The Middletown International Film Festival Schedule is Set!

The Middletown International Film Festival begins October 1st

The 11th annual Middletown International Film Festival is a collaboration between Russell Library, Middlesex Community College and Wesleyan University. All films begin at 7pm. This year's line up of films, speakers, dates and places is as follows:   

October 1: The Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street

Loveless (Russia, 2017, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsex, 127 mins.)
Still living under the same roof, a Moscow couple of is in the final stages of a bitter divorce. Under those circumstances, as both have already found new partners, the insults fly in this toxic familial battle zone, always pivoting around the irresolvable and urgent matter of the custody, of their 12-year-old only son. Unheard, unloved, and above all, unwanted, the introverted and unhappy boy feels that he is an intolerable burden, what his parents don't know is that he has heard their argument confirming these facts. As a result, the couple finally realize that their son has been missing for nearly two days, it is already too late. 

Speaker: Victoria Smolkin, Associate Professor of History, Wesleyan University

October 8: Chapman Hall, 100 Training Hill Road, Middlesex Community College

Capernaum (Lebanon, 2018, directed by Nadine Labaki, 126 mins.)
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki's CAPERNAUM ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain, a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life. CAPERNAUM follows Zain, a gutsy streetwise child as he flees his negligent parents, survives through his wits on the streets, takes care of Ethiopian refugee Rahil and her baby son, Yonas, being jailed for a crime, and finally, seeks justice in a courtroom. CAPERNAUM was made with a cast of non-professionals playing characters whose lives closely parallel their own.

Speaker: Bruce Masters, John E, Andrus Professor of History, Wesleyan University

October 15: Chapman Hall, Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road
I Am Not a Witch (Zambia, 2017, directed by Rungano Nyoni, 93 mins.)

Following a banal incident in her local village, 8-year old girl Shula is accused of witchcraft. After a short trial she is found guilty, taken into state custody and exiled to a witch camp. At the camp she takes part in an initiation ceremony where she is shown the rules surrounding her new life as a witch. Like the other residents, Shula is tied to a ribbon which is attached to a coil that perches on a large truck. She is told that should she ever cut the ribbon, she'll be cursed and transformed into a goat.
Speaker: TBA

October 22: Hubbard Room,  Russell Library, 123 Broad Street
Roma (Mexico, 2018, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, 135 mins.)

Winning director and writer Alfonso Cuarón follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a young domestic worker for a family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City. Delivering an artful love letter to the women who raised him, Cuarón draws on his own childhood to create a vivid and emotional portrait of domestic strife and social hierarchy amidst political turmoil of the 1970s.
Speaker: Maria Ospina, Associate Professor of Spanish, Wesleyan University

October 29: Chapman Hall, Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road
Shoplifters (Japan, 2018, directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, 121 mins.)
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu's wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.

Speaker: Scott Aalgaard, Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies, Wesleyan University

November 5, Hubbard Room, Russell Library, 123 Broad Street
Summer 1993 (Spain, 2017, directed by Carla Simon, 97 mins.)

Frida, a six-year-old little girl, leaves Barcelona and her grandparents for the countryside, after her father and her mother have died from a mysterious illness. Taken in by her uncle and aunt, Frida discovers her new environment, an old farmhouse in the mountains, close to a dense forest. Her new "parents" prove friendly, and have a three-year old daughter who could be Frida’s playmate. For another child less unhappy than uprooted Frida, this would be the most idyllic of stays, a kind of permanent vacation. But Frida is disturbed and if there are undeniably good times at her new "home", there is also the unexpressed pain which makes her both sad and badly behaved.

Speaker: Olga Sendra Ferrer, Associate Professor of French, Wesleyan University

Newest Artist-In-Residence on the New England Trail performs free show Wednesday

The Connecticut Forest & Park Association’s latest New England Trail Artist-in-Residence, Ben Cosgrove, will perform and talk about his upcoming residency Wednesday night at the Wesleyan University science center. Ben composes and performs music inspired by New England landscapes, and will spend the next 12 months writing and performing music inspired by the New England Trail (NET). 

The New England Trail, from Long Island Sound
to Mount Monadnock. Plenty of parking!
(Click to embiggen.)

The New England Trail runs 215 miles from the Guilford shore to the Massachusetts/New Hampshire Border, ("from the Sound to the Summits"), and in 2009 became one of just eleven federally-designated national scenic trails. It's comprised primarily of the historic Mattabesett, Metacomet, and Monadnock Trail systems and passes through 42 communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts, including Middletown.

The New England Trail Artist-in-Residence program is a project of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the National Park Service. The artists help to create and deepen people's connections to the land, particularly the shared resource of the New England Trail. Past artists include poet David K. Leff, and photographers Xiomaro and Barbara Bosworth.

