWARKER

graduation. Maximum debt of a student

NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE VLADIMIR NABOKOV FOUNDED THE RUSSIAN DEPARTMENT AT WELLESLEY

graduating today: $12,825. Nationwide, the average is $28,100, according to the College Board.

OVERHEARD

‘Writingg ppapers p is agonizing, g g but it beats the hell out off working at Starbucks. You can sit down to write papers.’

F.CO

think again. Inspired by air-guitar players,

—Writing 125 student in Prof. Ann Velenchik’s class

A GREEN BUILDING WELLESLEY’S NEWLY RENOVATED

Whitin Observatory has received silver LEED certification.

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13

FocusonFaculty

ART HISTORY

Much About Munch shifted the trajectory of Patricia Berman’s career. In the early 1980s, she was a graduate student at New York University’s Institute of the Arts. Her dissertation advisor, Kirk Varnedoe, phoned her with a question: Could she name more than one Scandinavian painter? He was looking for help with an exhibition on Nordic art.

Berman could name two. “You’re on it,” Varnedoe said, and she became his research assistant.

Her work on that 1982 exhibition, Northern Light: Realism and Symbolism in Scandinavian Painting, completely absorbed her. It also led to a specialization in the work of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863–1944) of The Scream fame.

Berman explains, “I started looking into Munch’s work because I found it challenging, upsetting, and kind of weird. I decided to do my dissertation on him.”

So began a journey into the deepest recesses of Munch’s art and into the turn-of-the-century milieu he inhabited. Her research continued after arriving at Wellesley College in 1987 (today she is the Theodora L. and Stanley H. Feldberg Professor of Art History) and has led to an ongoing relationship with the University of Oslo and the Munch Museum in Oslo. She received Fulbright scholarships in 1984 and 2006. She has served as curator for numerous exhibitions, including two recent shows, Luminous Modernism: Scandinavian Art Comes to America, 1912 in New York and Munch’s Laboratory: The Path to the Aula, co-curated with colleagues at the Munch Museum.

(The Aula is a festival hall at the University of Oslo, the walls of which are adorned with enormous murals by Munch.) In addition, Berman has published books on Danish and Belgian art, and on drawing technique.

She finds Munch fascinating not only because he had his finger on the pulse of human anxieties in his era, but also because of his modern instinct about marketing. His imagery was outré for the time period—raw, sensual, haunting. It helped his image that he was perceived as a misunderstood

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outsider, when in fact he was a consummate artworld insider, Berman says. When officials at the University of Oslo balked at accepting his murals, the artist sought popular support by taking his paintings on the road and also enlisted influential friends to lobby on his behalf.

Munch strove to provide a transformative experience for his viewers. Influenced by Freud, mysticism, and Eastern notions of enlightenment, Munch stripped away the veil between people’s inner and outer lives. He wanted people to be aware of their own and others’ hidden motivations. In a way, he became a propagandist for the modernist credo of not repressing any kind of energy, whether or not giving vent to that energy was deemed socially acceptable.

Munch leads naturally into Berman’s criticalstudies course, Persuasive Images, a class that helped her win the Pinanski teaching prize in 2008.

The course covers a range of media—from poster

art and films to dollhouses and product labels—to explore how images function in 20th- and 21stcentury propaganda and advertising. “I like for students to see that their common environment, which they think of as neutral, is really something intentionally designed,” Berman says.

She calls the course “a great little fulcrum” for looking at gender dynamics, identity, and issues of power. “No image exists in isolation,” she says. “The idea is to get students to see the importance of the visual in shaping their way of understanding the world.”

Berman’s interests are carrying her further into the 20th century, especially into the 1950s with its dueling imagery of middle-class domestic bliss and Cold War anxieties. “I’m really interested in this nexus of what we acknowledge to be art, who the producers are, and why we need them when we do. And that’s what I like to teach, too.”

—AA

RICHARD HOWARD

A SINGLE PHONE CALL

WINDOW ON WELLESLEY

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

UP UNTIL RECENTLY, Beth DeSombre

Her academic

has led something of a double life:

life also spills over

Those who know her as an academic

into her songwriting,

are often surprised to learn of her ac-

informing the subject

tive life on the local folk-music scene.

matter of her music.

And people who know her primarily

“The songs of mine

as a singer-songwriter are surprised to

that have gotten the

hear she is Wellesley’s Frost Professor

most attention are

of Environmental Studies. “It’s not the

often the ones that

standard day job for a musician,” she

have some political

says. More and more, though, the two

content,” she says.

worlds are starting to collide.

There’s one inspired

Practically speaking, an aca-

by Obama’s elec-

demic schedule works well for the part-

tion, for example. An-

time musician: She typically plays three

other, called “Bigger,

or four shows a month, more in the

Faster, and More,” is

summer when her schedule is flexible,

about the repercus-

and less in the spring when academics

sions of the BP oil spill on the Gulf of

the folk charts at number 22. “That was

in environmental studies, likes to say,

take over. Intellectually speaking, there

Mexico’s shrimp fishers. That song won

way better than I was expecting,” she

“‘You’re not going to leave us, are you?’

are advantages to

honorable mention at a songwriting

says. “So I reported it to the people on

And I joke, ‘Yes, I’m going to leave for the

contest and scored DeSombre an invi-

my mailing list.” That list is growing to

lucrative field of folk music.’” she says.

tation to play at the Boston Green Fest,

include more students and faculty:

Perhaps not. Besides, she really

a sustainability festival on Boston’s City

DeSombre’s Wellesley fans follow her to

doesn’t have to choose. “I love being an

Hall Plaza, last summer.

To listen to the unusual pairDeSombre’s music, visit www. ing, too: “Writing bethdesombre.com/ songs uses such music.html.

a different part of

the one or two shows she now performs

academic, and I love doing it here. And

my brain than the hard work I do writ-

Thanks to this kind of exposure,

on campus every year or to local venues

music has always been a driving force

ing academic books or teaching,” she

DeSombre’s music career is really tak-

like Club Passim or Johnny D’s. As the

in my life—to get to do them both simul-

says. “It makes me think in different

ing flight. Her latest CD, At Home in This

musical successes accumulate, her col-

taneously,” she says, “I’m very lucky.”

ways, and that’s really fun.”

Town, was released in 2011, and it hit

league Jay Turner, assistant professor

PROFILE OF A MAJOR

JOHN MOTTERN

GUITAR HERO

—JF

ANTHROPOLOGY

TUCKED AWAY ON THE THIRD FLOOR of Pendleton Hall, the anthro-

now is working on her senior thesis looking at issues of gender, reproduc-

pology department is small, with only four full-time faculty. The study

tion, and reproductive medicine in the Tibetan diaspora.

that it encompasses, however, is quite large.

“I just felt that the focus that anthropology has on individual actors on the

According to anthropology major Shannon Ward ’12, the disci-

ground resonated with me more than the broader structural issues that politi-

pline is “just the study of humans.” Department chair and Professor

cal theory and peace and justice studies dealt with,” Ward says. In the spring

of Anthropology Anastasia Karakasidou adds that anthropologists are “the

and summer of 2011, she did research among Tibetan refugees living in India,

everyday-life social scientists.”

and she collected extensive personal statements as part of her research.

“Not many people know what anthropology is all about,” Karakasidou says. “We depend a lot on students stumbling upon our courses.” Because

“The strength of the discipline is how detailed it is,” Ward says. “It really gives attention to the lived experiences of actual people.”

anthropology covers a wide range of subjects—with subfields

And although Ward hopes to continue studying anthro-

in cultural anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, and physi-

pology at an academic level after graduation, she knows that

cal or biological anthropology—students take courses in the

there are a wide variety of things she could do with her anthro-

department from across the liberal-arts disciplines.

pology major. “Studying humans is relevant for everything,”

In fact, Ward was one of those who stumbled upon the

she says. Karakasidou agrees. Former majors have gone on

department. She came to Wellesley intending to major in

to be doctors, lawyers, diplomats—you name it. “There is a

peace and justice studies, but during her first semester at the

fantastic array of things that you can do with an anthropology

College, she took a medical anthropology class. That class

degree,” she says.

piqued her interest and led to a change in direction, and she

—JG

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15

ShelfLife REVIEWS OF BOOKS BY WELLESLEY AUTHORS

She’s No Saint JANA RIESS ’91

Flunking Sainthood Paraclete Press, Brewster, Mass.

180 pages, $16.99

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winter 2012

point of her experiment is not to follow the letter of arcane laws for the sake of novelty, but to be enriched by the spiritual truths behind the practices.

“Every spiritual practice I’ve attempted has resulted in failure not because I didn’t adhere to the basic requirements of each experiment—I didn’t cheat on my fast or neglect to read the Gospel of Mark—but because the practices started pointing me to more profound issues below the surface that I couldn’t quite face,” she says.

Those who have enjoyed the works of Lauren Winner or Anne Lamott will find in Flunking Sainthood similar laugh-out-loud moments juxtaposed with vignettes that hold up a mirror to their own foibles. Whether enlisting her daughter’s help to rip toilet paper on the Sabbath or recounting her inner dialogue as she attempts to quiet her mind in prayer, Riess’s conversational style and selfdeprecating wit make the narrative accessible and relatable. She doesn’t hesitate to share her frank opinions on such luminaries of Christian heritage as St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Brother Lawrence (“What a sycophant”), but the book is rich with

quotes and insights that inform the reader while entertaining.

