Elizabethan Conversation & Friends Offers Two Baroque Concerts

Susan Sandman and ensemble present a musical tour of Europe

A program of late baroque music will be presented on two separate occasions in October. Dr. William Cowdery of Ithaca and Dr. Susan Sandman of Aurora, with Derwood Crocker, also of Aurora, will offer an evening of early music delights on Friday, October 3 at 8:00 pm at the First Congregational Church in Ithaca, and again on Sunday, October 5 at 7:00 pm in the Lakeside Room of the Aurora Inn. 

The concerts, entitled European Holiday, will take the audience on a musical tour of Europe through France, Germany, England and Spain. The recitals feature late baroque music performed by Sandman on recorders and bass viola da gamba, William Cowdery on the harpsichord, and Derwood Crocker on lute.

The music is chosen to illustrate the variety of national styles in Europe, and to be a good introduction to the varied sounds of the music one might have encountered while visiting European homes of the 17th and 18th centuries. Presented will be pieces by composers Charles Dieupart, J.S. Bach, Diego Ortiz, and William Babell. 

Elizabethan Conversation & Friends is delighted to play at two new venues this fall. The First Congregational Church of Ithaca is located at 309 Highland Road in Ithaca (607/257-6033). A $5.00 donation is requested. The newly renovated Aurora Inn is found on Main Street (Route 90) in the village of Aurora (315/364-8888). The Inn will be open for dinner before the concert, and for dessert, coffee, and cocktails following. Admission is $7.00 for adults; seniors and children are free.

Harpsichordist William Cowdery serves as musical director and organist of the First Congregational Church of Ithaca, and as an adjunct instructor at Cornell University. A frequent soloist, accompanist, and lecturer at Bach festivals in the Northeast, he has been a three-year fellow of the Bach Aria Festival at Stony Brook. Cowdery holds a Ph.D. from Cornell, and was a Fulbright Fellow in England. He has authored numerous articles in the New Harvard Dictionary of Music and the Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (1996). Recently he co-edited The Compleat Mozart with Neal Zaslaw (Norton). 

Derwood Crocker’s interest in design, sculpture, and music led him to making musical instruments. He has been a full-time craftsman and musician for almost 40 years. The Crocker Workshop has produced hundreds of instruments, some now found in private and public collections, most notably in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and in numerous college and university collections. He also practices art restoration. As Elizabethan Conversation, Crocker and Sandman have performed together at many venues around New York State, including Hamilton, Elmira, Heidelberg, and Wells Colleges; SUNY at Binghamton, New Paltz, Potsdam, and Buffalo; Cornell, Colgate, and St. Lawrence Universities; Tompkins County and Liverpool public libraries; the Everson Museum in Syracuse, the Johnson Art Museum at Cornell, and the Plattsburgh Autumn Festival.

Early music performer and musicologist Susan Sandman earned her B.A. in music from Vassar College and a Ph.D. in musicology from Stanford University. Now a professor emerita from Wells College, Susan devotes her time to music performance, particularly with the viol consort of the Syracuse-based Schola Cantorum and with Aurora’s Elizabethan Conversation, as well as solo recitals. She also serves as the researcher and organizer for all programs offered by Elizabethan Conversation & Friends. 

This is the first recorder recital presented by Sandman since retiring from Wells two years ago. She and Cowdery have worked together in several recitals; this will be their first with music for gamba, harpsichord, and recorder. For these two concerts, Sandman will play a Bach gamba sonata in G major on a gamba that was handmade by Crocker in his workshop.

For more information about the European Holiday concerts and Elizabethan Conversation, please contact Susan Sandman at 315/364-8406.

September, 2003

Popular Poet Returns for Public Reading at Wells College

Welsh writer Leslie Norris to offer poetry-writing workshop

The Wells College Visiting Writer Series is most pleased to welcome back to campus Welsh poet and short story writer Leslie Norris. Norris will give a public reading of his poetry and fiction at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, October 8 in the Art Exhibit Room, Macmillan Hall. All are invited to hear this inspiring author. The free reading will be followed by a reception with an opportunity to meet the speaker; refreshments will be served.

From October 7 - 10, author Leslie Norris will be at Wells College as the 2003-4 Virginia Kent Cummins Writer-in-Residence. During his campus visit, Mr. Norris will give a reading, participate in classes, and conduct a poetry-writing workshop. Mr. Norris is one of the most popular authors invited to Wells. His readings are increasingly well-attended. 

Mr. Norris, a celebrated reader of his own work, ranks among the most distinguished contemporary writers. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Welsh Academy, and recipient of numerous awards for poetry and fiction, he recently retired from Brigham Young University, where he served as professor of creative writing since 1983. He is the author of more than 20 books of poetry and fiction; his Collected Stories and Collected Poems appeared in 1996.