Ben performs regularly all over the country, writes scores for films, plays, radio, and television, and has produced several well-received albums of original instrumental work. He says the strongest forces guiding his compositions are his deep interests in landscape, place, and ecology.   

Wednesday's event is co-sponsored by Wesleyan University’s Earth & Environmental Science Department. Further details here on CFPA's web site.

When: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm  

Where: Exley Science Ctr. Lobby (Lawn Ave. side) 265 Church St.  (Parking may be available at Lot D on Lawn Avenue.)   RSVP: RSVP recommended Price: FREE

Video: title track to Ben's album "Salt"

Middlesex Community College to Celebrate Constitution Day

Middlesex Community College will celebrate Constitution Day with an art exhibition, a singing of the National Anthem, perspectives from a Holocaust survivor, and a musical rendition of the Bill of Rights. This vivid and unique opportunity is free and open to the public.

The kick off event on Sunday, September 14 is the Commemoration of the 200-Year Anniversary of the National Anthem. This event features a history of “The Star Spangled Banner,” a personal testimonial from a survivor of Nazi Germany, readings of original poems on freedom from high school students, and a singing of the national anthem. K-12 student artwork will be on display as well. The program will take place 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.in Chapman Hall, located at Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown. The K-12 Student Art Exhibition will be open from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. For more information, contact Professor Judith de Graffenried atjdegraffenried@mxcc.edu.

The second event is a concert performed by Neely Bruce, professor at Wesleyan University. The performance is titled “The Bill of Rights: Ten Amendments in Eight Motets” and features the singing group Festival Harmony. The performance will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday, September 17 in Chapman Hall room 808, located at Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Road, Middletown. This event is made possible with support from the Middletown Commission on the Arts and the Middlesex Community College Student Senate. For more information, contact Professor Rebecca Loew at rloew@mxcc.edu.

“The U.S. Bill of Rights plays a central role in American law and government and we are delighted to have this opportunity to reflect on the content and significance of this document through the medium of superb music,” said Rebecca Loew, assistant professor and coordinator of “The Bill of Rights” performance. “Civic engagement is a core principal of democracy and part of our responsibility as educators is to prepare students to effectively participate in our democracy.”

Founded in 1966, Middlesex Community College (mxcc.edu) is part of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System. In all it does, Middlesex Community College strives to be the college of its community. By providing high quality, affordable, and accessible education to a diverse population, the college enhances the strengths of individuals through degree, certificate, and lifelong learning programs that lead to university transfer, employment, and an enriched awareness of our shared responsibilities as global citizens. MxCC, recently named a “Great College to Work For” by “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” offers more than 50 degree or certificate programs at the main 38-acre campus in Middletown, the downtown Meriden Center, the shoreline, and online.

Wine Tasting to Benefit Local Programs for People with Disabilities

MARC: Community Resources presents Red, White & Blush: A Wine Tasting Event on Saturday, April 27^TH from 6-9 PM at Beckham Hall, Wesleyan University’s premier event space. Tickets are $25/person.

Forest City Wine & Spirits has arranged for 16 Connecticut-based distributors to provide tastings of more than 70 wines and beer. All wine and beer selections will be available to order at the event, with proceeds donated to MARC: Community Resources.

Review of A Conversation About Education in America

A panel of speakers more heavy on hip hop artists rather than academics or experts discussed the American education system last Saturday at an event organized by Wesleyan stuent Evan Okun. Titled “Exclusion and It's Consequences," it was intended to “host brilliant thinkers who are not granted 'legitimacy' within the field of academia.” The panel featured Hip Hop artists M-1 and stic.man, core members of the highly acclaimed rap collective Dead Prez, Wesleyan Professor of Sociology Daniel Long, Wesleyan student Chantaneice Kitt (Class of 2013), and Umi, a Wesleyan graduate also associated with Dead Prez's rap collective.

While it struck me as somewhat ironic that a conversation about inequality in the educational system was held at an elite, private institute of higher learning, I still found much of the discussion profound and inspiring. To me, and this is only my opinion, it seemed to fall short, however, of injecting much energy into the crowd of about 200 people that came to listen. The audience was subdued and clapped politely at the end, with a minor showing of enthusiasm, but not much sense of any take away action, at least that I could discern. It can be assumed that there was a much greater showing of spirit at the concert scheduled for later that night, which I didn't attend. The concert was covered in the Wesleying blog (click here) with much back and forth commenting about the irony that I also sensed as well as other sarcastic dueling.

Another attendee at the panel had a different perspective. On what felt to me like a lack of enthusiasm, she thought that the silence was a sign more of rapt attention than of disinterest. The fact that the audience was quiet and that very few people left before the end, which ran late, was a real sign of their respect and engagement, she thought.

