The College Voice Online

Need a new internet home page? Maybe something to distract you from that 20 page paper that isn't due until Thursday? Well, you're in luck.  The College Voice is now online.  Visit them at http://voice.conncoll.edu to see our top three stories of the week, and keep an eye out for future changes to the site.  This is a great step forward in getting student publishing at Conn more accessible.  Hopefully the site will soon add a "comments" section for student responses to articles.

NESCAC Blog

A group of NESCAC students have started NESCAC Blog, a news site and forum for all things NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference). The idea is based around similar blogs such as Ivy Gate, an established website known for its snarky commentary on the Ivy League.

NESCAC Blog, as a new forum is yet to stir any controversy. I have to imagine once it catches-on there will be empty "our school is the best!" comments among great mud slinging.

The site, however, has great potential which I hope is met. Each of the eleven NESCAC schools undertake very different student life initiatives. Perhaps a forum consisting of conversation between students from myriad liberal arts colleges will proliferate ideas for student life and academic events, among other topics of discourse.

Unlike forums like ConnCollConfessional, one has to register for NESCAC Blog. Its an easy process and may limit slanderous or offensive statements. I hope for the success of this blog if not for engaging information then at least for worthwhile procrastination.

You can view NESCAC Blog at nescacblog.com

Endowment Loses Forty Million Dollars

The latest copy of The Voice reveled that Conn's endowment lost $40 million because of investments effected negatively by the financial recession. More troubling than this realization is the reported concealment by the administration.  

This story was first reported by the New London Day before anyone in the college community received word. There STILL has not been an official statement made by anyone in the administration to the college community. Perhaps this is due, in part, to efforts to avoid harming the college's capital campaign.
Another reason for concealment may be that the impact of a decreased endowment is particularly significant at Conn as a small, private college--especially in relation to similar college's. The number one or, perhaps, only aspect setting Conn behind "peer" institutions in rankings (ie status) is financial resources. Conn's admissions rate is low; professors are well-published; and the campus is beautiful. A $40 million drop to our relatively meager, previously* $225 million endowment is an especially large set-back for an institution trying to catch-up to its "peers".  The endowment of the next lowest NESCAC college (in terms of financial resources) was $50 million larger than Conn's as of before the recession.
I look forward to reading the e-mail from President Higdon most certainly arriving in our in-boxes at some time this week.   Discussion following The Voice's piece has made administrative silence on Conn's financial issues the "elephant in the room" on campus.  Many colleges are facing financial challenges and addressing them swiftly and openly.  It is time for Connecticut College to follow suite. 

Hygienic Art XXX (A ConnCollegiate Recommended Event)

Hygienic Art in downtown New London is hosting its annual XXX exhibit this coming weekend. I know we post a broad spectrum of events in New London on this blog, but this event is highly recommended.  XXX is essentially an open art showing with various forums around downtown New London and centered at Hygienic Art of Bank Street.  The annual Hygienic Art Exhibition is celebrating its 30th year.  The event is modeled after the Salon de Independants held annually in Paris since 1884.

Gallery openings are at Hygienic, Golden Street, Take Out, MUSE Gallery (102 Golden Street, off Bank), and 140 Below (140B State Street), etc.  In addition to studio art, musical performances and film showings are also featured in the day's events: "The Rock Fixxx" is happening at the Carriage House (41 Golden Street), and a "Cabaret" is at the Oasis Pub (16 Bank Street)

Additionally, an Indie Film Festival starts at noon at the Carriage House.

Date: Saturday, January 31

Time: 8:00pm

Place: Hygienic Art at 79 Bank Street, with additional action at Muse Gallery, The Carriage House (Golden Street off Bank), and The Oasis Pub (Bank Street).

Price: Varies per event but generally inexpensive by all standards.

Inauguration Viewing

Tuesday's inauguration festivities begin at 10:00 AM.  Here are some places the event can be viewed both on campus and in New London.

On-campus:

The College Center at Crozier Williams:
1962 Room
Cro´s Nest and the lounge area outside the Cro´s Nest
Oasis Snack Shop

Blaustein Humanities Center:
Hood

Shain Library:
Haines Room (on the second floor)
Blue Camel Café

Palmer:
The Palmer Auditorium

Unity House:
Pepsico Room

Dorms:
Common Rooms

In New London:

Garde Arts Theater

State Street

*I recommend this venue.  It is grand to watch the event on a large movie screen in a historic art-deco movie house.