While the title may seem to give away the ending, human frailty and shortcomings should come as a shock to no one. What may surprise the reader is the emotional investment they find themselves making in a virtual stranger’s quest for elusive sainthood. Flunking Sainthood serves as a trail marker for those who like to discover the holy in the midst of the mundane and the saint within the sinner.

Flannery O’Connor once wrote, “All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful.” Riess deserves credit for challenging her own human nature and ultimately learning to both receive and give grace, which, one might argue, is the crux of sainthood.

Kim Priore ’99 Priore is a development officer at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, a nonprofit in Waltham, Mass. She holds a master’s in theological studies from Harvard University.

RICHARD HOWARD

JANA RIESS ’91 OFFERS A FUNNY and insightful memoir of a year spent grappling with spiritual practices intended to make her more holy. The result—Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor—is an embrace of contradictions and paradoxes that challenge the notion of sainthood she set out to achieve. The book manages to be light-hearted yet poignant, strikes the delicate balance between irreverent and respectful, and takes a historical look at the Christian tradition while depicting the journey of faith in the 21st century.

A well-published scholar of American religions, Riess resolves to spend a year reading “spiritual classics,” but then intensifies her experiment considerably by adding a different corresponding spiritual practice each month.

Disciplines such as lectio divina (a method of Bible reading and prayer), Benedictine hospitality, and centering prayer prove frustrating and challenging for the author.

Unabashedly speaking from her own experience in the Christian faith (while steadfastly avoiding specifics beyond that), she also draws on Muslim and Jewish influences (around fasting and keeping the Sabbath, respectively). This is not an anthropological experiment in the style of The Year of Living Biblically—Riess demonstrates all along that the

Bibliofiles

Comedy In Maternity Every new mother is familiar with “expert girlfriend” guides to pregnancy, but Let’s Panic About Babies! by Alice Bradley ’91 and Eden M. Kennedy offers a hilarious and twisted spin on the genre. In a pseudo-scientific tone that mocks

creased and jumbled. It’s difficult

and modernity, old and young, hum-

Canadian Arctic, first to learn

the ridiculous and unwanted

to say, at this point, which parts

ble lifestyles and new prosperity.

about Inuit art, later to explore

advice that comes with pregnancy,

will snap back into place and

Bradley and Kennedy show that

which will forever remain in their

Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the

This memoir of 10 years of

one of the best cures for baby-

new locale. Meanwhile, let’s see

Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time

adventurous travel records

induced panic is laughter. Below

if we can figure out what you’re

Georgia Pellegrini ’03

friendships with Inuit families in

is an excerpt from the book:

working with right now. Stand in

DaCapo Press, Cambridge, Mass.

isolated hamlets and encounters

front of a full-length mirror, take

Part memoir, part cookbook,

with caribou, white wolves, and

Look at Your New Body

several cleansing breaths, and

«

«

Brace Yourself: It’s Time to

remember: It’s too early yet to

You’re probably aware by now

decide whether or not you’ll

that your body has . . . changed.

spend your retirement money on

Now that the baby has migrated

bionic reconstruction.

from internal to external freeloader, certain of your parts have shifted. Some parts are lower.

BOOK BLURBS

Others are higher. Still others are

Bangalore Calling

Storied Ice, Regent Press, Berkeley, Calif.

Lyn Clark ’56—Darthela’s Ashes, Booklocker.com, Port Charlotte, Fla.

The Littledales of Central Asia

a .22-250 caliber rifle. The reader

Elizabeth Campbell Clinch ’58

follows Pellegrini across the United

and Nicholas Clinch

States as she learns the best way

Mountaineers Books, Seattle

to hunt and cook. Each chapter ends with recipes that make use

Hachette India, Gurgaon, India

an orange brandy sauce.

behind the voices. The call center

Joan N. Boothe (Joan Norris Boothe ’66)—The

Through a Land of Extremes:

supermarket to killing a boar with

such as partridge with pancetta in

paints a portrait of the diverse lives

the Blood, Mercer University Press, Macon, Ga.

ing plastic-wrapped meat at the

Sankaranarayanan ’90)

at a call center in India. This novel

musk oxen.

Pellegrini’s evolution from buy-

of every edible part of the animal,

happens on the other end of the line

Lisa Alther (Elisabeth Reed Alther ’66)—Washed in

Girl Hunter chronicles Georgia

Brinda S. Narayan (Brinda

Bangalore Calling explores what

FreshInk

the tundra and native cultures.

North to Nunavut: An Arctic Love Affair Fred Sparling and Joyce Whitaker Sparling ’58

This book chronicles the travels of Teresa and St. George Littledale, who visited remote regions of Central Asia between 1877 and 1908 to collect plant and animal specimens. Along the way, as their diaries and letters reveal, the couple faced down 150 armed men, risked their lives, and got closer to the Forbidden City of

becomes a microcosm of the ten-

Chapel Hill Press, Chapel Hill, N.C.

sions in rapidly changing India

In their 60s, Fred and Joyce

had since the city was closed to

between East and West, tradition

Sparling began traveling to the

foreigners.

Lhasa than any other Europeans

H. James Wilson—The New Entrepreneurial Leader:

Kamekichi Tokita, University of Washington Press,

Developing Leaders Who Shape Social and Economic

Seattle

Opportunity, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco

Georgia Pellegrini ’03—Girl Hunter, DaCapo Press,

Eugenia W. Herbert (Eugenia Warren Herbert

Cambridge, Mass.

’51)—Flora’s Empire: British Gardens in India, Uni-

Elizabeth DeBray (Elizabeth DeBray Peolot ’91) and

versity of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia

Erica Frankenberg, editors—Integrating Schools in a

Sabrina Hom ’02—Thinking With Irigaray, State University of New York Press, Albany, N.Y.

Changing Society: New Policies and Legal Options for a Multiracial Generation, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Marie Jhin ’88—Asian Beauty Secrets: Ancient and

Debbie Glasser (Debbie Glasser Fromer ’87) and Emily

Alyson Richman ’94—The Lost Wife, Berkley Trade

Modern Tips from the Far East, Bush Street Press,

Schenck—New Kid, New Scene: A Guide to Moving and

Paperback, New York

San Francisco

Switching Schools, Magination Press, Washington, D.C. Danna Greenberg ’89, Kate McKone-Sweet, and

Maude de Schauensee ’58, volume editor—

Barbara Johns (Barbara Gleeson Johns ’64)—

Peoples and Crafts in Period IVB at Hasanlu, Iran,

Signs of Home: The Paintings and Wartime Diary of

(Continued on page 79)

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OFF AND !

RUNNING! A 2012 ELECTION PRIMER

F.CO

BY AMY MAYER ’94

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and vast array of media messages make an American presidential election a potentially dizzying affair. For political watchers, every four-year cycle offers a new set of questions— about the candidates and policy, of course, but also about media, voters, and the international climate. Wellesley spoke with seven women about the 2012 election. Why is negative advertising so big? What is the role of social media? What happens when outside groups fund campaign messages?

Does citizen activism impact elections?

Here, political-science professors, a student, a journalist, an elected official, and a business leader weigh in, providing a primer on the 2012 election season.

THE LONG CAMPAIGN SEASON

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AMY JASPERSON ’91 LITICAL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WHY IS NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING SUCH A STAPLE, AND WHAT EFFECT DOES IT HAVE ON THE ELECTORATE?

Amy A my Jasp Jasperson earned her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota.

Her research and teaching interests focus on political communication and American politics. She is a 2011 recipient of the U.T. System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award.

Negative campaigning is such a staple because negative information is more memorable. Research from psychology has shown that you need several pieces of positive information to counteract a piece of negative information. It’s just something that we remember more readily. It is a very hard-hitting message, and therefore you’re getting more bang for your advertising buck.

The other important thing to consider is that attacking an opponent, or raising questions about an opponent’s record, is something that challengers have to do in order to make their case. A challenger has to make the case for why [he or she] would be the best candidate.

There’s a book by John Geer called In Defense of Negativity [that makes a] very important case that critical information is necessary for debate in American politics, and it’s necessary for democracy to have debate. Where people think twice about it, or have a problem with it, is when it goes over the top. And then we see it as mud-slinging, or something that ruins political discourse. You can level an attack within the setting of a contrast ad, and that can be more effective. If you offer critical information about your opponent with some positive information about yourself, that can sometimes have an effect on the electorate where there’s less of a chance of a backlash.

How negative campaigning impacts the electorate is an art and a science.

Originally, studies found evidence suggesting attack ads could shrink and polarize the electorate, or that they would demobilize voters. But more recent studies have shown that negative ads can actually mobilize the electorate, or have no impact on mobilization.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

The number one [thing] would be spending—specifically, the role of interest groups and how much they are spending. What impact are they having, given that since [the US Supreme Court decision on] Citizens United, their independent spending is unlimited? Another interesting thing is promotional tweets on Twitter. Advertising that way is new, so it will be really interesting to see how it develops.

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DEFINITIONS THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION BORN: 1981 to 1993 TURNED 18 IN: 1999 to 2011 CURRENT AGE: 18–30 GENERATION X BORN: 1965 to 1980 TURNED 18 IN: 1983 to 1998 CURRENT AGE: 31–46 THE BOOMER GENERATION BORN: 1946 to 1964 TURNED 18 IN: 1964 to 1982 CURRENT AGE: 47–65 THE SILENT GENERATION BORN: 1928 to 1945 TURNED 18 IN: 1946 to 1963 CURRENT AGE: 66–83 GREATEST GENERATION BORN: Before 1928 TURNED 18: Before 1946 CURRENT AGE: 84 or older

SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH CENTER

!