“Leslie is among the visiting writers we most like to have back. He is a great favorite here - not just a wonderful writer, but a wonderful reader as well,” says professor of English Bruce Bennett. “It is a treat to introduce him and his work to new people, and it is an added bonus that the Wells Press has published a few of his books.”

The Wells College Press published a volume of his poems, Holy Places, in 1998, and has reprinted Norris’s Ark (1988), a delightful collection of poems for children which he originally read over the BBC. During an earlier visit to Wells, he read aloud for the first time his children’s book, Albert and the Angels, before the volume was printed. Following this reading, the book was published by Farrar Straus in 2000. 

In honor of his much-anticipated visit, the Wells College Press will publish a new poem by Mr. Norris as a broadside. The broadside will be available for purchase at his reading.

The Visiting Writer Series is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, the Virginia Kent Cummins Writers-in-Residence Fund, and the Mildred Walker Fiction-Writer-in-Residence Fund. Several writers will be on campus during the academic year. 

For more information about Leslie Norris and the Visiting Writers Series at Wells College, please contact English professor Bruce Bennett at 315/364-3228.

September, 2003

Note: this event has had to be postponed until spring; please check back for information on rescheduling.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Visits Wells College

On Thursday, August 28, 2003 the Wells College campus buzzed with excitement in anticipation of a visit from one of the country’s most recognized women leaders, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) visited Wells College as part of her annual tour through Central New York and to the New York State Fair. Clinton’s visit coincided with the first day of classes for Wells students.

Senator Clinton was greeted by about 200 Wells students, staff, faculty, Aurora community members and friends of the college. Collegiate president Tazeem Pasha '04 made remarks on behalf of the student body stating, “Senator Clinton personifies an ideal for me and gives a rookie leader like myself inspiration.” Tazeem had the pleasure of first meeting Senator Clinton when as First Lady she visited Tazeem’s school in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson recognized Senator Clinton for her ongoing support of women’s issues and referred to her as a sister in the women’s college movement.

In her remarks, Senator Clinton encouraged Wells students to become involved in their communities and to use their years at Wells wisely: “…so there is much to be learned during these four idyllic years you have to enjoy at Wells College that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your lives.” The Senator’s remarks were well received by the Wells Community. She ended her visit by signing books, shaking hands and greeting those who attended the event. 

September, 2003

George Gee's Big Band Swings onto the Wells College Campus

The Wells College Arts and Lecture Series proudly presents George Gee’s Jump, Jive, and Wailers, straight from New York City. This 10-piece big band will swing into Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall, on Saturday, October 4, 2003 at 7:00 pm. All are warmly invited to enjoy this high-energy performance; expect dancing in the aisles! Prices are $3 for students and children, $6 for senior citizens and the Wells College community, and $10 for the general public. Tickets are available from the college bookstore or the box office the week preceding the show, and at the door the night of the performance. Please call 315/364-3456 or 364-3428 to reserve seats.

Bandleader George Gee fires up the crowds with his campy antics as his Jump, Jive & Wailers big band bring rollickin’ roadhouse boogie to Aurora. This electrifying 10-piece unit allows George’s world-class cats plenty of room to let loose and really blow, resulting in stunning, high-energy rockin’ grooves. Tenor sax highlights the jump swing vocal traditions of Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway and Jimmy Rushing, while lead trumpet delivers solid renditions of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, and Louis Armstrong favorites. Straight from the Big Apple, this concert is sure to be a swingin’ good time!

In anticipation of George Gee, free swing dance lessons will be offered at Wells on Tuesday night, September 30. Beginners and experts are invited to come to the Sommer Center at 8:30 pm. Well-known Ithaca swing dancers Iska Zivier and Kurt Lichtman will give instruction and offer tips. All are welcome; appropriate footwear is required.

For more information about George Gee, the Jump, Jive, and Wailers and their Aurora performance, please contact assistant dean for campus involvement Meagen Mulherin at 315/364-3428 or visit the college’s website at www.wells.edu. Additional information about the swing band may also be found on the group’s website - www.georgegee.com. 

To arrange for an interview or photo session with bandleader George Gee, contact director of communications Gwen Webber-McLeod at 315/364-3260 or via email at gmcleod@wells.edu

September, 2003

Solo Performance at Wells College Takes a Look at Gender Boundaries 

Wells College is pleased to announce that Ex Post Papa: Life as a Freelance Dyke Dad is returning to campus on Thursday, October 2, 2003.  The performance by transgendered Boston-based artist S. Bear Bergman is free and will begin at 7:30 pm in Cleveland Auditorium on the Aurora campus. The public is warmly invited to attend. A reception and talk back with the artist will follow the show; light refreshments will be served.