While I enjoyed listening to the panelists' stories, experiences, and ideas, I didn't hear anything unfamiliar or atypical. Disillusionment and disenfranchisement seem to be the rule rather than the exception, something everyone can relate to, so I didn't feel in any way jarred or outraged as perhaps the title of the panel might suggest I should. But maybe that is the point. But again in discussing my reaction with another attendee, we had some disagreement as she noted that “taking Columbus Day off the calendar and not teaching European colonization as praiseworthy in schools is revolutionary.” The thing is, I barely even registered that this was discussed at all, it was only touched on indirectly in a passing comment and was not presented in any focused way.

The panel began by way of a music video of a song about school by Dead Prez and the first question asked was about how funding was obtained to record that song. M-1 answered by saying “your energy is your funding. Your energy, your time, your creativity, and your resourcefulness are the funding. Hip hop music was in a different place at that time, relegated to an underground status.”

Each of the panelists then spent a few moments explaining their background and reasons for being present. Wesleyan Professor of Sociology Daniel Long spoke about the school-to-prison pipeline and how the education system gives a false appearance of diversity and meritocracy when those don't really exist.

Umi, a Wesleyan graduate, talked about growing up in Tuskegee Alabama and about only knowing what he did not want out of life, as opposed to knowing what he did want. He spoke of his years at Wesleyan as a time of escape that allowed him to immerse himself in new experiences and meet different kinds of people.

Stic.man spoke about how he dropped out of high school and was proud of having done so at the time, because he thought of it as resisting the bullshit* he felt he was being fed by the educational system. (I considered changing this word to 'nonsense' but for the sake of journalistic integrity I decided to use the terminology as stated, so as not to change the tone.) He explained that he felt a lot of rage and frustration as a teenager and that if he put any value on a high school diploma then he felt he would be allowing the system to break him down, and he would be legitimizing the system he felt was a bullshit system. Whether he was describing a case of regular old youthful indignation, or a heartfelt reaction to actual systematic injustices, I couldn't really tell without knowing more particular details, though I suspect it's probably a combination of both. But upon entry into the world of adulthood, he says, he realized that schools don't have a monopoly on bullshit, it's everywhere. He thought he was rebelling against indoctrination but he got caught up in the same trap elsewhere. “It's what we think we know that keeps us ignorant,” he concluded.

Chantaneice Kitt, a current Wesleyan student from Harlem, spoke about her experiences in the New York City school system and having gone from an extremely progressive elementary school to being placed in a less than stellar junior high school. In attempts to transfer to a better school, she struggled through much bureaucracy and was faced with administrative incompetence, and ultimately was unable to avoid attending the poorly rated school. Still, she made her way to an exclusive preparatory high school in CT and then to Wesleyan.

M-1 looked at school like a movie, something to get through or watch passively, rather than something to achieve. He spoke of becoming increasingly disinterested in sports and academics, though at the time he didn't think about why. When he got to Florida A&M University, by what he called a fluke, and began actuarial studies he felt that the educational system was trying to make people into drones. He gave an example of a the business school requiring everyone to wear suits and ties every Wednesday. He began to reject the educational system and cited influences whose work he began studying in his quest to self educate: George Jackson, W.E.B. Du Bois, Chuck D, KRS-One, Eldridge Cleaver, Sonia Sanchez.

When asked by the moderator what changes they would propose to revolutionize education, stic.man responded first saying he'd have to overthrow that question because we have to ask “What is a revolution? What is a system of education? When you put education into a system, it's already dead.” He spoke of being influenced by Bruce Lee's ideas opposing a one-size-fits-all education. “Our perspective filters the reality. To revolutionize the educational system, it is about educating ourselves, and more about letting go of our notions than about picking up more. There is no absolute, and we need to let go of our preconceptions about what education is.”

M-1 said we're in “a revolutionary upheaval right now. Revolution has been disarmed by being made to seem ordinary.”

Wesleyan Professor Daniel Long spoke about an experimental school program in Tucson Arizona that was very successful and tailored to the student community's needs, but was also seen as a threat to the status quo and because of this it was eventually made illegal. The architects of the program were fired and sued to the point of financial ruin. “How do we educate ourselves without expunging the roots of who we are, in other words, outclassing ourselves?” he asked.

Kitt said that popular models of education get most of the available funding. She cited Geoffrey Canada's model [Harlem Children's Zone] as one that has been successful in working within the existing system. Kitt said Canada's model is the same as the Black Panther model but without the political element. Taking away the political message and challenge, she explained, has allowed the educational aspect to flourish.

“Who defines power? What power do you have?” asked stic.man… “Academia is a part of the real world because it shapes your psychology. If you believe power exists 'over there', you're helpless, you're hopeless. If you change your perspective and definition of power, you're inspired. ... Where is the class on integrity? Where is the class on discipline, creativity? It's not all about terms and definitions.”

