Music department brings Making Space music project to campus
The music department, in cooperation with other organizations, has organized a project called “Making Space” that will take place throughout the remainder of the semester. The project features performances and workshops dedicated to activating the urban centers on campus and is intended to foster creative community spaces through music. The Wellesley College concert series teamed up with Marie Abe, an ethnomusicologist and resident fellow in the Susan and Donald Newhouse Center for the Humanities, to develop the project, which began April 1 with a luncheon titled “Conduction Introduction.” Upcoming events include a “deep listening” workshop followed by a performance by Pauline Oliveros on Earth Day, an Open Notes concert on May 5 and three outdoor flash performances by the Asphalt Orchestra on May 7.
Wellesley Economics Professor Kristin Butcher ’86 speaks on PBS
Kristin Butcher ’86, Marshall I. Goldman professor of economics, chair of the economics department and a leading expert in health and labor economics, recently spoke to Paul Solman on PBS about the March jobs report. The report listed the number of jobs added to the economy last month, the updated unemployment rate, the employment to population rate and the labor force participation ratio. Butcher told PBS that the addition of 192,000 jobs, less than the expected 200,000, is good news for the economy, but she is still concerned about the employment to population ratio, which has not increased since the previous year. The employment to population ratio measures the number of people who are employed and is often considered to be more important than the unemployment rate in measuring the health of the economy.
College to celebrate the life of Kathryn Davis ’28
The College will honor Kathryn Wasserman Davis ’28 next Wednesday, which is the anniversary of her passing in 2013. Davis was the oldest known Wellesley alumnae who died at the age of 106 and has donated the most amount to the College. She served on the Board of Trustees for 18 years after a successful career as an author, journalist and philanthropist. Davis donated money for many projects that affect Wellesley students including the Davis Museum, Davis Projects for Peace and scholarships for United World College (UWC) students. To celebrate Davis’ life, the college will host an event in the Houghton Chapel followed by a program titled “A Conversation with the Presidents.” President of the College H. Kim Bottomly, along with former presidents Diana Chapman Walsh ’66 and Nan Keohane ’61, will speak about Davis’ lasting influence, and Lulu Chow Wang ’66 will moderate the discussion. In addition, Davis Projects for Peace awardees and UWC scholars will give testimonials, and the crew team will give Davis a “Wellesley Salute” by forming a “W” on Lake Waban. In memory of Davis, the College will install a swing in the same place on Chapel lawn as the swing that Davis enjoyed during her time at Wellesley.
College establishes a Green Revolving Fund
Wellesley has set up a Green Revolving Fund to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of the campus. The College will invest capital set aside for small initiatives or projects dedicated to increasing energy efficiency on campus that make returns to the fund after the project is complete. The fund requires an initial deposit of money that will be invested in numerous projects over time, hence the name “revolving.” The intent of the fund is to provide monetary incentive for sustainable projects that will benefit the college in the long run. Many other colleges, such as Oberlin College and Iowa State University, have already set up Green Revolving Funds. Projects at other colleges include replacing wasteful showerheads and switching fluorescent lights for LED ones. A committee that includes the director of sustainability, one faculty representative from the Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability, the vice president for finance and administration and two students, one from the Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability and one selected by the Student Organizations and Appointments Committee will be set up to manage the fund.
