Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Soong Ching

ISSUE 1; FALL 2013
Photo by Beau Cabell
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Soong Ching-Ling’s Graduation!
Kelly Steele
Co-Editor
The Soong sisters, known by most Wesleyannes as the rst Chinese women to receive a college degree in America, were honored this year at the Opening Fall Convocation. This
is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Soong Ching-ling graduating from Wesleyan College and the opening of the Confucius Institute. Ching-ling had two sisters, May-ling and
Ai-ling, who attended Wesleyan at some point though May-ling graduated from Wellesley rather than Wesleyan in 1917... (Continued on page 2)
A Guide to the Understanding of
the Syrian Conict
“I Sold My Bed, but Not My Stereo!”
Claire Helm
Staff Writer/ Co-Event Editor
Ashlee Day
Staff Writer/ Layout Editor
If you’ve been paying attention to what’s happening in Syria, then great.
You know about the civil war that started out as a peaceful protest against the Assad
government, about the 100,000 people that have reportedly perished in the ensuing
conict, and about our president’s “red line” that was crossed when the Assad government (allegedly) used chemical weapons against his own citizens and ended up killing
hundreds (I say allegedly here because the government blames citizens and citizens
blame the government).
As a music fan it has always been high on my bucket list to attend a music
festival. The idea of standing in a crowd of tens of thousands of people who all love the
same artist that I do singing and dancing together has always appealed to me, and this
year on September 21st I nally got to live that dream in attending the 2nd Day of the
Music Midtown Festival held in Piedmont Park in Atlanta, Georgia...
(Continued on page 4)
(Continued on page 6)
Page 1
How I Survived at Wesleyan College
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Soong
Ching-Ling’s Graduation!
Kelly Steele
Co-Editor
(Continued from page 1)
...Their father, Charlie Soong, was a Methodist minister looking for a suitable place to send his
children for a proper Christian education where they
would receive the kind of culture needed to become
great. And become great they did, as they became the
most prominent family in Chinese history through
marriage and their own amazing feats.
It is said, in regards to the Soong sisters, “One loved money, one loved power,
and one loved China”. Ai-ling, who was the oldest and graduated from Wesleyan in
1909, returned to China and became secretary to Sun Yat-sen who was a family friend
and a famous revolutionary leader. She eventually left her job to marry H. H. Kung,
the eventual richest man and nance minister of China. May-ling, the youngest sister,
met Chiang Kai-shek, who would eventually become the President of the Republic of
China, upon returning to China and he requested her hand in marriage. Both Ai-ling
and May-ling supported Chiang in his military and political endeavors as he became
Generalissimo, opposite of Ching-ling’s political views.
Ching-ling would eventually become known as the Mother of China and the
rst wife of a political leader to act as “rst lady”, but before all that, she was rebellious
soul. She wanted very strongly for revolution, when her father sent her the ag of the
new republic, she tore down the imperial dragon ag on her wall and replaced it with a,
“Down with the dragon; up with the ag of the Republic!”.
Paula Lockhart
Contributer
As a senior at Wesleyan, this is my reection on the things I felt I did amazing my First
Year of college and the things I’d rather forget. Onto the things I did right…
1)
I got involved!
My rst year at Wesleyan I joined numerous organizations. College can be excluding
and scary if you do not take the initiative to see all your campus has to offer. By the end
of my rst year I became my class representative for Council on Judicial Affairs (CJA)
and Campus Activities Board (CAB).
2)
I dropped the dead weight in my life.
When you get to college you’ll meet a ton of people and naturally you’ll want to be BFFLs with them but remember not everyone is meant to be your friend. If someone isn’t
doing you any good in your life, drop ‘em.
3)
I left my comfort zone.
I did things I never expected myself to do. I made friends with women who I would
have never talked to in high school. I took a week long trip without family for the rst
time, ever!
4)
I got to know the faculty and staff on my campus.
This was SUPER important to me because it isn’t always what you know, but who you
know. In addition to persistence and hard work knowing the individuals who work in
the various departments of Wesleyan can make things go pretty darn smooth.
5)
I got more realistic about the grades I wanted to make.
Hear me loud and clear, not the grades my family wanted me to make, the grades I
wanted to make because if you do not embark on this educational journey for yourself
rst, it’ll be way harder than you think. Every semester I sit down and write the down
the grades I want to make, then I work to make them a reality.
Onto the things I’d rather forget, but I won’t because they made me a better person.
1)
Source: www.wesleyancollege.edu
After her return, she took over Ai-ling’s position as Sun Yat-sen’s secretary
and eventually announced their intention to get married, much to the disapproval of
her family. This dissatisfaction with the match was mostly due to the fact that he had
already been married and had three children with his wife. They married despite the opposition and Sun, who was considered the Father of Modern China and became the rst
President of China. Sun controlled the southern portion of China that had seceded from
the rest, yet he desired to move northward, creating factions among his own party that
threatened Ching-ling’s life.
Though it may seem as if these women were mere satellites to the men in their
life, they were powerful forces all on their own. All three strongly believed in doing
good work for the betterment of the public, a characteristic most denitely instilled by
their mother who was very well known in the community for being the “Mother of the
Nation”. The sisters often visited those who were affected by the war as well as coming
together to bring the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China together to repel
the Imperial Japanese army. Even though they did not succeed, their effort is remembered even today.
If you are interested in learning more about these wonderful and inuential
women, read Elmer T. Clark’s The Chiangs of China or speak to Sybil McNeil in the
library to view the China Room which is full of Soong sister artifacts.
I threw away my grades 1st semester!
Do not let anyone fool you; the rst semester of college is just as important as your last.
The rst semester of college lays down to foundation, don’t be waste it.
2)
I wasn’t consistent with my effort.