There was some discussion about expansion of credentials, wherein a job that now requires a college degree might have only required a high school diploma in the past. In this sense, it was hypothesized, schools exist to maintain privilege for the already elite. But recognizing our own power is so important to achieving our highest potential and uniting individuality with community, according to Umi. We should see opportunities instead of obstacles, he said. We have to embrace our fears and step outside of our comfort zone. Go beyond the campus, take advantage of what the City of Middletown has to offer, not just in terms of restaurants or activities, but in terms of meeting a wide range of people.

Ultimately, though, we're all responsible for our own choices, successes and failures. Obviously there's room for improvement in education, but there are also many elements that work well. Finding the right balance between complacency and outrage, that is the hard part.

Samulnori Drumming Highlights

This past weekend I caught the Power to the Wes Korean Drumming Beat show, incredibly reasonably priced at just $3 per ticket.  The drumming was powerful and listening to it was meditative.  This was a fun and relaxed show, as it was a class recital of sorts, and located in the cozy World Music Hall at Wesleyan.  This is the season for recitals and concerts. If any Eye readers want to share photos or video clips from spring concerts at our local public schools or environs please send them in to us at middletowneye@gmail.com

Taepyeongmu is translated as "great peace dance" and is one of the important cultural properties of South Korea. Performers Jiyeon Kang and Sunhee Suh are pictured here; they were visiting from New York to add this dancing element to the show.

Vigil Held at Wesleyan for Disability Rights

Disability Community Remembers George Hodgins

and Other Disabled Victims of Domestic Violence

Middletown, CT – Local disability rights advocates will be holding a vigil to honor

the lives of disabled people murdered by their families and caretakers. This is part of a nation-

wide Day of Mourning, during which disability rights activists in cities across America will hold

events to remember members of the disability community whose lives were lost to domestic

violence.

On March 6, George Hodgins, a 22-year-old autistic man, was murdered by his mother in

Sunnyvale, California. In response, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) held a vigil in

Sunnyvale on March 16th. During the vigil, mourners read a list of names, beginning with Tracy

Latimer, a disabled teenager killed by her father in 1993. At the same time as ASAN’s vigil was

being held, Tracy’s father was speaking on a television panel for the Canadian Global News,

arguing for legalizing the killing of disabled people - in the name of "mercy."

When disabled people are murdered by caretakers or family members, many people justify these

murders as “understandable,” or talk about the “burden” of caring for someone with a disability.

This is the view that was aired on Canadian Global News, and in many news articles covering

the murder of George Hodgins. Many people are quick to justify the murder of a disabled person,

when they would offer no such justification if the murder victim were not disabled. Therefore,

the national Day of Mourning is meant to demonstrate to the community that the lives of

disabled people have value.

The vigil will be held at Wesleyan University, Usdan Courtyard, Saturday March 31rst, 6pm to 8pm.

Passing Time Explores Relationship of Time In Our Lives at Center for the Arts

For anyone who’s been in a particularly contemplative mood about life lately, Wesleyan University’s Ezra and Cecile Zikha Gallery has the perfect exhibition for you. Passing Time, a popular exhibition of works by fourteen international artists exploring the multiple and entangled meanings of the phrase “passing time”, has come to Middletown. The numerous meanings of the phrase “passing time” are explored in the exhibit using a variety of imagery, from film to photography to music.

Passing Time is organized by the university’s Center for the Arts and curetted by Ginger Gregg Dugan and Judith Hoos Fox of c2_curator squared. The exhibition features a number of internationally known artists like Stefana McClure. McClure has participated in group and solo shows in Germany and London and has been an artist in residence in Germany.

On paper, Passing Time seems very abstract. An exhibition examining the concepts of time and which attempts to explore “the relationship between the time of our life and the time of the eons”? I entered the gallery with a lot of skepticism about how I, or anyone else, could relate to these ideas on a personal level. However, my concerns were misbegotten. At its best, Passing Time uses creative visuals to beautifully illustrate how time, any way you perceive it, acts as a framework to measure and define people’s lives.

As you enter the gallery, Passing Time immediately makes an impression with a pair of photographs by Rikeke Dijkstra. Two photos of a young female Israeli soldier, with one showing the subject at the Israeli Army’s induction center and the second taken eight months later at her base, starkly demonstrate how a person can experience significant life and personality changes over a short period of time. Where the subject appears innocent and yet confident in her future at her induction ceremony, it is clear that this innocence has disappeared eight months later to be replaced by vulnerability. The cold, harsh reality of the subject’s current existence will affect her future one.

Another piece which captures the thesis of Passing Time is Ken Fandell’s The Planets. The Planets is a multimedia piece that uses video and audio to heighten the significance of mundane gestures such as a person moving their head or waving their hand. Fandell sped up and slowed down these gestures, thus creating alternate visual patterns. These visuals, set to powerful music, encapsulate how every action or gesture a person takes can be influential and yet miniscule in the time of the eons. Fandell reminds viewers that their actions are a representation of their larger humanity. It is a thought that’s equally disconcerting and powerful.

