eugene lang college the new school for liberal arts / alumni newsletter fall 2010

8/8/2019 Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts / Alumni Newsletter Fall 2010

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EUGENE LANGCOLLEGE NEWS

EUGENE LANG COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS

Eugene Lang

College Celebrates25th Anniversary “Te philosophy of liberal arts is the philosophy of a democratic society in which citizenship,social responsibility, and community are inseparable.” —Eugene M. Lang, Founder

Te 2010–2011 academic year marksthe 25th anniversary of the founding of

Archival image from the 1984–1985 Seminar College New School Bulletin of students and faculty. Current Dean, Stefania de Kenessey, bottom row, 4th from lef t.

Eugene Lang College. As alumni, you areencouraged to celebrate this great milestonetogether with faculty, students, and sta

who are all dedicated to Lang’s success.Before Eugene M. Lang endowed it

in 1985, the college began thriving atthe northern edge of Greenwich Villagein the 1970s, when a small, ambitiousgroup of students left their high schoolsto attend the Freshman Year Programat Te New School. Te experimentalcurriculum o ered bright young mindsa complete rst-year of college-levelcoursework preparing them to continuetheir studies at the country’s most

prominent universities. Several years later,the program evolved into the SeminarCollege, a four-year undergraduate degree

program distinguished by intimate seminaclasses, a self-directed and interdisciplinarcurriculum, and a commitment to socialand political engagement. Eugene M. Langa renowned philanthropist and visionary of liberal arts education, recognizedsomething special in the college andendowed it with the support and missionthat still drives it today.

As alumni, you have al l contributedto the legacy of growth, innovation, andevolution that has characterized the last

Fall 2010

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discussions that take intellectual freedomseriously and value peer dialogue; and, aboall, a perspective that we are all equal andcommunicate with one another through thedepth and excellence of our reasoning.

I hope that you will join me in our year-lcelebration as Eugene Lang College turns 2

All the best,

Stefania de Kenessey

Board of Governors 2010–2011 Arnold H. Aronson, Chair Elizabeth Cooke

Je rey GuralSusan D. McClanahanRodney W. NicholsMarylin L. PrinceMalcolm B. SmithMary Breasted SmythDeborah Aal Sto Lawrence aylorMary Elizabeth aylor

John L. ishman

Eugene M. obinLilian Shiao-Yen Wu

alumni newsSend news about your latestachievements to [email protected] see more news about your fellow alumni on the Class Notes pageat www.newschool.edu/alumni.

1979 Anita Glesta was commissioned to createa public art project in conjunction withthe 2010 Census. The seven-acre piecewas created with the intention of moving beyond the numbers and data collectedby the Census and focusing on the arrayof cultures and histories that makeAmerica diverse. (See pro le on page 5.)

1989 Julia Rodriguez is an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire. Her

recent book, Civilizing Argentina: Science,Medicine, and the Modern State , isavailable through the University of NorthCarolina Press.

1990 Valerie Gross is the author of Magdala ,a ctional re-interpretation of the life of Mary Magdalene. Since authoring the text,Gross has appeared on numerous radioshows and facilitated women’s circles.

1993Susan Miller currently works as apsychotherapist social worker at the

Jewish Guild for the Blind in their BrooklynMental Health Clinic, and provides therapyto blind, visually impaired, and disabledadults. She worked for nearly 10 yearsas a social worker and therapist at theInterfaith Medical Center BehavioralHealth Program Adult Clinic (formerly theBedford Stuyvesant Community MentalHealth Center). She received her MSWfrom New York University in 1995.

Paul Cheney published his rst bookRevolutionary Commerce: Globalization and the French Monarchy . Cheney is currentlyan assistant professor of European Historyat the University of Chicago.

Stefania de Kenessey Photo: Matthew Sussman

Message fromthe Deanstefania de Kenessey

It is especially poignant for me to write toyou as the new dean of Eugene Lang College.Like you, I started at Te New School as astudent and then went on to have a lifelongassociation with the university.

