Category Archives: Ames Highlights

Winning the Battle Against Mass Incarceration & French Film Festival

Posted on November 9, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Monday, 9 November, 4pm, Beckman Auditorium

James Kilgore of the University of Illinois Global Studies Program will highlight why mass incarceration has become a crucial civil rights issue for the 21st century and ways of addressing its consequences. Sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice.

Fourth Annual French Film Festival:

Monday, 9 November, 7pm, Beckman Auditorium

La Connection – Due to copyright restrictions, this event is free and open to the IWU community only.

Tuesday, 10 November, 7pm, Beckman Auditorium

L’ecume des Jours – Due to copyright restrictions, this event is free and open to the IWU community only.

Wednesday, 11 November, 7pm, Beckman Auditorium

Le Premier Jour Du Reste de Ta Vie – Due to copyright restrictions, this event is free and open to the IWU community only.

Thursday, 12 November, 7pm, Beckman Auditorium

French Immersion – Presented by Professor of French Christopher Callahan as part of the French Film Festival (Nov. 9-12). Due to copyright restrictions, this event is free and open to the IWU community only.

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International Film Series: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Posted on November 4, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Thursday, 5 November, 7pm – International Film Series: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”– (2009, Sweden) Presented by Visiting Assistant Professor of German Adam Woodis. Due to copyright restrictions, this event is free and open to the IWU community only.

You may have seen the 2011 Hollywood version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but did you know it was based on a series of books written by a Swedish journalist, and that it was first published on screen in 2009?

lisbethFrom the Huffington Post:

For the millions of fans who love the goth feminist hacker Lisbeth Salander and have been waiting for David Fincher’s new version of the Stieg Larsson novel to hit the theaters on December 20, it might not even matter how good the film is so long as it hews closely enough to the beloved book.

Luckily, most of the early reviews have been widely praiseful of the new take, and seem especially taken with both Fincher’s meticulous direction and Rooney Mara’s fierce turn as the title character.

“This is a bleak but mesmerizing piece of filmmaking; it offers a glancing, chilled view of a world in which brief moments of loyalty flicker between repeated acts of betrayal,” David Denby of the New Yorker wrote in his controversially early review…

Enthusiasts who’ve already seen the 2009 Swedish version may be wondering how Fincher’s new film differs from the original. The difference seems to lie mainly in Fincher’s work, Mara’s performance, and a twist change on the ending.

Justin Chang, writing for Variety noted that the movie was “considerably slicker and more sophisticated piece of film craft than the Swedish production or either of its Nordic TV sequels” and also hews “more faithfully to the novel.”

Read the rest of the comparison here.

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Struggles for Freedom Series: “Rosewater”

Posted on November 3, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Wednesday, 4 November, 7pm – “Rosewater” (2015) will be screened as part of a series of talks and films sponsored by the Political Science Department. These events are made possible through generous grants provided by the Betty Ritchie-Birrer ’47 and Ivan Birrer Endowment Fund.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGOYHIqmmiM

From the NYTimes:

MV5BNjY1NjQ1NjMzNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzU0Mjc1MjE@._V1_SX214_AL_Among its virtues, “Rosewater,” the directorial debut of Jon Stewart, is an argument for filmmakers to start their trade after they’ve looked beyond the limits of their own horizons. This fictional movie tells the story of the real Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-born journalist living in London who was arrested in Iran while covering the 2009 elections for Newsweek. Accused of being an agent for foreign intelligence organizations, he was thrown into the Evin Prison, where he was interrogated and beaten, partly for the surreal reason that he had appeared on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.” Mr. Stewart’s interest in the material is obviously personal, but his movie transcends mere self-interest.

Mr. Stewart adapted the movie from Mr. Bahari’s 2011 memoir, which was written with Aimee Molloy and published as “Then They Came for Me” but has been promotionally repackaged as “Rosewater.” The book’s original title echoes the oft-quoted line from the German pastor Martin Niemöller, “Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.” As a famous call to speaking out (originally against Nazism), it underscores the universal tug of Mr. Bahari’s ordeal even as it carries the complicating weight of the Holocaust. “Rosewater” is the better title, partly because, as Mr. Stewart makes clear, it’s the specifics of Mr. Bahari’s story — his voice, memories, fantasies, ghosts and abiding love of Leonard Cohen — that distinguishes it…

Read the rest here.

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Strategies for Academic Success

Posted on November 2, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Now that it’s November, perhaps you’re feeling the end-of-semester crunch a bit more than you were last week. Not to worry! There are still plenty of resources available to help you succeed. Illinois Wesleyan University provides significant support for students to achieve academic success.  In order to be successful in college, students need to learn how to best study, manage their time, and utilize the resources available to them.  It is ok to ask for help!  If a student is struggling in a course, the first person the student should talk to is the professor; he or she will be able to provide information on how to be successful in that course.  Academic advisors can also help students identify challenging issues and make referrals to appropriate campus resources.