The superior piece at Passing Time was not a photograph, painting or video. Instead, it featured nothing more than framings of words on a page. But the words in Luis Calmnitzer’s Last Words piece were gut-wrenching. The final thoughts of death-row inmates in Texas are a window to the reality of death. When you see the very personal thoughts of death-row inmates and understand the equal levels of desperation and bravery they have heading into their day of reckoning, it causes a person to consider their own mortality. What would you say to your loved ones on the precipice of death? What parts of your life would you apologize for, and which parts would you look back on with pride? How much bravery would you show in the face of death? These are the questions Last Words prods you to consider. The best pieces of art are capable of making you look at your life differently in some way. Last Words reminds you of your humanity and the people in your life whom you truly value. The piece is incredibly profound.

Passing Time is open from noon-4 pm Tuesday-Sunday in the Ezra and Cecile Zikha Gallery and will be running until March 4th.

Wesleyan Women's Hockey in Promising First Steps of Long Rebuilding Process

The recent seasons for Wesleyan women’s ice hockey have not been pretty. Wesleyan has not won more than five games in the last five seasons. Under Head Coach Jodi McKenna, the Cardinals went 0-16 in the NESCAC for 2010-2011 and have only won two league games overall. To call the program anything over than terrible during this stretch would be a lie. After the team recorded its worst record as a varsity program last season, Wesleyan as nowhere to go but up. The 2011-2012 season is the first step in a long rebuilding process for women’s ice hockey.

For the Cardinals, everything starts with Ashleigh Corvi behind the net. The junior mainstay has a career 4.65 GAA and .896 save percentage while averaging nearly 38 stops a contest. Senior co-captains MJ Cardin and Jill Reynolds will provide much-needed leadership on the ice. Most important to the present and especially future of Wesleyan is the arrival of nine talented newcomers. Four of the freshmen are veterans of Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the most renowned prep programs in the country. Jordan Schildhaus had 22 points in 21 games for the school during her senior season.

“This year’s team is a lot better than last year’s,” McKenna said. “The depth and skill of our freshmen is strong and our veterans are further along than usual.”
Wesleyan immediately threw the monkey off its back by defeating Williams College 5-3 on November 18, the team’s first conference victory in more than a year. The Cardinals were tied at three going into the third period before Scildhaus established herself as a player to watch, netting a goal with 9:40 left to put her team ahead. Time and time again Corvi staved off Williams attempted rally, totaling 13 saves in the final stanza and 32 for the game. Junior Kelsey Mueller earned a hat trick in the contest.

In the rematch the next day, the Ephs scored two power-play goals in the third period to earn a 5-4 victory at home. Senior Julia Mulhern handed the Cardinals the lead at the beginning of the third period, but Williams tied it and then put home the winner at 12:35. Wesleyan had their chances but squandered both a power-play and a two-man opportunity in the time that remained. Corvi put up a valiant effort and finished with 38 saves as her teammates struggled to hold on to the puck. Wesleyan was outshot 44-31 in the contest.

Last Sunday Wesleyan fell to unbeaten Holy Cross College at home, 2-1. Holy Cross held a 12-4 advantage in shots in the first period, and got on the board at the eight minute mark. The Cardinals were able to make the score 2-1 five minutes into the third period but were easily denied for the reminder of the game. Schildhaus’s third goal gave her a share of the team lead. For the second consecutive game the team struggled to put pressure on a team, with Holy Cross establishing a 36-20 edge in shots on the afternoon.

“This season is a learning curve,” McKenna stated. “We have to overcome the hurdle of the team not being competitive for a long time. The team has definitely improved since last year. I’m happy with our performance, but I’m not satisfied.”

Wesleyan returns to the ice tomorrow night at home versus Amherst College.

Wesleyan Wrestling Determined to win New England Championships on Home Floor

Wesleyan wresting should be the premier winter sports team in 2011-2012. Wesleyan has established itself as one of the premier programs after a banner 16-3-1 campaign. The Cardinals gained a number of outstanding accomplishments last season, including a NEWADuals title, an 11-match win streak and a third-place finish in the New England championships. Now heading into the season, the team is ranked #1 in New England and #28 nationally. With strong wrestlers throughout the lineup, Wesleyan should have no problem holding onto or improving these rankings.

“It would be nice to have a great record this season,” Head Coach Drew Black said. “But that’s not ultimately what matters. Our goal is to win the New England championships on our home floor.”