It is true that I enrolled back inprimordial times, when laptops existed only in the minds of sci- a cionados. I beganas a student in the Freshman Year Program,a year-long curriculum aimed at satisfyingthe intellectual curiosities of dissatis ed,precocious teenagers who were eager toleave the safe harbor of high school early

and jump into the untested waters of collegelife. (Yes, I am technically a high-schooldrop-out, but never fear, I subsequently received both a BA from Yale and a PhDfrom Princeton.) Founded by ElizabethColeman, the program o ered a seemingly standard freshman college curriculum withintroductory courses in literature, math,philosophy, history, biology, and foreignlanguages. But despite appearances, the yearrevealed to me the excitement, the passion,and the hard work of a genuinely intellectuallife. Te curriculum was interdisciplinary

but grappled with fundamental questionsand canonical texts; the courses were uniqueand independently designed by each faculty member; discussions within the classroom

were respectful, egalitarian, and committedto the highest standards of discourse. It wasan exhilarating, eye-opening, completely ful lling experience.

My experience was shared with many others who followed, and the Freshman

Year Program eventually grew into the four-year Seminar College, which ultimately became Eugene Lang College in 1985

when it was endowed. Te college is now proudly celebrating the 25th anniversary of this incredible legacy and bold educationalexperiment. I hope the description of my Freshman Year experience resonates with youtoday. Lang continues to o er courses that arepedagogically distinctive, taught by faculty

who are passionate about teaching; classroom

2 | EUGENE LANG COLLEGETHE NEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.newschool.edu/alumni

http://www.newschool.edu/alumni




1999 Jason Quarles is an animator at TheMartin Agency. He was formerly withMGFX, the centralized graphics operatiofor television stations owned by MediaGeneral Inc.

Jennifer M. Tiernan was awarded one of

the rst four Daschle Fellowships fromSouth Dakota State University (SDSU) toconduct research on former Senator TomDaschle’s Congressional papers, housedat SDSU. Tiernan is an assistant professorand online graduate coordinator in SDSU’Department of Journalism and MassCommunication.

2000Erin Grothues is the coordinator of theBexar County Ryan White Program inSan Antonio, Texas.

2002Dante Micheaux released his debut collection of poetry Amorous Shepherd published by Sheep Meadow Press.Micheaux has also worked as aninstructor at The New School and at New York University.

2003Rose Friedman , lives on a small farm inNortheastern Vermont where she raisesrabbits, chickens, and pigs. She is alsoone half of Modern Times Theater, whichperforms puppet shows, plays, and musicRead more at http://moderntimestheater.blogspot.com.

2008 Ashley Jacobson had her off-off Broadwdebut with her play, His Beauty , which ras part of the Planet Connections TheatreFestivity. The play is a dark comedy abouobjecti cation, desire, and betrayalinspired by the writings of feminist Maril

Frye and beat poetry.

... Continued from cover

25 years at Eugene Lang College. Whileyou may have embarked on di erent pathsafter graduation, you remain united by acommon intellectual journey. And whethera recent graduate or veteran alum, you haveexperienced the seminar, worked with faculty

who nurtured your intellectual curiosities,and learned to challenge traditional ideas.

With Eugene Lang College turning 25,there is much to celebrate. o document andpreserve Lang’s rich history, the school iscalling on you to contribute to its archivaltrove. Your academic experiences andmemories chronicle important milestonesin the history and development of thisdistinguished urban liberal arts school.Many of you have gone on to careersas entrepreneurs, educators, novelists,environmental activists, and more. Help

chronicle the experience of being a Langstudent by sharing your stories. Help build anarchive by submitting your ideas, materials,books, art, photos, and writings. A collectionof alumni work will be featured at the rstEugene Lang College All Class Reunion onSaturday, April 30, 2011 . Sharing your personaland professional work enhances the college’sstory and builds on the legacy of founder,Eugene M. Lang, as well as all of the people

who have made this college so remarkable.

suBmit to lanG @ 25 archiveSend visual and literary submissions forexhibition at the Eugene Lang CollegeReunion to Mark Larrimore, chair of theFirst Year Program, at [email protected] to thediscussion and connect with classmatesand faculty by joining uson Facebook at Lang @ 25.

