Commencement Speaker: Anna Quindlen

It's official! Anna Quindlen P’07 will be the commencement address speaker!

From an All-Student Email entitled "Wesleyan Honorary Degree Recipients":

It is with great pleasure that I announce to the Wesleyan community that an award-winning best-selling author, a pioneering entrepreneur and philanthropist and two dedicated members of the Middletown community will be the honorary degree recipients at the 177th Wesleyan Commencement on May 24, 2009.

Anna Quindlen P’07, who will also give the Commencement Address, is a novelist, a journalist, and a champion of higher education. She currently writes the “Last Word” column on the back page of Newsweek and serves as chair of the board of Barnard College, where she received a degree in English literature.
(AP Photo)

Ms. Quindlen has published five novels, all of them bestsellers. Her most recent, Rise and Shine, debuted at number one on The New York Times bestseller list. She has also published many nonfiction books, including Thinking Out Loud, How Reading Changed My Life, and A Short Guide to a Happy Life, which has sold more than a million copies.

Ms. Quindlen spent most of her journalism career at The New York Times, where she wrote three columns, “About New York,” “Life in the 30s,” and “Public and Private.” She won the Pulitzer Prize for her work on the paper's OpEd page. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and holds honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.

Ms. Quindlen is the mother of three children. Her son Christopher Krovatin, also a novelist, graduated from Wesleyan in 2007.

[Via Michael Roth '78]

Official Commencement Photo Gallery

Official photos of Reunion & Commencement are up at the administration's website. They're pretty good!

Barack Obama, up close and personal

Annalisa Bolin '08 writes:

I took a photo of Obama during graduation today that's pretty decent. Since my words failed upon shaking his hand, I stuttered, "Can I take your picture?" and tried not to freak out.

Your source for Reunion & Commencement

2008 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Barack Obama

Sunday, May 25
11:00 AM

We're working on getting the ticker tape scrolling along the bottom of your screen 24 hours a day, but in the meantime we'll be telling you everything you need to know about Reunion & Commencement, just like always... with blog posts like this one.

Here's a preliminary roundup of the resources we've assembled so far. We've got much more planned throughout the day, so stay tuned!




IF YOU'LL BE ON CAMPUS

Get a seat on Andrus Field at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. Seating on Andrus is limited and will require a ticket. Seating opens at 8:00 AM; no one will be allowed on the field prior to that time. Access will be from the Usdan/Fayerweather area of Wyllys Avenue. More details and map.

The weather will be beautiful: sunny and 68º with a gentle breeze.

For those unable to procure a ticket, Foss Hill, parts of Andrus Field, and the surrounding areas will be open to the public. More details.

For those traveling to Middletown by car, Ed McKeon reports:

I just spoke to a downtown merchant who was advised that he should not count on getting into or out of his shop on Sunday, because Main Street would be closed for some time. This same merchant quoted police as saying they are projecting up to 100,000 visitors to Middletown for the Obama speech.

The University has warned that you should not expect to find parking anywhere in the vicinity of campus.

Can't find a spot on Andrus Field or Foss Hill? The address will be simulcast in the Memorial Chapel, the ’92 Theater, Crowell Concert Hall, and in SCIE 150. Campus map [PDF].

IF YOU'RE AWAY FROM CAMPUS

Can't make it to campus? The University has contracted with an outside company to broadcast the address live on the web via Windows Media (blech) streaming video. The stream will be available approximately 15 minutes before the ceremony begins. I'm assuming the 600 viewer limit is no longer an issue. More details.

WTNH will also be streaming the address live at their website. More details.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Reunion & Commencement: includes overview, schedule, environmental information, and info on class reunions, honorary degrees, etc.

FAQs: contains information on fees, meals, transportation, parking, housing, WESeminars, and special needs.

Commencement Information: details on prohibited items and restrictions on political/campaign materials. Please note that campaign-related activity, political signs and banners, glass bottles, fireworks, and "selected other items" are prohibited from the event. You will be subject to removal and possible arrest for bringing any of these items to campus. The Secret Service ain't no fool, yo.

STAY TUNED TO WESLEYING

We'll be giving you the latest updates from Reunion & Commencement, including live reporting, photos, and footage from the media corral. Since both Wesleyan and WTNH will be streaming the address online, we will not be streaming live, but we will have footage available after the event (more details to come).
We've also be pared down the blog to speed up load time and save some bandwidth, but shoutbox and everything else will be back soon so don't worry.

FINALLY...

Congratulations, Class of 2008, and best of luck in wherever your post-graduation plans take you!

Commencement Speaker Hospitalized

Ted Kennedy, this year's supposed commencement speaker and MA Senator, was hospitalized for having stroke-like symptoms and surgery on his left cartoid artery (in the heart). Looks like Wes might have to get someone new to speak. Check out more here and thanks to Ross Shenker '11 for the update!

Update (Mad, 2:15 pm): The New York Times is reporting that, according to a statement released from Washington, he suffered a seizure this morning but is now "resting comfortably". Yahoo is saying that he "did not appear to have had a stroke as initially suspected." Our hearts go out to his friends and family, and we wish him an easy recovery. Get well soon!

Update (Mad, 10:55 pm): The New York Times has updated their article to say:

A family spokeswoman said Saturday evening that Mr. Kennedy, 76, was “conscious, talking and joking with family” who had gathered at Massachusetts General Hospital. Several other Kennedy associates said they were told that the senator, Democrat of Massachusetts, would recover, but that he was scheduled to undergo tests to determine what caused the seizure.

Glad to hear it! While I assume Kennedy still won't be able to come to speak at Commencement (though this is unconfirmed), and I think we're all less enriched by not getting to hear him speak, I wish him all the rest he needs to get better.