The Cardinals depth is what will allow them to have a great shot at winning the NEWA championships in 2012, on their home floor no less. Wesleyan returns seven place winners from those championships. Juniors Kyle Ross and Jefferson Ajayi return after being New England champion and runner up in the 174 and 184 pound weight classes. Junior Howard Tobochnik was 5th at NEWAs at 149 pounds, 157-pounder and sophomore Troy Sampson was 6th at the championships and 197-pounder and senior Luke Erickson was 5th at New England’s. Sophomore Joey Schwartz is ranked first in New England in the 133-pound weight class.

The squad began the regular season on November 19 in the annual Doug Parker invitational at Springfield. Wesleyan finished fifth of 15 teams with 67 team points. Both Ajayi and Rossa reached the finals with Rossa dropping an 11-6 title decision. Rossa is seventh in the latest New England rankings. Three other wrestlers reached the consolation semi-finals.

“Our cylinders haven’t been firing all at the same time,” Black stated. “I think we’re beginning put it together however. Our starters are performing at high level.”
After time off for Thanksgiving, Wesleyan returns to the mat on Saturday against Rochester Institute of Technology for its annual invitational.

Wesleyan Squash Teams Shooting for High Rankings in 2011-2012

Coming off of a season in which the Wesleyan men’s squash team finished 14-12 and finished 20th in the national rankings, the young and talented squad has high hopes for the 2011-2012 campaign. Six of Wesleyan’s seven returning starters are just sophomores who proved themselves last season as freshmen. Because of their impressive talent, the team attained a preseason ranking of 19th, seven spots higher than last year.

Sophomore John Steele was the outstanding performer in 2010-2011, going 19-6 out of the #1 position and earned first-team all-NESCAC recognition. Sophomore Zander Nassikas earned 17 victories and will play in one of the top positions as will sophomores Jeff Berman and Alex Nunez, who totaled 15 and 16 wins respectively.
“I believe they have the talent and potential to crack the top 16 nationally,” Head Coach Shona Kerr said of her men’s squad. Injury seems to be a little bit of a concern at this point and we have a number of young, inexperienced college players - these will be our challenges in achieving our goals.”

The Wesleyan women’s squash team resembles their male counterparts in a number of ways. The women’s team had the same record in 2010-2011(14-12) and has the same preseason ranking of 19th. Both teams rely on youth, with the Cardinals welcoming eight new freshmen. And the women’s team has the same high hopes going into the new year, setting its sights on a top-16 finish in 2011-2012.

Sophomore Mary Foster leads the team in the top spot after going 12-13 there a year ago and obtaining second-team all-NESCAC honors. Kerr says of Foster that “she is extremely balanced as an individual” and that “her squash IQ is high and she understands the game.” Other players expected to stand out are sophomore Diana Edwards, who had a 15-11 posting in the #2 slot, and junior Tanesha Jackson, who fashioned a 15-9 mark while playing at #4.

The Wesleyan squash teams got their 2011-2012 seasons started in Boston over the weekend of November 19-20 at the Boston Round Robin. The men’s team faced off against Bates, Northeastern, Connecticut College and MIT, putting together a 2-2 start during the event. The Cardinals won one match and lost one against Conn. College and Northeastern by 5-4 margins. The team was unable to play a couple of regulars due to injury. Wesleyan defeated MIT with ease 8-1 but lost to Bates, ranked #16 in the preseason, by the same score. Freshman Blair Corbin, playing #7, was the lone winner versus Bates. The women’s squad also played Bates, Northeastern and Conn. College, as well as Bowdoin and Wellesley. The Cardinals took down Northeastern, Conn. College and Wellesley in 9-0 sweeps but fell to Bates and Bowdoin, both ranked in the preseason top-20, by scores of 7-2 and 5-4. Foster and Craig ended the weekend with team-best 4-1 records.

“I was very pleased with the way both teams conducted themselves over what was most definitely a testing weekend,” Kerr said. “We were presented with many adverse situations that I know the teams will learn from and I am grateful to the experience for this.”

The Wesleyan Round Robin will take place in Middletown from Friday-Sunday. The event features a number of visiting teams, including Colby, Tufts, Brown, John Hopkins, Colgate, Fordham, Hobart and William Smith College and Smith.

Coming off of a season in which the Wesleyan men’s squash team finished 14-12 and finished 20^th in the national rankings, the young and talented squad has high hopes for the 2011-2012 campaign. Six of Wesleyan’s seven returning starters are just sophomores who proved themselves last season as freshmen. Because of their impressive talent, the team attained a preseason ranking of 19^th, seven spots higher than last year.

Sophomore John Steele was the outstanding performer in 2010-2011, going 19-6 out of the #1 position and earned first-team all-NESCAC recognition. Sophomore Zander Nassikas earned 17 victories and will play in one of the top positions as will sophomores Jeff Berman and Alex Nunez, who totaled 15 and 16 wins respectively.
“I believe they have the talent and potential to crack the top 16 nationally,” Head Coach Shona Kerr said of her men’s squad. Injury seems to be a little bit of a concern at this point and we have a number of young, inexperienced college players - these will be our challenges in achieving our goals.”