First AlumniAssociationBoard MembersAppointedTe New School Alumni Association ispleased to announce its rst cohort of boardmembers. Drawing from a strong pool of candidates, the university has appointed11 alumni representing all aspects of theuniversity. Te new members began servingtwo-year terms on July 1, 2010. Withadvisement from this new group, a full 40member board will be in place by July 2012.One of the group’s rst tasks is to helprecruit future board members. Tey will

also develop board objectives and goals andhelp shape an alumni program that providesalumni with even more opportunities tonetwork, socialize, and connect with andsupport the university. Te rst group of board members come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and graduationyears. Teir expertise in various elds andtheir common desire to build a strong alumnipresence within the New School community

will be invaluable. o learn more about the new board of directors, visit www.newschool.edu/alumni/about .

t n s a aB dMartha Alexander ’79 (Parsons, BFA,Communication Design)Mark Cajigao ’08 (New School Drama,MFA, Acting)Colin Dean ’06 (New School Jazz, BFA,

Jazz Performance) Angela Gadeliya ’05 (Mannes, PDPL,Performance)Chasson Gracie ’03 (Milano, MS, Urban Policy)Michelle Hartman ’06 (Te New School forSocial Research, PhD, Political Science)

Jahmila Joseph ’06 (Eugene Lang College,BA, Liberal Arts)Dee MacDonald-Miller ’75 (Parsons, BFA,Environmental Design)Michael McKinnon ’05 (Parsons, Cert.,Interior Design)

James Stenerson ’80 (Te New School,MA, Media Studies)Morris Yankell ’86 (Milano, MA,Human Resources)

http://moderntimestheater/

http://www.newschool.edu/

http://www.newschool.edu/

http://moderntimestheater/



2009 James Marks BA Philosophy is enrolled inthe Master of Theological Studies programat Harvard Divinity School.

Olivia Schneider BA Liberal Arts beganworking at a television productioncompany in Manhattan. She is currently

an associate producer and project manager on various commercials andtelevision shows the company produces.

2010Holly Kuczynski BA Interdisciplinary Science was accepted to the Master of Science in Narrative Medicine programat Columbia University.

maKe a Gift

Your participation makes a difference! To make a gift, visit www.newschool.edu/giving.

Lang @ 25: Why I Give

Lang alumni truly value the school’s coremission and traditions. By supporting Lanthrough gifts to the annual fund, they builon that tradition and enhance the scope oflearning opportunities for students. Belowalumni share why they support Lang.

P p s ’06I think Lang o ers some of the bestopportunities for self-motivated and criticaminded young people who look forwardto challenging and ful lling careers aftergraduation. I gure an investment in Langis an investment in society—particularly inNew York City, where so many grads chooto stay and make a di erence. I wish I cougive more.

e w ’07I give to Lang because of what Lang gave me. Having gone to boarding school, I feltthat I had experienced traditional campus land was looking for something unique forcollege. Lang o ered me a handful of thinother schools didn’t: a chance to be a part Greenwich Village, the opportunity to stud

writing seriously, and the ability to take a wide range of courses without the restrictiof a major or too many core requirements o

prerequisites. I am now a graduate studentat the Wagner School of Public Serviceat New York University. My experienceat Lang prepared me to read analytically,be challenged academically, and engagethoughtfully with my peers and professorsI hope that by giving back to Lang I cano er some of the same opportunities tocurrent and future students.

2010 Dean’s AlumniCouncil AwardRecipient: JazminVenus Soto ’10Te Dean’s Alumni Council presented the2010 Dean’s Alumni Council Award to Langgraduate Jazmin Venus Soto ’10 in recognitionof her talent and commitment to progressiveideals and a community-minded spirit. Sotograduated with a bachelor’s degree in Te

Arts with a minor in Gender Studies. At Lang,she served on the Lang Student Union. In2009, she received the outstanding studentleadership award from Te New School. Soto

designed art publications for Lang, representedthe college at a national conference for LGBequality, and volunteered for several years at theLang College Social Justice Conference.