Which Issues Matter Most to Your Vote?

JOBS

DEFICIT

HEALTH CARE

SOCIAL SECURITY

IMMIGRATION

ALL VOTERS

ABORTION

MILLENNIAL GEN X BOOMER SILENT

OTHER

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

DON’T KNOW

Sept. 22–Oct. 4, 2011.

Based on registered voters.

Figures add to more than 100 percent because two responses were allowed.

?

0%

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

‘Neg ‘Negative campaigning is such a staple because negative information is more memorable. Research from psychology has shown that you need several pieces of positive information to counteract a piece of negative information.’ AMY JASPERSON ’91 winter 2012

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EMI KOLAWOLE ’04 EDITOR, WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON, D.C.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR VOTERS TO TELL FACT FROM FICTION DURING THE ELECTION SEASON?

Emi E mi Kolaw Kolawole is the editor of the Innovations and On Giving sections for the Washington Post, after serving for a year as a web producer for the PostPolitics team. She was the associate producer for Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal in 2009 and, prior to that, worked as a staff writer for FactCheck.org, covering the 2008 presidential election.

Here’s the advice I got from FactCheck.org cofounder Kathleen Hall Jamieson: First, watch the debates as they are happening. There’s a sense that they aren’t worth watching until you get close to the election. But by then, it’s almost too late, because the volume of information is so large. Second, do not dismiss entirely advertising from candidates and third-party groups. In many cases, the advertising is misleading, but it really is an opportunity to see the message that third-party groups, political parties, or the candidates want you to see.

Finally, check all the fact-checking sites, not just one, because they’re all subject to some bias. For example, the Washington Post has the Fact Checker, which is run by Glenn Kessler, who’s an amazing reporter. He really drills in on the facts. There’s also FactCheck.org.

There’s Politifact. There are a number of organizations that run fact-checking websites. Check [them] all.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

I’m probably paying the most attention to the attitudes of voters. I think 2008 was an unprecedented election.

[This year] is a different dynamic, but it is an interesting election. It’s a very interesting time for Republicans.

It’ll be fascinating to see who comes out on top, the pathway they use to get there, and the reaction from both party-line voters [and] the general electorate.

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Generational Gap in Campaign Interest, 2011 and 2007 TOTAL

MILLENNIAL

GEN X

GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO CANDIDATES

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

0%

10

20

30

40

50

PEW RESEARCH CENTER Sept. 22–Oct. 4, 2011.

Figures for campaign news interest based on aggregated data from mid-September to early October.

Both measures based on general public. Generational breaks in the 2007 news-interest data had to be approximated as follows: Millennial 18–29, Gen X 30–44, Boomer 45–64, Silent 65+.

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!

WILMA CHEN CHAN ’71 SUPERVISOR, ALAMEDA COUNTY TY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ALAMEDA, CALIF.

BOOMER

HOW IS CAMPAIGNING DIFFERENT

SILENT

TODAY THAN IT WAS WHEN YOU FIRST ENTERED POLITICS?

FOLLOWING ELECTION NEWS VERY CLOSELY

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

2011 2007

0%

10

20

30

40

50

Wil Wilma W ilma Chan Ch has served in elected office since 1990, when she became the first Asian American on the Oakland Board of Education. She served on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and then in the California State Legislature, where she was the first woman selected as majority leader of the state Assembly. In 2011, she returned to the board of supervisors.

There’s much more of a role for independent expenditures of campaign finances. Corporations and others can spend limitless amounts of money on campaigns. What that does is generally negative, because when an independent committee is spending money on you, you’re not allowed to coordinate with them. That’s a negative because when you run for office, you generally would like to have control of your own campaign.

Just to give you an idea, I ran an unsuccessful campaign for state Senate in 2008, and I raised and spent about $900,000 on my own. Independent expenditure committees spent another $400,000 to $500,000 on my race.

But some of the literature they wrote and sent out was not helpful. They did an attack piece on my opponent that I would not have done. And not only would I not have done it, but I didn’t feel the content was accurate. I had to tell [my opponent] that I had nothing to do with it, and that I never would have said that about her. Also, often these committees are either national or statewide in scope, and they don’t know your district.

The other thing that has really changed running for office is the internet. It’s both good and bad. The good aspect of it is that it’s much easier and faster to get your message out. The negative aspect is that sometimes the messaging gets so simple that people don’t really look very deeply into the issues or into the candidates.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

I’m always really concerned with, whoever is going to win, what they’re going to do. We’re in an extraordinarily difficult time in the country, and in our state, and even locally. And I’m looking for whether either the incumbent president or any of the Republican candidates has any real solutions.

‘We’re in an extraordinarily difficult time in the country, and in our state, and even locally. And I’m looking for whether either the incumbent president or any of the Republican candidates has any real solutions.’ WILMA CHEN CHAN ’71

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SHIRLEY YOUNG ’55 FORMER CORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT SIDENT OF GENERAL MOTORS AND SENIOR ADVISOR OF GENERAL MOTORS ASIA NEW YORK AND SHANGHAI

FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, HOW IMPORTANT WILL THE RESULTS OF THE 2012 US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BE IN CHINA?

SShirley hirley hi l Young You is a founding member and current governor of the Committee of 100, a Chinese-American leadership organization dedicated to enhancing US-China relations. As corporate vice president of General Motors, she co-led their billiondollar automotive joint venture in China and currently serves as senior advisor for General Motors Asia.

It depends upon how policies change.

What we hear during elections usually has turned out not to result in any dramatic change in US-China relations.

This is an important relationship, both politically and economically. What has happened in elections, and we can go back several times, is that while the initial policy might indicate great changes, ultimately it is a policy of necessary cooperation between the US and China. There’s a great deal of anti-China rhetoric that is happening in campaigns, though, because there is a lot of emotional resentment about the fact that China’s economy has been growing. Sophisticated people [in China], government leaders as well as business people, are aware of the dramatic game-playing that happens in American elections.

However, the issue that I’m concerned about is the nonleaders— the younger people who can read online all of the negative comments that are made about China. There’s a survey that showed that a large percentage of Chinese-educated youth believe that the United States is trying to hold down China. If they believe that as young people, you can imagine that they’re going to say, “Boy, when I get into positions of influence, I’m going to show them,” right? They don’t know that this is just the way the political game is played [in the US].

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

I’m looking to see whether we’re going to have leadership that can bring this country out of the stalemate politically, governmentally, leadership-wise that it is stuck in. We really need leadership that understands that the world is changing, and that is not trying to posture the United States in a unipolar or bipolar world, but in a multipolar world. It takes a very major leader to help the American population understand that times are different. That’s the leadership I hope we can find and, frankly, I’m not too optimistic right now.

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Ideology by Generation MILLENNIAL

50

GEN X

BOOMER

Conservative

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0% 00

01

02

03

04

05

YEAR

PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Based on yearly averages of surveys of general public.

06

07

08

09

10

11

!

HAHRIE HAN KNAFEL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR SSOR IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, WELLESLEY COLLEGE

SILENT

WELLESLEY, MASS.

Liberal HOW ARE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENTS LIKE THE TEA PARTY AND OCCUPY WALL STREET AFFECTING THE COURSE OF THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

00

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

‘B th the ‘Both th Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street have been successful in that they have brought a sense of moral urgency to concerns that are of interest to them.’ HAHRIE HAN

Hahrie H ahrie Han H teaches in the Department of Political Science. Her first book, Moved to Action: Motivation, Participation, and Inequality in American Politics (Stanford University Press 2009), examines the way people become motivated to participate in politics.

Both the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street have been successful in that they have brought a sense of moral urgency to concerns that are of interest to them. Occupy Wall Street has been really successful at highlighting the importance of rising economic inequality in America. Now the question is whether they’ll be able to translate that sense of moral urgency into a set of actionable policy demands. The Tea Party, on the other hand, is different. They also have a set of concerns that they’re raising, but as longtime organizer Marshall Ganz has noted, they’re reacting to them not with a sense of hope—that this is a problem and we want to fix it—but instead with a sense of fear. They’re both saying the world is changing all around us and we think those changes are alarming, but the Tea Party reaction to that has been to try to exclude and to retreat into the status quo, as opposed to trying to move forward.

There’s a historical parallel between contemporary politics and the late 1890s, when the Democrats and the Republicans were very polarized over the key issues of the day. As the polarization was beginning to build, the Democrats and Republicans kept trading elections back and forth, and you had the rise of some third-party movements that never really gained traction, like the movements we are seeing right now. Eventually, what resolved the polarization in the late 1890s and early 20th century was that one party just kept losing and realized that the agenda it was pursuing wasn’t correct.

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

The poll numbers are always really interesting. The thing that’s important to emphasize is that it’s not any one poll that is really that important, but the trends that the polls demonstrate over time. Because I’m interested in activism, what I’m really interested in is the ways in which the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements transition the unrest that they’ve caused into a set of policy demands, and how that translates into electoral success in terms of electing certain candidates and influencing those candidates. winter 2012

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ELIZABETH PAN ’12 AMERICAN-STUDIES MAJOR (CONCENTRATION IN POLITICAL SCIENCE) AND COMPUTER-SCIENCE MINOR NEW YORK

HOW SHOULD POLITICAL ACTIVISTS OR POLITICAL PARTIES OR CANDIDATES BE USING SOCIAL MEDIA?