An "Ex Post Papa" is the father that you find for yourself when it becomes clear that the gap where your real dad left off and where you want to be is too wide to jump. Solo artist Bear presents this funny, challenging, and heartwarming performance about LGBTQ-mentoring and the ways in which queers create families in order to make safe space for themselves in the world. Dealing with romantic relationships, gender identity, sexual orientation, coming out to blood relatives, taking care of the great gay tribe, and trying to use a public restroom, Ex Post Papa is redolent with an honesty about friendship and love that touches people of all genders, sexual orientations, and stages of the coming out process.

The show has played at Emerson College in Boston, New York University, and at the National Gay/Lesbian Theatre Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Ex Post Papa is sponsored by the Wells College Dean of Students and the Offices of Campus Involvement and Intercultural Programs.

For more information about Bear and the performance, please contact professor of psychology Victoria Muñoz at 315/364-3248 or via email at vmunoz@wells.edu .  More information about the play may also be found at www.expostpapa.com

September, 2003

Wells College Hosts Fourth Annual Peachtown Native American Festival and Education Day 

The fourth annual Peachtown Native American Festival and Education Day is scheduled for Saturday, September 27. The festival will be held from 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. on the beautiful Wells College campus in Aurora. The event is free and the public is invited to join in the fun. Wells is pleased to offer this important, exciting festival as an opportunity to build community, and to honor the past and present contributions of Native American culture and the history of Aurora, or Deawendote: “village of constant dawn.”

This year, the festival will be held in two parts. From 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, participants will gather on the front lawn of Main Building for the main part of the festival featuring dancing, demonstrations, crafts, food, music, and more. From 4:00 - 6:30 pm, everyone is invited to move to the Sommer Center lawn for a buffet-style dinner featuring Native cuisine. Sodexho Campus Food Services will prepare the meal, and a nominal fee will be charged. Providing dinner and dance music will be Corn Bred, central New York's only all-Native American rhythm and blues band. Direct from the Onondaga Nation, Fire Keepers of the Iroquois Confederacy, Corn Bread plays a lively mix of rock-a-billy, R & B, and original tunes.

Sherri Waterman-Hopper will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies this year.  She represents the Onondaga Nation of the Beaver Clan. Norman Hill will provide the opening and closing remarks for the festival in his own native language. Wells College president Lisa Marsh Ryerson, Aurora mayor Tom Gunderson, and Wells student body president Tazeem Pasha ’04 will also be speaking at the festival.

Festival highlights include the Haudenosaunee Singers and Dancers, a social, non-ceremonial dance group consisting primarily of members of the Onondaga Nation. Another musical group, the Thunder Lizard Singers, represent members of the Laguna Pueblo/Navajo, Cherokee/Kickapoo/Lakota, Mohawk, and Cree Nations. The Thunder Lizard Singers bring songs from the Plains, pueblos, and the Diné as well as Southeastern-style Stomp Dance songs.  In addition to traditional powwow singing, the group will also perform original songs accompanied by rattles, hand drums, chants and Native American flute as influenced by their various tribal backgrounds.

Dan Hill, another featured artist, is perhaps best known for his recordings of Native American flute music.  Hill is an accomplished musician and live performer whose credits include film and television appearances.  He has become a much sought-after lecturer, storyteller and teacher, and has traveled extensively across North America and beyond. Dan Hill makes flutes and is a talented silversmith who specializes in traditional Iroquois and exquisite original designs.

The paintings of artist Eli Thomas will be on display throughout the day. His work depicts the stories and symbols of his native heritage, blending with and connecting to the natural world. Thomas’ paintings invoke feelings of appreciation, thanks, peace, and respect for all living things. “To experience his paintings is to discover the oral traditions and cultural  symbols of the Onondaga Nation.”

Other festival participants include Lillian Kane, who will share indigenous stories while conducting a Seneca corn husk doll-making workshop; and Mike Tarbell, a Mohawk, who will perform bow and atlatl demonstrations. Educational displays and exhibits including the archaeology of the Cayuga homeland will be available for the public to view.  Special Native foods will be offered, as well as social dances and craft booths.

For more information about the festival, S.H.A.R.E., and Wells College, please contact Wells’ assistant dean for intercultural programs Carolyn Morales at 315/364-3312 or by email at cmorales@wells.edu.