Dean’s AlumniCouncil Welcomes

Adina Newman ’91Te Dean’s Alumni Council (DAC) advancesthe mission of Eugene Lang College, and DACmembers help promote alumni involvementby o ering their time, experience, skills, andresources with an eye towards improving thestudent and graduate experience. Te DACis pleased to welcome Adina Newman ’91 as itsnewest member.

Newman studied political science and

economics at Lang and went on to pursuea JD from Georgetown University. She iscurrently completing a LLM degree programat New York University School of Law.Newman joined Dean de Kenessey this past

April at a reception in Los Angeles to welcomea new generation of students and theirfamilies. Newman said, “It was fascinating tomeet the next generation of Lang freshmanin LA and to see that despite how much haschanged, Lang has stayed true to its focuson self-motivated individuals who seek achallenging, self-designed, and inspired liberal

arts curriculum.”For more about the DAC, contact JordanBlum, development associate, at 212.229.5662x3558 or [email protected].

DAC member Adina Newman ’91


http://www.newschool.edu/giving



http://www.newschool.edu/giving



Did anything strike you about the community here We were a diverse group of students, and Iam still in touch with many of them. Wecame from di erent backgrounds, but we ashared a spirit of questioning, a characteristhat can be found in Eugene Lang Collegestudents today. For more than 25 years,students and alumni have been willing to r

taking an unorthodox path in exchange forexperience of “learning for learning’s sake

How did your undergraduate experiencecontribute to your career as artist and teacher?I was young and had no direction aboutthe kind of art I wanted to make. While Iloved to paint, I was concerned about whit meant to make art and what I could crethat would contribute meaning through thvisual arts. Te four years of critical thinkexperience I gained in undergraduateseminars formed a foundation that becam

the cornerstone of my work. Te experiencendowed me with the tools essential for mgrowth as an artist, e ectively in uencinevery way in which I perceived the worldTis is an unusual trajectory for anartist—one is typically expected to take common path and attend art school. WhilI eventually attended graduate school in aI remain convinced that my formative yeat the Seminar College set me on the pathhave taken as an artist.

When I teach students of art orarchitecture, I draw from this unique

experience. My years in the Seminar Col were a great gift, one that I have seamles woven into the work I produce as an artisthat integrates the visual and the concept

Learn more about Anita Glesta and viher artwork at www.anitaglesta.com .

Alumni Spotlight: Anita Glesta ’79 Anita Glesta ’79 is a graduate of the SeminarCollege (now Eugene Lang College).

An artist and teacher, she creates large,site-speci c works that have been exhibitedaround the world, including Census, anoutdoor landscape project commissionedby the Federal Census Bureau.Lang News recently caught up with Glesta.

What drew you to the college?It was 1973 and I had just completed a yearat the High School of Music and Art inNew York City. I was 15 and was searchingfor something more inspiring than the tiredacademic and art courses that the schoolo ered. I was encouraged to apply to theFreshman Year Program, which gave highschool seniors a chance to jump into a seminar-based, interdisciplinary college curriculum.

It seemed extraordinary to me that studentscould spend a whole semester immersingthemselves in Dickens if they wanted to, or inan anthropology class that explored Colin M.

urnbull’s best-selling, classic ethnographicstudy Te Forest People , or doing in depthanalysis of American anthropologist OscarLewis’ concept of “the culture of poverty.” Sodespite my messiness and limited academic

experience, I applied and became the youngestof 30 students in the program. Many yearslater, Edith Wurtzel, the “student advisor”

who transformed her tiny, undistinguishedo ce into the headquarters and the heart of the 30-student program, informed me thatI had been accepted based on having themost peanut butter and jelly stains they hadever seen on a college application. I wouldlater return in 1977, when the Freshman

Year Program had evolved into the four yearundergraduate school, the Seminar College.

Anita Glesta ’79

Faculty News a a , professor of literarystudies and foreign language, edited Just

Assassins: The Culture of Terrorism inRussia , (Northwestern University Press,September 2010). The book of es says

examines how terrorism has manifesteditself in Russian culture past and present,with essays devoted to Russian literature,

lm, and theater.

n B , professor of literary studies,published Theory After Theory: An IntellectualHistory of Literary Criticism From 1950 tothe Early 21st Century (Broadview Press,

June 2010), an overview of developments inliterary theory after 1950.

s d b, professor of literarystudies, published “Prisoner of Privilege,” areview essay on E.M. Forster in the summer issue of Dissent magazine, and “Breaking Away: India’s Internal Frictions,” a featurearticle on statehood movement in India for The National.