Eli b th Pan joined the Obama campaign Elizabeth in summer 2008 and continued as a field organizer in Ohio through election day.

In June 2009, she and her campaign colleagues launched NationalField, a startup offering data-analysis software with a social-media interface for organizations to enhance information sharing.

These experiences and internships at the Department of Commerce and the White House inspired Elizabeth to focus her senior honors thesis on the impact of social media on grassroots political organizing.

With these new forms of communication, there’s a feedback loop. It’s not just getting information from the New York Times or a candidate’s website. All of a sudden, the candidate can tweet something, and we can tweet back, or we can follow him or her on Facebook and see all of the events that they’re holding.

It becomes a much more interactive environment. But the most successful campaigns are ones that combine the online organizing with offline organizing.

It’s important to realize the significance of face time. You can be part of a group on Facebook, but does that really mean you’re participating in politics? Is that really mobilizing someone? That’s a hard question to answer. The key piece is that more people are getting the information. With the click of a button, you can send an email to a mailing list that has millions of people. And so now, instantly, millions of people can know that you’re having an event this Saturday, but does that mean they’ll come? It is hard to measure how much more you’re mobilizing people and if social media is going to foster that engagement. That’s why it’s important to have that relationship between online and offline. If you see someone join the group online, then maybe a campaign organizer should contact that person and say, “I noticed you are from Wellesley, Mass. We’re having this meeting on Friday. Will you join us?”

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

The economy is something that’s on everyone’s mind, and something that’s going to be a key piece of the 2012 election. For me, of course, I’m always keeping up to date on what’s going on with the Obama administration. But I’m also really fascinated about the candidates for the Republican nomination. Occupy Wall Street, that’s a whole other thing, too, that I’m definitely watching.

‘All of a sudden, the candidate can tweet something, and we can tweet back, or we can follow him or her on Facebook and see all of the events that they’re holding. It becomes a much more interactive environment.’ ELIZABETH PAN ’12 26 wellesley

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MARION JUST WILLIAM R. KENAN, JR., PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, WELLESLEY COLLEGE WESTWOOD, MASS.

WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT IMPACT VOTER TURNOUT IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION?

IIn n additio addition to teaching at Wellesley, Marion Just is a research associate of the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics, and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She is a co-author and co-editor of several books, including Crosstalk: Citizens, Candidates and the Media in a Presidential Campaign (University of Chicago Press, 1996) and Rethinking the Vote: The Politics and Prospects of American Electoral Reform (Oxford University Press, 2003).

There is a level of excitement—people call them hot elections—that’s not always there.

The 2000 election was not a high excitement election, surprisingly. The reason is that voters pretty much perceived the candidates to be similar. There was prosperity. There was no war. And so the factors that drive people to the polls weren’t present. In the last several rounds of elections, we’ve had high levels of excitement. Much of that is because there was a lot of concern about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004, then there were concerns about the Bush presidency in 2006. And then, of course, a great deal of dissatisfaction with the Bush presidency in 2008, which coincided with the beginning of the economic collapse. Those are the sorts of things about which the electorate feels strongly and that drive people to the polls. That said, there also has to be enthusiasm for the candidates. In 2008, the enthusiasm was primarily on the Democratic side. Republicans were not particularly enthusiastic about [Senator John] McCain. The enthusiasm gap is something that’s often described in the polls.

We determine it by asking people how enthusiastic, or how happy, they are about their vote, or whether they’re voting against the other person rather than for their candidate. Whether people will be sufficiently enthusiastic about their choices, I think, is going to determine whether there will be a strong turnout.

STAY ON TOP OF THE RACE For more information on these topics, our interviewees recommend the following websites: CAMPAIGNS AND MEDIA

www.opensecrets.org www.livingroomcandidate.org FACT CHECKING

www.washingtonpost.com/ blogs/fact-checker factcheck.org www.flackcheck.org (a new sister site to factcheck.org) www.politifact.com POLITICAL-SCIENCE RESEARCH

themonkeycage.org CHINA

eng.inewsweek.cn ABOUT SPECIFIC CANDIDATES OR ISSUES

www.lwv.org www.politico.com Follow the candidates on Twitter, friend them on Facebook, and sign up on their websites.

—A.M.

RICHARD HOWARD

WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING, IN PARTICULAR, THIS ELECTION CYCLE?

The key question for me is whether the president can get reelected with an economy that is anemic, at best. Up to now, that’s not been possible. There are real questions, though, that make this election somewhat different.

One is that in 2006, the electorate voted strongly for the Democrats and reaffirmed that anti-Republican verdict in 2008. Then in 2010, voters did the opposite. There’s a certain malaise that sets in on the electorate when they’ve tried one thing and then they’ve tried another, and neither one seems to bring the relief they’re seeking.

Amy Mayer ’94 is a freelance journalist and has reported election returns live for several local public-radio stations.

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ADVANCED STYLE

The Elements of 28 wellesley

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STON CHIC BEYOND BO

When it comes to the sa rtorial, we all choose accordin g to our tastes, budgets, size , and age.

Teri Agins ’75, author of the Wall Street Journal’s “A sk Teri” fashion advice column, offers some ideas on how to develo p a look that is uniquely you.

{Personal} Style

FASHION IS IN THE HEIGHT OF POP CULTURE today,

By Teri Agins ’75

so it stands to reason that stylish clothes are starting to matter to a whole lot of people. Who could have predicted that prime-time TV audiences would skip the usual fare of sitcoms and cop shows so they could follow a dozen designer contestants duke it out— for nine seasons—on the hit reality show, Project Runway? At least three popular blogs painstakingly chronicle the everyday wardrobe of First Lady Michelle Obama. Then there are legions of enthusiastic online shoppers who weigh in like fashion critics, with detailed customer reviews about the clothes they bought online from the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue.

Soon after I began writing “Ask Teri,” my weekly winter 2012

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ADVANCED STYLE

BEYOND BO STON CHIC

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Head-turners: Wear a turban with attitude.

It only takes one accent to create a signature style.

advice column on fashion and shopping for the Wall Street Journal in 2005, I was mildly amused to discover that the Journal’s business readers (many of whom are men) were just as fixated on fashion as everybody else. I’ve given them practical insights on everything: what to wear when the party invitation says “poolside chic”; what black-tie ensembles to bring along for an upscale Mediterranean cruise; and what to wear when you’re seated at a banquet most of the evening—that’s what fashion stylists call “tabletop dressing.”

I receive as many as 40 emails a week from readers of both sexes all over America, including a number of boomers who think that a fashion makeover just might give them a leg up over the young whippersnappers at the office.

Ironically, the comfortable, casual clothes that overtook American workplaces since the mid-1990s have become boring to many people. I guess that too much of a laid-back thing just doesn’t feel edgy anymore.

Teri Agins ’75 is a Wall Street Journal columnist and author of The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever (William Morrow, 1999).

BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

IALIST THE SARTOR

THE SARTORIALIST

Go monochromatic for fall. Just switch up the textures.

So there’s been a gradual shift of the pendulum toward dressier, but not too rigid, office attire. For example, women have been donning sleeveless dresses or cropped pants with kitten heels, while men have zeroed in on slim sports coats with high armholes— the killer jackets that turn business-casual into 007.

What do designers—those self-appointed deciders of all things fashion—have to do with the trends we choose to wear? Not as much as they used to. Once dress codes went out the window more than a decade ago, more people started breaking away from designer dictates and began shopping for themselves. We’re in the age of “personal style,” which is an instinctive and nuanced way of dressing that more people are eager to master. It’s much harder than just putting on a suit. Personal style involves creativity and experimentation—forcing you to look beyond the trends that the big fashion houses are turning out.

I’ve always loved to do my own thing when it comes to clothes. And more people are now trusting their own tastes. Your closet is probably already a mix of high and low fashion—and everything in between (as in Armani meets Chanel meets Target meets H & M meets Anthropologie meets J.Crew).

In order to look your personal best, you’ve got to winter 2012

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Stick with what works.

BEYOND BOSTON CHIC BE

Bob Mackie, the Hollywood costume designer known for dressing Carol Burnett and Cher, once told me that fashion truly delivers when it makes a woman look 1) young, 2) thin, and 3) sexy. Some people may take issue with that, but I listen to Mackie. Think about

nal We’re in the age of ‘perso ctive style,’ which is an instin and nuanced way of le dressing that more peop are eager to master. It’s much harder than just nal putting on a suit. Perso and style involves creativity g experimentation—forcin you to look beyond the n trends that the big fashio houses are turning out.

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those outfits that draw tons of compliments, that make you grin every time you catch your own reflection.

If they deliver, stick with them. I stay with variations of my greatest hits, which for me are: fitted sheath dresses, anything in red or animal prints, boat-neck sweaters, and high-waisted skirts. Those components have been my signature for more than 20 years. I like to flirt with a shirtwaist dress or a polka-dot pattern for a change, but not often. I stay in my lane.

Know when to splurge.