There are three sessions left in the Acadademic Skills Series including one this Wednesday. The Academic Skills Series is held on the following Wednesdays from 12-12:50pm in CNS E101.  Students can pick a specific topic to join us, or attend all sessions. (FREE Papa John’s PIZZA provided for lunch!)

  • November 4 – Podium skills: Improving your presentations
  • November 11 – The Ames advantage: Research skills for success
  • November 18 – Survival tips for finals

Here are some ofter resources.

Peer Tutoring Services

Many departments on campus offer peer tutoring services; students should contact their professor or the Department Chair for the specific class for details.

Online Resources

The following web resources providing a starting point to all that exist regarding time management, study skills, and transitioning to college:

How to Get the Most Out of Studying: A Video Series

Time Management & Study Skills Resources:
College Transition Resources:

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Filmmaker Kuwornu will Discuss Immigration Documentary

Posted on October 27, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Independent filmmaker Fred Kudjo Kuwornu will screen his documentary 18 Ius Soli Oct. 29 as part of the “Reel to Real: Directors Discuss” series at Illinois Wesleyan University.

kuwornu-fred-kudjoThe film follows 18 individuals who were born in Italy to immigrant parents, but who are not entitled to Italian citizenship despite living in Italy their entire lives. As a result, they must wait until they are 18 to begin the complicated path towards citizenship, one that does not always end happily.

“I chose this film because it allows for many discussions that parallel discussions about immigration and citizenship in the United States,” said Associate Professor of French & Italian Scott Sheridan, who is also director of the International Studies program, a sponsor of the film. “Even the title of the film is provocative, in that the concept of Ius Soli vs. Ius Sanguinis calls into question the fundamental right to citizenship: is it based on where one is born, or one’s birth heritage?”

Kuwornu is an Italian-Ghanaian activist-producer-writer-director. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and mass media. After college, Kuwornu moved to Rome where he began working as a TV show writer for RAI 1. He has produced several works with his production company, Struggle Filmworks. In 2008, after working with the production crew of Spike Lee’s Miracle at St. Anna (2008), Kuwornu decided to research the unknown story of the 92nd Infantry “Buffalo Soldiers” Division, a World War II African-American segregated combat unit. The resulting film, Inside Buffalo, was awarded “Best Documentary” at the Black Berlin International Cinema Festival, and has been shown at the Pentagon, the Library of Congress, and many other venues.

The showing of 18 Ius Soli will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in The Ames Library’s Beckman Auditorium. A question and answer session will immediately follow. The event is free and open to the public.

A part of the University’s intellectual theme “Nation(s) Divided?” the event is also sponsored by the International Film Series and co-sponsored by the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice and the 3D Series.

By Emily Phelps ’19

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The Ides Series – Screening the Battle of Actium: Civil War, Erotic Tragedy and the Birth of an Empire

Posted on October 21, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Wednesday, 21 October – Beckman Auditorium, 4pm

Monica Cyrino Professor of Classics

Monica Cyrino
Professor of Classics

Presented by Monica Cyrino, professor of classics at University of New Mexico.

To historians, the story of Antony & Cleopatra is much more than a love story: These lovers teamed up against Antony’s rival, Octavian, the future Roman emperor Augustus, in the great Battle of Actium fought in 31 BC. In this presentation, Prof. Cyrino will analyze several themes used by filmmakers to represent the battle as the momentous “turning point of history” that gave birth to the Roman Empire.

Sponsored by Greek and Roman Studies; a “Nation(s) Divided?” theme event.

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Filmmaker Lee to Screen Environmental Documentary

Posted on October 20, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Director and writer Wendy J.N. Lee will screen her documentary Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey Oct. 21 at Illinois Wesleyan University at 7pm in the CNS C-101. The film follows 700 people as they hike across the Himalayas to communicate a message of environmental awareness in a region devastated by global warming. Village by village, the trekkers spread their message and lead by example. They emerge from the trek with nearly half a ton of plastic litter strapped to their backs.

Wendy J.N. Lee will visit campus to discuss her award-winning documentary.

Wendy J.N. Lee will visit campus to discuss her award-winning documentary.

Pad Yatra is Lee’s feature film debut. The documentary won several awards including the Official Selection of the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2013, as well as Best Documentary at both the Houston Indian Film Festival in 2012 and the Silent River Film Festival in 2013.

The screening will take place at 7 p.m. in Room 101 of the Center for Natural Sciences Building at Illinois Wesleyan, with a discussion with Lee to follow. The event is free and open to the public.

This event is co-sponsored by Environmental Studies, Religion, Asian Studies (IS), Development Studies (IS), Sociology and Anthropology, the Center for Human Rights and Social Justice, the Chaplain’s Office at IWU, the Sierra Student Coalition, and the JWP Audubon Society. The event will take place as part of the Nation(s) Divided? intellectual theme at Illinois Wesleyan.