K e , professor of culture andmedia, recently published Fieldnotes, aForensic (Toronto: BookThug, November 2010). The book tells the story of one forensicanthropologist’s eldwork in the rst decadeof the new millennium through combining found materials from anthropological texts,

CSI scripts, and Kathy Reichs’ novels (whosework is the basis of the Fox Network series,Bones). s m , professor of thearts, designed the cover art for the book.

J p h , professor of urban studies,is a writer, photographer, and curator andhas been selected by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission as the inaugural DistinguishedChair at the University of the Arts in Londonfor 2010–2011. He is also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics.

a s , professor of the arts, hasaccepted a visiting lecturer position at Kathmandu University’s School of Fine Art s inNepal and also served as art ist-in-residenceat the Kathmandu Contemporary Ar ts Centre.Swart teaches courses in Himalayan Arts andCulture, which are made possible throughLang’s partnership with the Rubin Museumof Art in New York City.

http://www.anitaglesta.com/





Beyond theClassroom:Cambodia Study

AbroadIn winter of 2010, 17 Lang students and

three sta members joined Professor Timothy Pachirat for a three-week study abroadcourse in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to createa compelling experiential framework forthe study of colonialism, war, genocide,international intervention, and the challengesof globalization.

Morning seminars covered the politicsand history of Cambodia with a special focuson French colonialism, the U.S. bombing

of Cambodia, the rise of the Khmer Rouge,United Nations intervention, and today’schallenges in Cambodia. Classes on theKhmer language taught Lang students basicconversational phrases. In the af ternoon,students worked at a rural orphanage and arural junior high school managed by localpartner Life and Hope Association. Testudents built relationships with children fromthe orphanage and the junior high schoolthrough reciprocal language teaching, sewingprojects, music, art, and sports. In addition,students visited the Cambodia Landmine

Museum and spent three days studyingthe archaeology, history, and continuedsigni cance of the Angkor Wat temples.

Tese experiences allowed Langstudents to learn about Cambodiathrough a combination of study and real-

world experience, to build cross-culturalrelationships, and to ask important questionsabout the world and their place in it. TeVenerable Somnieng Hoeurn, a Buddhistmonk and the executive director of the Lifeand Hope Association, said that this program“will not only develop good habits for studentsto think globally and act locally, but will alsohelp them to see how much they can make adi erence on the other side of the world.”

(1) Professor Timothy Pachirat and Lang students at SunriseSeminar at Angkor Thou. (2) Student Anna Robilotta journaling at Angkor Thou. (3) Meaghan Linick at the Children’s Development Village. (4) Anna Robilotta and Helen Weselcouch at theChildren’s Development Village.

(5) Andrew Melting at the Children’s Development Village makinga mattress. (6) Tanya Quigley at the C hildren’s Development Village. (7) Helen Weselcouch at t he Children’s Development Village. Photos: Jika Gonzalez

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What’s Newnew school alumnidirectory: ready in 2012

The next alumni directory will be ready in 2012.Harris Connect will start contacting alumni next year. If you have any questions, email [email protected] or call 212.229.5662 x3784.




Jessica Arnold, Director of Alumni Relations212.229.5662 [email protected]

Jordan Blum , Development Associate212.229.5662 [email protected]

Contributors Latoya Crump, Jordan Blum,and Randi IrwinProduced by Communications and External Affairs

Lang AlumDiscusses “Diseasesof Inequity”On May 21, the public program HealthChallenges for the 21st Century: Te Globaland National Landscape presented “Diseases

of Inequity.” Te discussion was led by Angelica Ferguson ’06 , an alum of Lang’sInterdisciplinary Science Program, and Dr.Rita Colwell, a 2010 New School Honorary Degree recipient, 2010 Winner of theStockholm Water Prize, and former director of the National Science Foundation.