Don’t ever ask this question again: “Where can I get the best deals?” You’re not looking for cheap stocks; you’re building a signature look that’s consistent. The most valuable clothes in your wardrobe are the items you love to wear often—regardless of price. There’s no virtue in “investment dressing.” So don’t rationalize that the classic cashmere coat may be boring but practical. You’re aiming higher than that. That’s why I will always pick the tapestry coat with the fake-fur trim. It makes a statement and sets me apart from the crowd. I can’t wait to put it on. Always look for your tapestry-coat equivalent.

The more you resist markdowns, the more money you save. Add up all those $79.99 bargains—those C+ garments that gave you a temporary rush—and you have wasted too much money. You could have splurged on one sensational item instead, like the vintage “paste” fake diamond earrings I found at Bergdorf Goodman a few years ago for $700—the price of just eight “bargains.” They’re my favorite teardrop shape, and they sparkle like gems. I wear them with a turtleneck and jeans—as well as the cocktail dresses I originally bought them for. Now that’s what I call a great deal!

Know how to navigate the big sale.

Of course, you won’t resist the end-of-summer markdowns and the after-Christmas sales. Just stay focused. I concentrate on what I call my “fashion pantry” of staples: high-heel black satin sandals that don’t hurt, merino sweaters with stretch (I swear by merino), a distinctive tennis dress, and a versatile cocktail dress—which is always impossible to find when you’re weeks away from a big event.

When nothing on my list turns up, I quickly rummage through the racks—on the off chance that I discover a fabulous leather jacket in my size—an unlikely needle in the haystack. Don’t tarry too long or you’ll

THE SARTORIALIST

keep developing your eye for colors, fabrics, and proportions—as well as learning a few tricks.

Here are some elements of personal style.

ADVANCED STYLE ADVANCED STYL E

Think zebra: You wear the stripes your way.

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start to settle for less. Whenever I get the urge to make an impulse purchase, I limit myself to about $50.

Your BFF (Best Friend in Fashion) is your tailor.

Women’s clothing sizes are all over the map—I own clothes ranging from sizes 4 to 10, and you probably own a range of sizes, too. Even when they do fit, off-the-rack garments at any price range usually need to be tweaked to conform to the unique contours of your body. It may take $80 worth of alterations to turn a boxy skirt into a flattering shape that lies perfectly flat across the hips and slightly cups your derriere.

Give your business to the most skilled tailor you can find. Tailors will help you to camouflage your figure flaws. The antidote to a flat backside: tiny tucks at the waistband of a dress that will cause the skirt to billow out slightly in the back. A wider neckline opening can make the hump in the back of your neck optically recede. Trust your tailor to make your clothes really fit so that you will look shapely and sensational.

Your closet is probably a mix of high and low fashion—and everything in between (as in Armani meets Chanel meets Target meets H & M meets Anthropologie meets J.Crew).

In order to look your personal best, you’ve got to keep developing your eye for colors, fabrics, and proportions.

Your second BFF: foundations.

ADVANCED STYLE

What’s an arm party?

Wearing stacks of bracelets and bangles that contrast and jangle.

Good foundations—bras and shapers—will make any lumps and bumps disappear so your knit dresses graze instead of cling. Get fitted for a bra and a shaper at a specialty foundations store (like, for example, the Town Shop in New York) or a department store like Nordstrom that offers free fittings. Choose a bra with molded cups that will lift you up, hold you in, and feel comfortable at the same time.

Actresses on the red carpet swear by shapers and you should, too. Try on brands such as Spanx, TC, Bali, Miracle Suit, Barely There, and Hanes. I prefer shapers that start right under my bra and extend to my mid-thigh—my current favorite is by TC, and it sells for $38. A too-tight shaper won’t shave off more inches—it will just roll and rise up and ruin your day.

Consult a personal shopper or stylist.

Women dream of having their very own Rachel Zoe, the Hollywood stylist to actresses like Anne Hathaway, who charges several thousand dollars a day for her services. But you can saunter into the big chains like Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, or Anthropologie, where a

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ADVANCED STYLE ADV BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

ADVANC ED

STYLE

Leopardize: Animal prints are timeless and versatile— as basic as black.

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complimentary personal shopper will comb the racks to find you a mother-of-the-bride ensemble or a wide black patent belt for under $150. Make an appointment with a personal shopper and provide her with plenty of fodder: tear sheets of your favorite styles and colors from catalogs or magazines, and lots of snapshots of you at last year’s gala. The more they understand your personal style, the better the experts will stay in your lane—as well as coax you to try a few new silhouettes that are equally flattering. Purchase and don’t remove the hangtags for a few days, while you mull over what you bought. Then return anything that you don’t absolutely love.

Sure, you’ll probably wind up buying more than what you had planned—the stores are counting on that!

But personal shoppers are always a win-win. You save time not having to scour the malls, and you save money because you make fewer mistakes. If you can afford it, consider splurging on a freelance stylist to come to your home to sharpen your wardrobe even further.

ADVANCED STYLE

Jeans: Accept no substitutes.

The most valuable clothes in your wardrobe are the items you love to wear often— regardless of price. There’s no virtue in ‘investment dressing.’

My definition of “premium” denim: the jeans brand that fits you the best. Ignore the hype of the labels— and brace yourself for hours in front of the three-way mirror as you audition dozens of styles. Don’t overlook the mainstream brands such as Arizona jeans by J.C. Penney’s, one of the top-selling labels in jeandom.

Go for dark-rinse denim in a boot cut; it’s that flared leg that best balances most women’s hips.

Somewhere along the way, you’re gonna meet your true love: jeans that fit well, whose back pockets are perfectly angled to flatter your buttocks. Buy two pairs on the spot. I’ve worn the same style for more than 20 years—straight-leg jeans with a high rise and a smidgen of stretch—called Sharon by Cambio Jeans. I am longwaisted with narrow hips, so I’m best suited for this mature and more forgiving version of skinny jeans.

Still, I’m convinced that I can do even better. I plan for my next jeans to be custom-made.

Be an informed online shopper.

When you can’t try on the clothes, you must rely on detailed product descriptions, your tape measure, and a no-fuss returns policy. In the 1980s, when retail catalogs ruled, I learned to trust the customer-service operators at Lands’ End and Victoria’s Secret, especially those who had wear-tested the items I was buying.

To this day, I still chat them up politely, getting them 36 wellesley

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ADVANCED STYLE THE SARTORIALIST

THE SARTORIALIST

BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

THE SARTORIALIST

Peacocking: Bring on the colors and mix ’em up.

Stand by your signature shades.

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to speak candidly about the fit and overall look of the garments. So fire away with your most probing questions and read those online customer reviews, too.

Treat the web like one big fashion magazine. I’m fascinated by the colorful storyboards on Polyvore.com, for instance. The Sartorialist.com captures beautiful people who live for fashion, in candid street shots in New York, London, Paris, and Milan.

Now click over to Advancedstyle.com, the blog for stylish seniors, to see stately women in their 70s all decked out, on the street. Those ladies make a real effort to dress their best every day—and they look plum gorgeous.

Move ahead in style.

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ADVANCED STYLE

ORIAL THE SART

IST

Stylish clothes and a good haircut will take you far— at work and in your social life, too. Human-resources experts will tell you the importance of the right optics.

If you’re under 40 and looking great—you’re well positioned for promotions and other high-profile opportunities. And if you’re a stylish boomer, your younger colleagues will think of you more as a peer rather than one who could be their mom. That’s why you need fashion in your toolbox.

Enjoy clothes and fashion. Just as in tennis or golf, the more you practice and try new moves, the better you get.

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BEYOND BOSTON CHIC

THE SARTORIALIST

ADVANCED STYLE

White works before and after Labor Day. The great white shirt just won’t quit.

JUST SAY NO Improve your personal style by avoiding these pitfalls: Don’t wear black pumps unless you’re in black tights. Choose

flesh-tone pumps that disappear on your foot and visually lengthen your legs. (This is a TV trick that Vanna White and female anchors have been doing for years.)

RICHARD HOWARD

Don’t wear towering stilettos.

Sorry ladies, but extreme platforms are plug ugly, making you look like Minnie Mouse.

A woman teetering down the street in seven-inch platform heels is a fashion victim, who is just one step away from taking a bad fall on an uneven sidewalk. Years from now, as more women suffer bunions and back problems, they will flash back at these silly shoes and wonder, What were we thinking?

Don’t rule out pantyhose. The

influential designer Miuccia Prada led the barelegged trend that started in the late 1990s— which exposed flabby flesh, varicose veins, and nicked-up gams.

Then Kate Middleton—now the Duchess of Cambridge—showed how fetching and finished a stylish young woman can look wearing sheer pantyhose. She was exercising her personal style by swimming against the barelegged current. The upshot: She inspired more young women to think about wearing pantyhose again. Ultra sheer hosiery are a delicate and luxurious splurge that will set you back more than $10 a pair.

Don’t wear visible logos. Move

over Dolce & Gabbana and Prada. Logos emblazoned on your handbags and elsewhere make you look insecure. Bottega

Veneta, the Italian luxury leathergoods maker distinguished itself from the pack long ago, with this memorable tag line: “When Your Own Initials Are Enough.”

If you think like that, then you’re ready for personal style.

Don’t wear low-rise jeans. The

virtues of low-rise jeans escape me. It seems like they create a muffin top on all but the skinniest women. I don’t have a flat backside or wide hips—what you need to look best in low-rise styles.

So I just passed on that trend.