The Wesleyan women’s squash team resembles their male counterparts in a number of ways. The women’s team had the same record in 2010-2011(14-12) and has the same preseason ranking of 19^th. Both teams rely on youth, with the Cardinals welcoming eight new freshmen. And the women’s team has the same high hopes going into the new year, setting its sights on a top-16 finish in 2011-2012.

Sophomore Mary Foster leads the team in the top spot after going 12-13 there a year ago and obtaining second-team all-NESCAC honors. Kerr says of Foster that “she is extremely balanced as an individual” and that “her squash IQ is high and she understands the game.” Other players expected to stand out are sophomore Diana Edwards, who had a 15-11 posting in the #2 slot, and junior Tanesha Jackson, who fashioned a 15-9 mark while playing at #4.

The Wesleyan squash teams got their 2011-2012 seasons started in Boston over the weekend of November 19-20 at the Boston Round Robin. The men’s team faced off against Bates, Northeastern, Connecticut College and MIT, putting together a 2-2 start during the event. The Cardinals won one match and lost one against Conn. College and Northeastern by 5-4 margins. The team was unable to play a couple of regulars due to injury. Wesleyan defeated MIT with ease 8-1 but lost to Bates, ranked #16 in the preseason, by the same score. Freshman Blair Corbin, playing #7, was the lone winner versus Bates. The women’s squad also played Bates, Northeastern and Conn. College, as well as Bowdoin and Wellesley. The Cardinals took down Northeastern, Conn. College and Wellesley in 9-0 sweeps but fell to Bates and Bowdoin, both ranked in the preseason top-20, by scores of 7-2 and 5-4. Foster and Craig ended the weekend with team-best 4-1 records.

“I was very pleased with the way both teams conducted themselves over what was most definitely a testing weekend,” Kerr said. “We were presented with many adverse situations that I know the teams will learn from and I am grateful to the experience for this.”

The Wesleyan Round Robin will take place in Middletown from Friday-Sunday. The event features a number of visiting teams, including Colby, Tufts, Brown, John Hopkins, Colgate, Fordham, Hobart and William Smith College and Smith.

Wesleyan Men's Ice Hockey Expects to Improve on Best Ever NESCAC Playoff Showing in 2011-2012

The 2010-2011 season was a banner year for the Wesleyan men’s hockey team as the squad made its first ever appearance in the NESCAC semi-finals. With nine of the 11 double-digit scorers from that squad returning, Wesleyan has lofty aspirations as the new season gets underway.

Last year, the Cardinals had their best record in four years, going 10-12-3 overall and 8-10-1 in league play. Sneaking into the NESCAC tournament as the #8 seed, no one expected Wesleyan to make a run. The program had only made five playoff appearances and never came close to winning a game. Facing off against #1 Hamilton on the road in the opening round, the Cardinals took down the Continentals with ease, 5-2. Instead of having a letdown versus heated rival Williams in the semi-finals, Wesleyan demonstrated just as much grit and skill. The team carried a 2-1 lead into the third period only to fall 3-1 in overtime. With so much talent returning to this year’s team, Wesleyan is expecting a different result in the 2012 NESCAC tournament.

The offensive depth returning to the Cardinals in 2011-2012 is extremely impressive. Leading the way on offense are 20-point scorers Nik Tasiopoulos, Geoff Mucha and Keith Buehler. Tasiopoulos, a sophomore, and Mucha, a senior, tied for the team lead in goals with 12 while Buehler tied for the team lead in assists with 13. Senior Tom Salah generated 15 points and has 49 career points over three seasons.

“Our offensive depth is very good up front,” Head Coach Chris Potter said. “We have offensive threats on all four lines.”

The Cardinals strength on the defensive end definitely lies in goal. Juniors Matt Hadge and Glenn Stowell return and are again expected to split time almost evenly. The duo, who Potter praises for working great off one another, both recorded strong statistical marks last season. Hadge posted a .926 save and 2.52 GAA with a 6-51 record in the campaign while Stowell produced a .904 save percentage, 3.13 GAA and 4-7-2 mark.

Potter is less confident in his squad’s defense after their first few contests of the season. “We have a lot of young defensemen, and we need to get stronger in team defense overall,” he stated. “We’re improving in that area but we have a long way to go.”

Wesleyan opened the season on November 18th by rolling to a 6-1 victory over Connecticut College. Nik Tasiopoulos led the way by earning his second career hat trick. Matt Hadge controlled the flow of the game in goal, ending the contest with 20 stops. The six goals marked Wesleyan’s largest output against Conn. College since 1986. The Cardinals hit the ice again on November 19 in a face off against Tufts College. After falling behind 3-0 halfway through the second period, Wesleyan forged a spirited comeback effort that was eventually unsuccessful, losing 3-2. Hadge finished with 25 saves. The Cardinals rebounded with an impressive out-of conference victory over UMass-Dartmouth on November 22. The team flashed their depth on offense by having five different players score. For the third straight game Wesleyan received an excellent performance in goal, with Glenn Stowell ending the contest with 32 stops.