Te panelists presented on two infectiousdiseases—tuberculosis and cholera—anddiscussed novel technologies being used tostudy the biology of the diseases, the unequaldistribution of the diseases across the world,and issues surrounding access to treatment inimpoverished countries and communities.

“Understanding the biology of theseorganisms will inform public health measuresand hopefully improve the socioeconomicimpact these diseases have on the most a ectedparts of the world,” said Ferguson. “Both of usalso presented data that disagreed with dogmain our elds. In biology we’re always learningnew things. We need to go back to the data andlet the data speak for itself.”

Angelica Ferguson ’06 addressing the Lang community.Photo: Katayoun Chamany

Lang PresentsSixth AnnualParent WelcomeReceptionParent leadership from across the country and abroad is an indispensable aspect of Lang’s development. Parents’ expert advice,resources, and support of Lang’s signatureprograms enrich campus life. On August20, the college held a reception on campusto welcome parents and introduce them toLang’s new dean, Stefania de Kenessey, andto faculty and sta . Participants mingled

while enjoying live jazz music performedby a trio from Te New School for Jazz and

Contemporary Music. (1) Dean Stefania de Kenessey with parents Jose and TamikaReyes (2) Parents David Shimasaki and Scott and Debbie Shack(3) Associate Director of The Arts Jennifer Riegle with parentsDevorah Canter and Sandy Shaw (4) Parent Shirley Chu(5) Parents Larry and Teri Langhorn Photos: Ryan Blum-Kr yz

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Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Edward Babbitt,associate professor K atayoun Chamany, former director of theNational Science Foundation Dr. Rita Colwell, and chair of theInterdisciplinary Science Program and associate professor Bhawani Venkataraman. Photo: Jerry Speir







In Tis Issue

Cover Story: Lang @ 25 Message from the Dean Alumni News Alumni Association Board Members Diseases of Inequality Panel

Cambodia Study Abroad Program Alumni Spotlight: Anita Glesta ’79 Faculty News

NEWS | Fall 2010

79 Fifth Avenue, 17th oor, New York, NY 10003

Upcoming EventsTriangle: From the Firem 23–27, 2011

J m cOne-hundred years ago, New York Cityexperienced its most devastating workplacetragedy until the events of 9/11. In the

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, more than140 girls, mostly Jewish and Italian, diedtrying to escape a raging re on the upper

oors of a factory near Washington Square.Lang Visiting Artist and Tony-nominatedcomposer Elizabeth Swados, writer and

director Cecilia Rubino, poet Paul Finn, anddesigner Bonnie Roche-Bronfman present a dramatic oratorio that dramatizes thehistory of the re and imparts its relevanceto 21st century audiences.

n f , a u -wc b

ap 1–8, 2011Lang alumni and current students perform

John Webster ’s Noir Jacobean Tragedy The

Stay Connected Tweet, tweet! Find out about thelatest happenings by following TheNew School Alumni Association at

www.twitter.com/newschoolalumni .

Join more than 2,200 alumni asfans of The New School AlumniAssociation at www.facebook.com/newschoolalumni .

To receive invitations and newsabout future alumni events, don’t forget to send your current emailaddress to [email protected] .

Extend your professional networkwith your classmates and other alumni by joining the of cial alumnigroup on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/newschoolalumni .

White Devil, directed by Cecilia Rubino withassistant director Michael Buffer ’10 , on

ap 6, 2011, 4:00 p. . in TishmanAuditorium. The Noir Festival is a university-wide event that includes artistic contr ibutionsfrom several divisions of The New School.

e g l g c g a -c rs , ap 30, 201165 w 11 sAll Eugene Lang College alumni, Seminar College alumni, and graduates of theFreshman Year Program are invited backto campus for the rst reunion event for graduates from all class years. Reconnect and reminisce about your years at Lang with friends, faculty, and staff. The programincludes a full day of receptions, seminars,and alumni exhibitions. Join the discussionon Facebook at l g r and l g @25 . If you have programming suggestionsor would like to volunteer, contact [email protected] or call 212.229.5662

x3784. For updated information, visit www.newschool.edu/alumni/langreunion .

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eugene lang college the new school for liberal arts / alumni newsletter fall 2010

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