September, 2003

Returning Alumna Gives Reading/Performance

Nicole Brending ’02 performs as part of the Visiting Writers series

Aurora, New York – The Wells College English Department welcomes back one of its own when Nicole Brending ’02 returns to campus for a reading and performance. Brending will speak on “A Regular Night at the Strip Club: Writing Story for the Stage.” She will perform three of her play’s monologues to support her talk about how one goes about writing a piece intended for the stage. The performance will be held on Tuesday, September 16 at 8:00 pm in the Art Exhibit Room, Macmillan Hall. The event is free and the public is invited to attend and meet the artist. 

Writer and entertainer Nicole Brending graduated from Wells College in 2002 with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. After leaving Aurora, she returned to Minnesota, where she wrote “A Regular Night at the Strip Club. ” The solo performance was shown at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage in August as part of the annual Minnesota Fringe Festival. The Fringe Festival features theatre, performance arts, puppetry, spoken word, dance, and visual arts in more than 160 performances each summer. 

“A Regular Night at the Strip Club” centers on a talkative stripper who, while imbibing in cocktails and becoming progressively intoxicated, tries valiantly to uphold the fantasy and illusion of the club. As the alcohol takes effect, though, she can’t help but give a dark glimpse into the psychological pitfalls of the sex industry. Brending stars as Vivian, the exotic dancer with a story to tell, and she does it in a funny, yet ultimately disturbing way which leaves the viewer unsettled. 

For more information about the performance and the Visiting Writer Series at Wells, please contact English professor Bruce Bennett at 315/364-3228 or visit the college’s web site at www.wells.edu. The Visiting Writer Series is sponsored in part by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.

September, 2003

Wells College Welcomes Multicultural Educator 

Sonia Nieto gives annual Beckman lecture on education

The Vice President for Academic Affairs at Wells College is pleased to announce the annual Beckman Lecturer for 2003. Dr. Sonia Nieto, professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, will speak on “Keeping Good Teachers for the Public Good,” which addresses Nieto’s work with Boston teachers. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, September 23 at 7:30 pm in the Wells College chapel, Main Building. The talk is free and the greater community is welcome to come hear this educator speak.

For over 36 years, Dr. Nieto has taught students at all levels, from elementary grades through graduate school. Her research focuses on multicultural education and on the education of Latinos, immigrants, and students of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. She received her B.S. in Education from St. John's University, M.A. in Spanish Literature from New York University, and her Ed.D. from UMass-Amherst.

She serves on several national advisory boards that focus on educational equity and social justice, including Facing History and Ourselves (FHAO) and Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR). She has received many awards for her scholarship, advocacy, and activism, including the 1989 Human and Civil Rights Award from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the 1996 Teacher of the Year Award from the Hispanic Educators of Massachusetts, and the 1997 Multicultural Educator of the Year Award from NAME, the National Association for Multicultural Education. She was an Annenberg Institute Senior Fellow (1998-2000) and she received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in May 1999. In 2000, she was awarded a month-long residency at the Bellagio Center in Italy. More recently, she was named to the Críticas Journal Hall of Fame as the 2003 Spanish-Language Community Advocate of the Year. She is married to Angel Nieto, a former teacher and author of children’s books, and they have two daughters and eight grandchildren.

Dr. Nieto’s books include Affirming Diversity:  The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (4th ed., 2004), The Light in Their Eyes:  Creating Multicultural Learning Communities (1999), Puerto Rican Students in U.S. Schools, an edited volume (2000), and What Keeps Teachers Going? (2003). She has also published dozens of book chapters and articles in such journals as Educational Leadership, The Harvard Educational Review, Multicultural Education, and Theory into Practice. 

The Beckman Visiting Lectureship was established at Wells College in 1953 by the Bernard C. Beckman family of Naperville, Illinois, who believe in the lifelong inspiration of creative teaching.  The Beckman lecturers are selected annually by the Dean of Wells College and are distinguished for their creative work, original thought, and the ability to communicate and teach with enthusiasm.

September, 2003

Earlier Articles in Wells College News:
 

September, 2003
Summer, 2003
May, 2003	Sept.,2000.-May.,2001	May,1998	May - June,1997
April, 2003	Sept. 1999-Aug.,2000	April,1998	March - April,1997
March, 2003	August,1999	March,1998	February,1997
Jan.-Feb., 2003	May,1999	February,1998	Nov. - Dec.,1996
December, 2002	April,1999	January,1998	October,1996
November, 2002	Feb. - March, 1999	December,1997	September,1996
October, 2002	January,1999	November,1997	June - Aug.,1996
September, 2002	Fall,1998	October,1997	May,1996
August, 2002	August,1998	September,1997	April,1996
Sept.,2001.-May.,2002	June -July, 1998	July - August, 1997	Feb - March, 1996

Last updated 11/03/2003