Don’t cling to looks that are obviously dated. Say no to curly

perms, anklets, thin gold chain necklaces, and any T-shirts with oversized slogans or “Las Vegas” across the front. No white athletic shoes, except for gym, jogging, and tennis.

SPECIAL THANKS

TO:

Ari Seth Cohen Advanced Style gspot.com advancedstyle.blo Scott Schuman The Sartorialist t.com www.thesartorialis ’01 Martine Severin Chic Beyond Boston nchic.com www.beyondbosto otography for the use of ph bsites. we from their

—T.A.

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THE INCOMPARABLE CAT FRED

By Susan Margulies Sheehan ’58

N HIS FIRST NIGHT AT OUR HOUSE, Fred

Illustrations by Ann Boyajian

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jumped onto our bed and bit my toes.

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep him,” I said to my husband. “Too late now,” Neil replied. “He’s got nowhere else to go.”

Wendy, a young woman who placed cats that had been turned in to the Washington, D.C., animal shelter, had brought Fred to us on a summer evening.

I had asked her for a cat that was “gentle and affectionate,” and instead she had brought us a rogue, but one who was a real looker. Fred was black, slender, long, tall, and tuxedo-trimmed—white bib and stomach, white spats on his front paws, white boots on his back paws. He was dressed to dance, so Wendy had named him after Fred Astaire. I was soon convinced that Wendy chose the shelter’s best-looking cats to place: She knew that looks trump demeanor. Fred’s sharp claws were more than offset by his transparent yellow eyes.

We had previously been owned for 28 years by two cats of known provenance.

Ping, a seal-point Siamese, had left his residence after his family, who lived a block

away, bought another pedigreed cat: Ping loathed, really loathed, all other felines.

After we returned him a dozen times, his family said, “Keep him.” He gave us the pleasure of his elegant and vocal company from 1967 until his kidneys failed in 1981.

Then came Fearless Fosdick, born in the basement of the Greenwich Village building where my New Yorker colleague, Jane Boutwell, ran an informal cat adoption agency from her apartment. Fozzy, a butterscotch and white domestic short hair, raised for the first six months of his life by Jane’s cats, Rupert and Wormwood, was the epitome of gentle and affectionate.

He had a blithe disposition, a sweet face, and a resounding purr. He died following a massive coronary on June 30, 1995.

“No more cats,” I said to Neil after burying Fozzy’s collar in our backyard, where he had delighted in sunning himself.

I called the animal shelter five days later, reflecting for only a short moment on how often I do precisely what I say I will never do. The shelter, I was informed, only placed cats with people who agreed to keep them indoors. Foster parents like Wendy were more flexible. She knew that kittens were more apt to be adopted at the shelter and therefore took in adults, which were far more likely to be euthanized.

Fred was between 1½ and 2 years old, according to the shelter, which guesstimated cat ages. Ping and Fosdick had enjoyed their indoor-outdoor lives from the time they were young—Ping had dined

Beautiful Boy was my shadow. If I was clipping the hedges in front of the house, Fred was at my side. . . . Well after midnight, whenever I walked to the corner mailbox, he accompanied me, showing off by dashing partway up a tree or two on our way there and back. at other people’s houses before settling on ours, and Jane had sent me photographs of Fozzy holding court on the deck of her summer place on Fire Island—so I thought our third prenamed cat, retrieved from the streets of Capitol Hill, would as well.

I

toured Fred through our 1932 house, from the basement (where we kept the litter box) to the attic. I showed him his food and water dishes in the kitchen. That room had been hideous from 1966 (when we moved in) until 1990, when we remodeled and added on. The Coppertone dishwasher, tan laminate counters, yellow and orange painted walls, and speckled linoleum floors were gone; we now had white appliances, white Corian counters, white walls, black and white tile floors.

As Fred sampled his dry food, it struck me that he was precisely the cat the decorator might have selected for the revamped kitchen, if ever we’d had a decorator.

Fred must have been exhausted; in the space of a week he had been picked up, brought to the shelter, neutered, given a

rabies shot, and driven to Wendy’s apartment. He soon jumped on our bed, lay down at my feet, and, after making a pass at my toes, fell asleep. He woke me around seven the next morning by tapping me on my face, claws retracted. Neil and I write until 3 or 4 a.m. and usually sleep late, but I got up, fed Fred, and went back to bed.

The next thing I knew it was 11 o’clock.

Fred was sitting in front of the kitchen door. He obviously wanted to go out, but first he had to go to the vet for his initial feline leukemia shot. The vet put him on a scale, and as he took his hand off Fred while telling me he weighed 8.4 pounds, Fred bolted. A tech pursued him to the basement, retrieved him, and said he was the first cat ever to have gotten away. I was strangely proud of this wayward creature, but on the way home I bought a harness and leash and escorted him outside.

After a week, he appeared familiar with quiet Klingle Street and went outdoors with me, off leash. He had on a new breakaway collar with a bell, and a disk with his name and address. Fred explored our yard, sat down on a front step, and surveyed his kingdom—which soon came winter 2012

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Fred was black, slender, long, tall, and tuxedo-trimmed— white bib and stomach, white spats on his front paws, white boots on his back paws. He was dressed to dance, so Wendy had named him after Fred Astaire.

to include his entire city block. He looked both ways before crossing and was afraid of cars in motion. Earlier in his mysterious past, he had apparently become streetwise.

The vet implanted a microchip under his skin lest he go missing. I rang a weddinggift silver bell when I worried he had been out too long, and he responded, unless he was too soundly asleep in a distant yard or in the midst of a catfight.

I

was 57 years old when Fred came to us. Maria, born in 1967, had graduated from college and was working and about to study for an M.B.A. Catherine, who arrived in 1969, had graduated from college and law school.

They were living on their own. Fred danced into an empty nest. I fell promptly and ridiculously in love with this cat I addressed as “Fred Fred Fred,” because he Susan Margulies Sheehan ’58 won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 1983 for her book, Is There No Place on Earth for Me? the story of a young woman’s struggle with schizophrenia. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Life, Holiday, and many other publications. She lives with her husband, the author Neil Sheehan, in Washington, D.C.

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had had the name for only a few days; I must have believed that redundancy would get his new name across.

During part of 1995, I flew to Nashville every three weeks. Catherine was clerking for a federal judge there, and weekdays while she was at the office, I scrunched into a seat in a sixth-grade classroom, as part of the research for a New Yorker article about the life of a 12-year-old boy from a troubled family.

Our routine rarely varied. Catherine met me at the airport on Sunday evening and, before going to her apartment for the night, we went to a multiplex. After listening to the song featured in Mr. Holland’s Opus— “Beautiful Boy,” written by John Lennon for his son, Sean—I returned from Tennessee and Fred gained a new name. That first Friday night when I flew back to Washington, Neil, who was working at home and catering to Fred’s sundry whims, heard me crooning to “Beautiful Boy.” He was too circumspect to ask if I had gone crazy.

I had. In 1986, on Neil’s 50th birthday, I had begun a collection for him of Halcyon Days enamel boxes. The first had the number 50 on it, surrounded by gold stars on a deep blue background.

Subsequent boxes had messages engraved on them, including one, in 1989, congratulating Neil on winning a Pulitzer Prize for his book on the Vietnam War, A Bright Shining Lie. In 1997, I dispatched a photograph of Fred to London and had him painted on the lid of a box. Neil had taken the picture of Fred seated on a high kitchen shelf to which he’d leapt from a counter. On the shelf were the black and

white kitchen’s only splashes of color— three carved garudas we had bought on Bali—one red and two brown with red trim. These mythical beasts leered downward. Fred, sporting a red collar with two bells, was on high alert—head up, eyes gleaming yellowy, gazing out a window above the shelf. The inscription inside the lid reads, “Fred Fred Fred takes over 4505 Klingle, July 5, 1995.”

The kitchen became ever blacker, whiter, and cattier. In Russia, instead of buying a set of matryoshka dolls or politicians, I bought a nested set of black and white cats. All our dish towels were variations on the theme of black and white cats. Friends sent a white wooden plaque on which had been painted a black cat and the words, “The Cat and His Housekeeping Staff Live Here.” I propped it against a kitchen wall.

F

red had become a major presence in our daily lives. I was his doorperson. When he was outside and spotted me through the glass kitchen door, he scratched the door if he wanted to be let in. If he jumped onto a pile of wood we kept on the back mini-porch, he could peer through a window, and, if his limpid citrine eyes glimpsed me at the computer in my home office, he scratched. Fred was a ruffian—like Ping, he despised other cats— so Neil had the vet write on his chart, “DO NOT CUT FRED SHEEHAN’S CLAWS.” Those razor-sharp nails would

rasp the glass, scratching persistently and swiftly. At Christmas, he opened some of our presents and all of his. He sliced open his annual gift of catnip from two of his friends in Ohio with particular gusto.

Beautiful Boy was my shadow. If I was clipping the hedges in front of the house, Fred was at my side. If I was shoveling snow—he fancied snow and plowed through it like a Lab—he was close by. If I left the house to walk to the drugstore, he sometimes followed me. By the time he made himself known—by sprinting in front of me—I had to backtrack and escort him home: The drugstore is on a major thoroughfare. Well after midnight, whenever I walked to the corner mailbox, Fred accompanied me, showing off by dashing partway up a tree or two on our way there and back. When he lost a fight and incurred a puncture wound, I took him to the vet; he growled reliably as soon as I took him out of the cat carrier to be examined. When Maria drove me to do errands, Fred hopped into the car, moving between front seat and back at will.