Behind 40 saves from Stowell and a pair of goals from Tasiopoulos, Wesleyan continued its hot start by earning a 4-1 home win over the Wentworth Institute of Technology on Saturday, November 26. With the win, Wesleyan improved to 3-1, the first time the program has had that record through four games since the 2003-2004 season. The team’s four-goal outburst in the second period accounted for all of the Cardinal’s scoring. Sophomore Tommy Hartnett and junior John Guay got the offense started with their second and third goals of the year. Tasiopoulos earned his pair of goals on a rebound and the power play, with Geoff Mucha assisting on both. Stowell’s 40-save game was the third of his career.

Wesleyan faced off against Assumption College on Sunday and play Amherst and Hamilton on the road this weekend.

Wesleyan Men's Basketball Looks to Contend in NESCAC With Strong Returning Core

Returning the entire starting five and nine lettterwinners from a team that just missed out on a NESCAC playoff spot, the Wesleyan men’s basketball team is expected to be a contender in the NESCAC this season. The Cardinals went 9-6 last season versus non-conference opponents but recorded a disappointing 2-7 mark in conference competition. To put a further damper on the 2010-2011 campaign Wesleyan was unable to earn the final playoff berth on the final day of the regular season when Bowdoin defeated the team by one point. As disappointing as that season-ending defeat was, the Cardinals and Head Coach Joe Reilly look at it as a bump in the road on the way to hopefully greater heights.

Wesleyan returns 84 percent of its scoring and rebounding from a season ago. Leading the Cardinals will be second-team all-conference point guard and sophomore Shasha Brown. Brown ranked second in the NESCAC last season in PPG at 19.2 and is on his way to challenging the all-time Wesleyan scoring mark. “Shasha has great speed,” Joe Reilly said. “He loves the game and is always playing hard. He has succeeded the high expectations for him.” Senior forward Jason Mendall, junior forward Mike Callaghan and junior shooting guard Derick Beresford all averaged north of double-digit scoring a year ago. Forward Glen Thomas led the squad with a 7.9 RPG figure in his freshman year and looks to improve that number despite missing the final nine games due to injury. The team’s newcomers bring speed, depth and especially size as five members of the group stand 6-6 or taller.

Reilly demonstrated significant belief in his team improving. “Our depth is our greatest strength,” he stated. “We have talent in a lot of different places, and that internal competition will help us improve during the course of the year. Once a few of our main players soon return from injury, I think our players can meet the high expectations I have for them.”

Wesleyan started off the season with a bang by winning the Middletown Tip-Off Tournament held the weekend of November 18-19. In their season-opening contest the Cardinals easily defeated Bard College 86-53. The team received balanced contributions in both the scoring department and on the boards, as 14 different players scored and Wesleyan enjoyed a 40-19 advantage on the boards. In the championship game against Curry the squad continued to show strong depth along with impressive toughness. After a back-and forth first half Wesleyan broke away from a 48-48 tie with 14:40 left, staging a 24-5 run over the span of 8:15 to capture the title. Sasha Brown scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the half and had eight assists to earn tournament MVP. Glen Thomas racked up 20 points and a team-leading 12 rebounds for his first career double-double, as the Cardinals again enjoyed a large rebounding advantage.

Up next for the team was a trip to Williams to face off against the Little Ephs on Tuesday, November 22. Williams pushed their lead to as much as 17 midway through the opening period and although Wesleyan tightened the deficit at some points, the game never became really competitive. Besides Brown, who scored 25 points, none of the Cardinals were significant contributors on offense. Wesleyan allowed Williams to shoot 56.5% from the floor.

After a short Thanksgiving break the squad returned to Silloway Gymnasium on Saturday and took down Baruch College 70-46 for the win, making their season record 3-1. Wesleyan looked to be in control in holding a 37-30 lead at intermission, but the Cardinals truly turned on the jets when the second half rolled around. Baruch was held without a field goal for the opening 11:15 as the home team went on a 22-3 run that made the rest of the contest a lark. Wesleyan’s speed and strength were much too much for Baruch on both offense and defense and denied them seemingly any open shot. Baruch made just three of 24 shots in the second half. Wesleyan enjoyed a 50-28 rebounding margin, including 19 boards to seven by the Bearcats.

“During that run to open the half we stepped up our defensive intensity,” Reilly said. “We limited them to one shot and kept them off the glass. It started with the defensive pressure today. If we get that consistently then it will led to points and success on the offensive end.”