Bean and Leaf Cafe

Washington Street (off State Street)

Shaw Mansion

A historic mansion turned museum

11 Blinman Street

Ladysmith Black Mambazo At Conn College

Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a male chorus from South Africa best know for their contribution of their unique vocal sound on Paul Simon's "Graceland" album.  The album introduced Ladysmith to a wider audience after having already received critical acclaim in South Africa for over a decade.

The group recently released a live DVD and performs at Conn in early February in Palmer Auditorium.  Perhaps Ladysmith will benefit from the afro-pop resurrection instigated by Vampire Weekend (a group influenced by Paul Simon's "Graceland".)

Date: Thursday, February 5th 

Time: 8 p.m. in the Palmer Auditorium
Location: Palmer Auditorium

Price: $20 to $28.

Sadie Nash Leadership Project

This is a work opportunity for women in their last two years of college.

A representative from the program writes:

[Sadie Nash Leadership Program is] seeking applicants for the Dean position during our 6 week Summer Institute. Deans are women from all over the U.S who are in their last 2 years of college. 

The SNLP Summer Institute is a program serving as an opportunity for young women to take time to look at their own (potential) leadership and the leadership of others while developing a strong community of female peers.  The youth meet women Leaders; attend challenging and inspiring courses/workshops; while strengthening, empowering and equipping themselves to be agents for change in their world!

-Deans work for 9 weeks beginning 6/15/09 – 8/16/09, including 3 weeks of training.
-Deans work in either the SNLP Summer Institute in New York City or Newark, NJ
-Deans will have a chance to teach, lead, and plan different aspects of the program.
-Each Dean will be an individual advisor to a group of 6-8 young women.
-Each Dean receives a $2,400 stipend and assistance with housing.

DEADLINE IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009. (5pm EST)

For full description/application materials, visit: www.sadienash.org or contact Promiti Islam (promiti.snlp@gmail.com), a former Sadie Nash Dean.

Lecture: The Challenge of Change: The Obama Presidency

An interactive panel will discuss the future challenges of the Obama administration. The panel includes Conn College History Professor David Canton, Rev. Wade Hyslop, Jr. (mayor of New London), Trinity College Anthropology Professor Ahmed Kanna, and Attorney and Lobbyist Jay Levin '73. The lecture is part of the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy's "Challenges of Our Times" series.

Date: Friday, January 23
Time: 11:50 AM - 1:30 PM
Location: Blaustein 210

Returning to New London

We are gearing up for next semester, and have some material from break:

Conn College was mentioned in this New York Times article about private colleges fearing a drop in enrollment due to the economic climate. The article explains the false notion that private colleges are always more expensive than public colleges.  The article, instead, states that private colleges often have more aid set aside than public universities that rely on inconsistent state funding.

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Conn College's indie rock ambassadors, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, are booked at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of the Sounds Like Brooklyn Music festival. The "festival", which is really more of a concert series, serves to highlight standout Brooklyn-dwelling musicians. Tickets are currently available on the BAM website.

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Conn has raised a whopping $2,000,000.00 (biting sarcasm) since going public with our capital campaign with the unfortunate timing of having done so in October. It is a credit to Higdon and the Office of Advancement, however, that $112,000,000.00 has been raised in total to date, and in such a short period of time. Our fund raising efforts began years after many other colleges had already taken-on similar $200,000,000.00 campaigns (see Skidmore, Dickinson  and Colby.)  [*Note that shortly after this post the progress mark on fundraising reached $3,000,000.00 more than was listed during the original writing.  This means a total of $5,000,000.00 has now been raised since late October.]

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There is your brief, completely filtered, and entirely limited update.  See you all next week.

See You Next Semester

Dear readers of The ConnCollegiate,

Thank you for a supportive and fruitful first semester.  Posting was gradual but judging from the events submitted by readers and from the participation of helpful organizations I am optimistic about the future of the blog.  I look forward to improving and expanding material and garnering greater involvement from the wider student body.

Good luck with finals and other end of semester projects.

Enjoy your winter breaks,

Pete