In 1997, I became a contributing writer for Architectural Digest. A photographer took my picture, which would run when I was chosen to be on the contributor’s page. The

photo shows me sitting on a living-room chair between a Burmese Buddha we had purchased three decades earlier and Fred, standing on a windowsill. Wendy had moved out of town but sent me a nice note: “First cat I placed featured in a magazine.”

Our living-room chairs and sofas are upholstered in soft cream and coral fabrics.

Fozzy had shed butterscotch and white, but Fred shed black, so I covered the livingroom furniture with plastic. Not with fitted plastic covers of the sort I had first seen in the apartment of a welfare family I had written about in the 1970s, rather plastic provided by our dry cleaner.

A

long came the internet.

My friend Judy Green, who lived at 555 Park Avenue, cleverly chose verde555 as her moniker. I wanted to be catfred. Unavailable, my internet service informed me. I tried catfred1 (also taken) and catfred2 (ditto) but I procured catfred3, a number befitting our third cat. I was slightly surprised by the popularity of Fred as a cat name, until catfred, who had mistakenly been sent a New Yorker contract intended for me, kindly tracked me down through an editor at the magazine and forwarded the contract. The ur-catfred proved to be a bestselling author named Catherine Fredman. The assorted catfreds and I could communicate with the New York Times but not, it turned out, with the Washington Post: Cats did not clear its spam filter.

In 2000, a friend who was one of my favorite authors and artists, Edward Gorey, died. For almost 40 years, I had been buying his slender books, concentrating on acquiring those published by the Gotham Book Mart and other small firms like Albondocani in signed editions of 26, lettered A through Z, and in larger signed and numbered editions. After Gorey’s death, I looked through a Gorey bibliography (#85 of 200, signed by EG and by the bibliography’s author and two co-contributors), which I had bought in 1997 and ignored. I discovered I was missing numerous Goreys.

By then, I was enjoying life in cyberspace and bought some of the missing slender volumes on eBay, some on www.abe.com, and others at the Gotham Book Mart. Fred was soon corresponding by email with any number of other cats, including Pynchon, the Gotham’s last cat. Pynchon became the subject of a “Talk of the Town” story I wrote in 2002. My wardrobe came to include half a dozen Gorey-designed T-shirts, on which black and white cats capered.

In July 2005, my daughter Catherine and her fiancé, Will Bruno, came to tell us of their engagement. Neil took a photograph of the bride-to-be and our prospective son-in-law; in an exceptionally fine photo, Fred reposes regally in Will’s arms. In Fred’s first 10 years with us, his appearance was remarkably unchanged.

His weight had gradually gone up to 14 pounds, but he ate reasonable amounts of wet and dry food and begged at the table in moderation. He was still trim and fit.

We had put a bed in the basement for him some years earlier during a bitter-cold spell winter 2012

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when we didn’t dare let him out, and by the time he had graced our lives for a while, he chose to sleep below stairs every night. If I was working late and he wanted his fourth wet-food meal of the day—his postmidnight supper—he let me know it was basement time by cat-stretching and stepping off the red plaid Orvis bed for small dogs that was below my computer. He didn’t meow to be let out and fed his breakfast until he heard me get out of bed.

B

y 2008, Fred was 15 and had started to show his age.

He had lost weight. Blood tests revealed he had hyperthyroidism. The vet prescribed methimazole. He lost more weight; the dosage was doubled. He could no longer spring up to join the garudas. Unlike the distaff member of his housekeeping staff, who railed against the tendinitis that prevented her from treadmilling and swallowed Synthroid for hypothyroidism, Fred didn’t complain.

He settled into a more sedentary routine, adventuring outdoors for briefer intervals.

We no longer walked to the mailbox; the post office had removed it.

The following year, Fred’s right eye didn’t look quite right; he was seen by a feline ophthalmologist in a distant suburb, who prescribed two types of eye drops, an ophthalmic ointment, and an antibiotic.

The left eye would require the same medications. Both eyes healed well; the prognosis for sight and comfort was “excellent.”

In 2010, he began to display more difficulty getting up and down; he was stiffer, his paws were weaker. We made frequent trips to the vet. Early in the year, tests revealed kidney insufficiency. The prognosis was dire. Some months later, further tests showed severely thickened intestines, suggesting cancer. In November 2010, Fred and I appeared in Architectural Digest for the last time. The editor-in-chief had retired, and

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the new editor-in-chief let all the contributing writers and photographers go. I was enchanted that for 15 years the magazine had run the same photograph. In real life, Fred had narrowed (he was down to 9½ pounds) and I had widened, but in print we both looked as if we were in our prime. My life off-camera reflected my age. As writing assignments dwindled, root canals and crowns proliferated. When my mouth hurt and I took a siesta, Fred—normally not a bed cat—lay down on the bed alongside me, comforting me with his presence.

I

n early 2011, Fred was down to 9 pounds. His fur was matted: From a distance he appeared dark gray. His flanks were gaunt, his bones protruded.

Only his face and tail were as beautiful and black as ever, his white whiskers ample, his tail held pencil straight. I bought all his favorite flavors of cat food, but he ate less. On Friday, March 4, he weighed 8½ pounds. His back feet were splayed. Neil carried him down to the basement and I set out an array of cat food and baby food, which I thought might tempt him. When we went downstairs in the morning, he had eaten almost nothing.

I had hoped to spend a final tranquil weekend at home with Fred, but it didn’t seem fair to him. I had once said to a friend that on Judgment Day I wanted to be judged by the life I had given Fred.

Even in a long, good marriage words are spoken that one wishes had not been spoken. As a mother, I regretted some things I had done and others I had failed to do.

One’s love for cats is purer and simpler.

I no longer believe in Judgment Day, but I felt it crucial to honor Fred’s life with an easy death. Neil drove to the vet, and I sat next to him. I held Fred’s red plaid bed, on which he lay still, and carried him inside, my arms encircling the bed and Fred. We were shown right into a private

room. Neil put his arms around me. Tears streamed down my face, but Fred looked at us both trustingly with those improbably yellow eyes and didn’t flinch when the vet inserted a catheter and then gave him sedation shots and a final shot to stop his heart. Within a minute, he was gone.

I cried for weeks. I missed Fred so much more than I had missed most of the human acquaintances who had died during the recent past, acquaintances I’d rarely seen. I had spent so much time with Fred. He was the first person I spoke to in the morning when Neil slept later. (Oh yes, I indulged in a lot of anthropomorphic thinking.) I think of him each time it thunders—claps of thunder frightened Fred and if it stormed suddenly and I’d lost track of his whereabouts, he scolded me loudly when I let him in and papertoweled him dry. Each time I open a can of tuna fish, I can’t help hoping he will come running to cadge his share.

Neil removed and discarded the livingroom plastic on March 5, 2011, but I am happy whenever I find a black or dark gray tuft of fur there or anywhere in the house. I cry less, but I don’t miss Fred less.

I think how I would give almost anything if I could spend one more day with Fred, not as he was during his final months, but during any of his first 15 years with us.

(Oh yes, I have done more than my share of magical thinking.)

Nothing keeps death from being hard, but, as night falls, I celebrate the cat with whom I was fortunate enough to share the evening of my life.

WCAA

YOUR ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF THE WELLESLEY COLLEGE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

KATHRYN CHRISTMAN ’14

A Means for Connecting WELLESLEY WOMEN have long been able to connect over shared geography or alumnae class, but the Wellesley College Alumnae Association now offers a way to connect over “another level of shared experience,” explains Susan Lohin, director of alumnae groups. Alumnae with a common interest, profession, or background can join a shared-interest or affinity group, such as Wellesley Alumnae in the Peace Corps or the Wellesley Latina Network. These groups connect alumnae over the web and in person to network, discuss issues, and offer mentoring and support.

Sarah Curi ’90, founder of the Wellesley Lawyers Network (WLN), which began informally in 2011, explains, “Networking is about connecting, sharing, and creating lasting relationships—something we hope to continue to promote through the WLN.” The group now boasts a membership of over 400 attorneys, law students, and others interested in law from across the US and internationally.

In 2010, WLN became one of the first official WCAA shared-interest groups.

When Connie Baum Newman ’74 heard about the formation of sharedinterest groups, she immediately contacted the Alumnae Association and proposed the Wellesley Women in Medicine (WWiM) group. Within a month of sending out the group’s first

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KATHRYN CHRISTMAN ’14

official email invitation, 200 members of the Wellesley medical and health-care communities joined WWiM, including alumnae physicians, nurses, dentists, and veterinarians.

In the fall of 2011, both shared-interest groups extended their impact by hosting enormously popular events on campus.

WLN and WWiM paired with student organizations (the Pre-Law Society and the Hippocratic Society, respectively), and College departments (such as the Center for Work and Service and the Medical Professions Advising Office) to facilitate, in the words of one student attendee, “Wellesley sisterhood at its best.”

The WLN event filled Tischman Commons at the campus center with more than 100 attendees in celebration of the retirement of Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice Judith Arnold Cowin ’63. The judge reflected

on her career and took questions, followed by an opportunity for alumnae-student networking. The frankness of alumnae speakers deeply impressed Kelly Mercer ’13 of the PreLaw Society. “It helped solidify the fact that Wellesley alumnae are interested in current Wellesley students,” she said.