By Lydia Hartlaub ’16

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Saying Goodbye to President & Mrs. Wilson

Posted on October 19, 2015 by | Leave a comment
Dr. Richard F. Wilson took office as Illinois Wesleyan's 18th president on July 1, 2004. A native of West Virginia, Wilson earned his B.S. Degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, where he majored in education and mathematics. He pursued advanced degrees at the University of Michigan, where he earned both the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Higher Education. In 1978, Wilson began a 26-year tenure at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, having held the positions of Associate Chancellor for Development and Vice President of the University of Illinois Foundation. He is a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Beta Phi national honor societies. Photo taken 9 April 2005

Dr. Richard F. Wilson took office as Illinois Wesleyan’s 18th president on July 1, 2004. Photo taken 9 April 2005

Richard F. Wilson has served as President of Illinois Wesleyan University since 2004. Over the last 11 years, Wilson has led two strategic planning efforts, the first completed in 2006 and the second completed in 2014. He also strengthened the University’s financial health over the course of a very challenging decade economically.

These efforts have resulted in progress on many important initiatives, including increased attention to assessment of student learning in academic programs; expansion of efforts related to community engagement, global awareness, and social justice; growth in domestic and international student diversity; and increased commitment to sustainability, including construction of the first LEED certified building on the Illinois Wesleyan campus.

He made the Transforming Lives fund-raising campaign a priority and helped secure more than $141 million toward the campaign’s original goal of $125 million. The results of the campaign included a dramatic increase in support for student scholarships, 20 new endowed professorships for the faculty, and several new facilities on campus, including State Farm Hall, Minor Myers Welcome Center, Joslin Atrium, Egbers Plaza, Tucci Stadium, and Joyce Eichhorn Ames Art Building Rotunda.

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The campus community is invited to a farewell reception for Dick and Pat Wilson. There will be remarks at 4 p.m. in the Joslin Atrium on Tuesday, 20 October.

As we prepare to bid President and Mrs. Wilson adieu, let’s take a look back over his presidency, through the eyes of IWU’s historical records, held in The Ames Library.

President Wilson’s inauguration is announced in The Argus…

The Argus welcomes President Wilson…

Find more articles relating to President and Mrs. Wilson through our digital Archives holdings, available in the following.

Wesleyana Yearbooks

The Argus and other student and alumni publications

Historical Photographs

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Titan Green Over Everything!

Posted on October 5, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Titan Green Over Everything! – Homecoming 2015 and beyond

"Pajama Games" Homecoming 1928.

“Pajama Games” Homecoming 1928.

The University Archives contains records of our university history. Among the Unviersity Archives collections are historical photographs, giving us the chance to see how Homecoming has been celebrated through the years. During the 2011 Homecoming, a time capsule that had been sealed in the old Sheean Library during the 1967 Homecoming was opened, with lots of goodies inside. Read here for more contents.

The Archives has selected a small portion of historical materials to digitize. Click to view and search:

Wesleyana Yearbooks

The Argus and other student and alumni publications

Historical Photographs

The IWU Bulletins (1902-1986)

IWU Catalogue of Courses (1851-1954)

We also have a variety of materials in Digital Commons. These include publications (John Wesley Powell Research Conference materials, Honors Projects, meeting minutes and other permanent records of IWU), some of which do not exist physically in the Archives. Student works in Digital Commons are recommended by faculty or through peer reviewed editorial processes.

Homecoming_19501960

Homecoming parade floats on Main Street to celebrate IWU Homecoming 1958.

IWU homecoming celebrations (unknown date between 1970 and 1980)

IWU homecoming celebrations (unknown date between 1970 and 1980)

 

Titan cheerleaders take part in the IWU homecoming celebrations 1971.

Titan cheerleaders take part in the IWU homecoming celebrations 1971.

 

 

 

 

 

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Banned Book Week 2015

Posted on September 29, 2015 by | Leave a comment

layout of all 4Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2015 celebration will be held September 27-October 3.

Students in Prof. Schmidt’s Gateway class (Banned & Burned) worked in groups to create
interactive, educational displays celebrating Banned Books Week. Four exhibits will be on display on the entry level. Check out some of the photos on The Ames Library’s Facebook page. Do you have ideas for an exhibit? Get in touch with Meg Miner for details on how you can create your own!

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Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,300 books have been challenged since 1982 according to the American Library Association. There were 311 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2014, and many more go unreported. The 10 most challenged titles of 2014 were:

1)     The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence. Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”

2)      Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Reasons: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically, racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”

3)      And Tango Makes Three, Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

Reasons: Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”

4)      The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial issues”

5)      It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris

Reasons: Nudity, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons: “alleges it child pornography”

6)      Saga, by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Reasons: Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. Additional reasons:

7)      The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited to age group, violence

8)      The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”

9)      A Stolen Life, Jaycee Dugard

Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group

10)  Drama, by Raina Telgemeier

Reasons: sexually explicit

More information on banned and challenged books is available on theAmerican Library Association website.

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