WWiM’s event, “Our Journeys to and Through Medicine,” similarly attracted over 100 students and alumnae. Rebecca

Muwanse ’12, co-president of the Hippocratic Society, found the level of integrity shown by a panel of alumnae speakers inspiring. “It was a reminder,” she said, “that the journey does not end with medical school but continues for the rest of our lives.”

For information on affinity and sharedinterest groups, visit web.Wellesley.edu/web/ Alumnae/Groups/AffinityGroups.

—Anna K. Johns ’09

CLUB NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

(Above) The Wellesley UK Club sponsored a Thanksgiving feast last fall. Club members report “a great, happy gathering” that included many juniors studying in England and at least a 45-year span of alumnae.

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(Opposite, top) The Wellesley Club of Northern California held a “Welcome to California” reception for Alecia DeCoudreaux ’76 (center), who was recently inaugurated as the 13th president of Mills College in Oakland, Calif. Pictured are some of the WCNC, Wellesley Club of Silicon Valley, and Bay Area Wellesley Alums of African Descent board members in attendance, as well as some of the planning committee for the event.

(Opposite, bottom) The co-presidents of the Tokyo Wellesley Club, Rachel Wang ’88 and Miri Arai ’97, posed with President H. Kim Bottomly during her trip to Japan in November. The club hosted a luncheon in Bottomly’s honor.

YOUR ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

ALUMNAE CALENDAR

UH-LUHM-NEE I say to-mah-to. But how should we say “alumnae”? It’s a question that has long vexed Wellesley students—and, let’s be honest, a healthy share of our alumnae. To put an end to the confusion, Wellesley asked Mary Rosenthal Lefkowitz ’57 (right), the emerita Mellon Professor in the humanities and a classics doyenne, to set the record straight. If we were speaking in Latin, she says, it would be pronounced uh-luhm-nigh. But we don’t speak Latin, so we use the anglicized pronunciation of the Latin, which makes it uh-luhm-nee. “It’s not For a video of how rational, but it’s English,” widespread the confusion she says. “And since when is, search for “alumnae” does English pronunciaon the wellesleymag channel on youtube.com. tion make sense?”

THE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

YOU SAY TO-MAY-TO,

announces the following events for 2012. Unless otherwise noted, events take place at the College.

For more information, call the

This magazine is published quarterly by the Wellesley College Alumnae Association, an autonomous corporate body, independent of the College. The Association is dedicated to connecting alumnae to the College and to each other.

Alumnae Office at 781-283-2331.

WCAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

RICHARD HOWARD

2012

President Karen Gentleman ’77

FEBRUARY

16

Alumnae Achievement Awards

16–17 WCAA board of directors meeting MARCH

14–17 Class of ’60 “Escape the Cold” mini-reunion in Sarasota, Fla. For more information, contact Pat Wagner Thompson ’60, patmums@aol.com, (973) 543-4952.

APRIL

7

Class of ’10 New York City mini-

reunion, 3 P.M., Bosie Tea Room, 10 Morton St. For more information, contact Kaitlin Lebbad ’10, Kaitlin.lebbad@gmail.com.

8

Class of ’10 Boston mini-reunion,

noon, Masa, 439 Tremont St. For more information, contact Kaitlin Lebbad ’10, Kaitlin.lebbad@gmail.com.

MAY

4

Stepsinging hosted by the

WCAA 10

Class of ’10 Washington, D.C.,

mini-reunion, 6–8 P.M., Utopia Bar & Grill, 1418 U Street NW. For more information, contact Kaitlin Lebbad ’10, Kaitlin.lebbad@gmail.com.

23

Senior lunch and induction into

the Alumnae Association 31–June 1 WCAA board of directors meeting

Treasurer/Secretary Debra Drew DeVaughn ’74 Martha Goldberg Aronson ’89 Katherine Collins ’90 Aniella Gonzalez ’93 Karen Capriles Hodges ’62 Georgia Murphy Johnson ’75 Suzanne Lebold ’85 Willajeanne McLean ’77 Inyeai Ororokuma ’79 Yong Qiu ’08 Patience Singleton Roach ’92, chair of Alumnae Admissions Representatives Shelley Sweet ’67 Mei-Mei Tuan ’88 Karen Williamson ’69, president elect Sandra Yeager ’86, chair of annual giving Ex officiis: Susan Challenger ’76 Alice M. Hummer Alumnae Trustees: Linda Cozby Wertheimer ’65 Nami Park ’85 Ruth Chang ’81 Sandra Polk Guthman ’65 Shelly Anand ’08 ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION SENIOR STAFF:

Executive Director Susan Challenger ’76 Director of Alumnae Events Heather MacLean Director of Alumnae Groups Susan Lohin Alumnae Office Financial Administrator Greg Jong

JUNE

1–3 Reunion for classes ending in 2s and 7s To learn more about the activities of the WCAA, visit web.wellesley.edu/web/Alumnae.

To read Wellesley magazine online, visit www. wellesley.edu/magazine.

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PARTICIPATION DRIVE 2012

EVERY CAN MAKE A

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www.wellesley.edu/CountMeIn

NT U O C IN! ME

YO N E

DIFFERENCE Giving annually. It’s a big part of what keeps Wellesley going.

When you give to Wellesley, you’re supporting the women who will make a difference in the world and shape our future.

Your annual contribution also helps ensure Wellesley’s ongoing reputation as one of America’s most highly rated colleges.

Thank you for doing your part to make sure that Wellesley stays Wellesley. winter 2012

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END NOTE

Different Doorways

O

By Samantha Cole ’94

N MY FIRST DAY OF CLASSES AT WELLESLEY, I went to an introductory Chinese class taught

by Ma Laoshi, or Professor Ma. In accented but perfectly colloquial English, she told us a brief history of her life—how she left China as a child to go on vacation with her family to Taiwan, how the ruling Kuomintang got thrown out of power while they were gone, how the family couldn’t get back home. So with only the things they had taken on holiday, they stayed and started a new life.

I don’t recall how exactly Ma Laoshi came to live and teach in the US, but I do remember her saying that she learned English by watching American soap operas—which made me wonder what else she might have learned from Guiding Light. No teacher had ever been so frank with me about who she was or where she came from. I felt welcomed to adulthood.

I was mightily impressed. Most people would tell that story as a calamity, a refugee tale; Ma Laoshi offered it simply as something that had happened, a doorway to a new, unexpected life. We were mostly first-year students in class that day, and she told us that, as we embarked on our college careers, we could not imagine what life had in store for us, even those of us who thought we had it all planned out. (I was not one of those.)

I also remember her saying something that I dismissed outright: that learning Chinese would change not just the way we thought about language but would change the way we thought. Period. And I can still practically hear the 18-year-old hubris ringing in my head as I thought, “Yeah, right. Nothing is going to change the way I think. The way I think has worked just fine so far.” But of course, Ma Laoshi was right. It is impossible to learn a language so different from English and not have it change the way you see the world. Flexibility with expression begets flexibility with thought, and learning Chinese felt like finding a door I hadn’t known existed—and suddenly opening it.

F.CO

Samantha Cole ’94 lives in Rhode Island with her partner and daughter.

I already had some experience with doors that opened onto new vistas. In fourth grade, I built a model portcullis, the archetypal castle gate people recognize as the entrance to a medieval fortress. The model was a block of wood painted to look like granite with an archway I carefully cut using my father’s coping saw. The “wrought iron” gate was made of bamboo skewers glued in a grid and spray-painted black. The gate raised and lowered with a pulley stolen from an erector set and a necklace chain “borrowed” from my mother’s jewelry box.

The model was originally submitted as a social-studies assignment but ultimately was accepted for the science fair. My research for that project taught me how a pulley worked and how to calculate the force necessary to overcome the inertia to raise a 5-ton gate. I learned that if the gate was closed, nothing was coming in (or going out), but if the aperture was open, you could drive an army through it. That project widened my understanding in ways my 10-year-old self could never have anticipated.

I saw that a portcullis was more than a gate above an alligator pit; it was a feat of engineering.

I’m a carpenter now. Long after my Chinese classes at Wellesley and the two years I spent teaching English in southern Taiwan after graduation—helping kids learn not just to speak differently, but to think differently—I came up against the perennial budget crisis in my career as an arts administrator and realized that I had become bored with office life. So I decided to go to work for the contractor who had just built a bathroom in my 1929 bungalow.

I wanted to learn to do something new, to take what skills I had and build on them literally and figuratively. I took some of the flexibility I learned from Ma Laoshi and some of the “outside the box” thinking that built the portcullis and applied them to a craft that I could see. What I found was that if you want to build a doorway, you need to know where the wall is. You need to know how to frame the space to accept the door; you need tools and foresight; you need to understand that the space that appears before you is not the only way it has to be. If a space speaks to you, you have the power to make it say something else. Fourth grade taught me that, Wellesley taught me that, carpentry taught me that. Life is teaching me that.

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ARTS

CREATIVE CURRENCY Eye of the Storm represents the result of a semester-long collaboration among seven students enrolled in Arts 317 last fall. With a nod to the Occupy movements and various global financial “storms,” each student designed her own currency and hand-printed the bills on a Vandercook press. “If only money was really raining from the heavens,” they wrote in the installation’s program.

Photo by Richard Howard

KEEP IN TOUCH | KEEP INFORMED

RICHARD HOWARD

WWW.WELLESLEY.EDU/ALUM