For me, being consistent was the difference between success and mediocrity. It’s a
constant battle, but the more consistent you are with your effort the more results you
will see,
3)
I spent more time worrying about how others viewed than how I viewed myself.
Wanting to t in, be liked, feel apart of a community is human nature, the problem
comes in when we spend too much time wanting to be loved than loving yourself.
4)
I was too dependent on others.
I relied heavily on my Big Sister, friends, and family instead of using faith and relying
on myself. This is not to say that you cannot rely on the aforementioned individuals,
but always remember you are your greatest support.
5)
I didn’t take care of myself.
I ate crappy food, I kept a crappy sleep schedule, and I didn’t exercise at all. So I felt
like crap constantly, especially during nals and rehearsals. Nowadays I sleep regularly,
I’m more aware of what I put in my body and I get some type of physical activity in
everyday. This also applies to mental and emotional health. Never be afraid to seek the
counseling services available to you.
Page 2
WESLETICS
Sarah Wilson
Compiled by Dziep Nguyen
Co-Editor
A little longer than a year ago since students’ request for a mascot that would carry a
“visual presence” at games and on campus, the Wesleyan College Athletics Department
has introduced a new mascot, the Wesleyan College Wolves. Wesleyan College will
remain Pioneers for the school’s many achievements in the advancement of women’s
education, but on the playing elds, it will now introduce its sports programs as the
Wolves.
“Although Wesleyan always will be Pioneers at heart, we are excited about unveiling a new mascot for our athletic teams that will create a more tangible connection
with students and fans,” remarked Wesleyan
College president Ruth Knox. “As our sports
programs continue to grow and improve under the leadership of a solid core of coaches,
each with considerable experience at the Division I level, we expect the Wesleyan Wolves
to represent the competitive spirit, pride, and
tenacity of our scholar-athletes.”
How well do you know our new faculty and staff this
year?
Dziep Nguyen
Co-Editor
This year, Wesleyan has welcomed a number of new
faces to our home, whether to the classrooms, or to the ofces.
Wesleyan Word is proud to have casual talks to our new faculty
and staff, to help you to know these resources of help better, and
join us to welcome them to our intellectual community.
Gareth Jones
Director of Student Success
Hi Gareth! Thank you for making the time for Wesleyan Word today! Would you tell
the audience of Wesleyan Word briey about yourself; what you previously did before
Wesleyan?
Absolutely! My name is Gareth and I’m currently the Director of Student Success at
Wesleyan. I’m originally from Salt Lake city, Utah, where I pursued my undergraduate
education. I previously taught Film Studies at Brewton-Parker College for six years,
where I was also in charge of a similar position here at Wesleyan as an academic advisor. Part of my job was to accommodate students’ remedial needs, the QEP (Quality
Enhancement Plan –author), and the summer programs.
Great! How is it different working at Wesleyan from your previous academic institution?
Well, Macon is very different from my previous location. I’m excited because of the
multiple activities here in Macon, where lms are being shot and multiple festivals are
held. Additionally, being roughly an hour away from Atlanta not only creates more
opportunities for me to explore but more importantly for students as well. For instance,
this year, rst-year students are taken to the High Art Museum in Atlanta, or to the
Douglas Theatre for different events; a lot of opportunities are present and approachable
here, whereas those were not necessarily there where I used to work. The one thing that
is similar between working at Wesleyan and at Brewton-Parker is the small and cozy
environment, in which students, faculty and staff are comfortably working with one
another. It also offers a lot of leadership opportunities for students, and Wesleyan is the
prime example of that. A motto that I usually say to students is that “You get what you
give,” meaning that if you are willing to give your time and energy, to participate, you
get so much back.
Consequently, Wesleyan will go through a
gradual process of rolling out new uniforms,
warm-ups, and other ancillary items that feature the new Wolves mascot. Other tangible
changes see the campus adorned with streetlight banners celebrating the fantastic new
logo as well as new window banners for Porter Gym.
How do you characterize Wesleyan students?
Wesleyan is a very rigorous school, and I think there are also very high expectations
both from the faculty and from the students themselves, both American and international students, which makes up the unique character of Wesleyan. I think that this rigor
is a challenge, especially for the rst-year students, who are not yet used to that rigor;
simultaneously, it is also my job to help them overcome this “cold water” phase, adapt,
and progress academically and socially. Despite being at Wesleyan for only a short
period of time, I already feel that starting from the junior level, there is a big jump in
expectations as they are aware of further opportunities either for grad-schools or for
their career paths, which is great as it shows they are prepared for the future.
“Wesleyan College continues to be proud of our heritage as “Pioneers” in the education
of women,” stated Wesleyan’s Athletics Director, Patty Gibbs. “Our student-athletes are
also proud to be part of the NCAA and have been wanting a symbol to generate excitement and energize school spirit around athletics. [...] The attributes of a wolf – courage,
strength, loyalty, and success – are all characteristics of Wesleyan women, so this is a
very appropriate and tting mascot for us to adopt.”
What is the most common issue that students have encountered, based on your experience so far?
Denitely time-management. I’ve met with many students of different classes who have
come with this issue; at the same time, the program that we offer this semester called
CLASS (Collaboratively Learning about Academic Successful Skills – author) address a
lot of similar concerns and it has been very successful!
This fall, Wesleyan has made signicant improvements and constantly scored wins in
soccer and in volleyball. Highlights from the 2013-14 school year to date include:
How do you often propose to tackle such problem?
Usually I would start with asking how they are currently managing their time; although
most of the students have a decent planner, there is a difference between planning it and
actually following it. Therefore, we offer several basic time-management tools here at
the academic centre, whether it is the monthly/weekly/hourly break-down of how to use
your time, or meet up with students. I also always remind students of this “2 Weeks and
3 R” rule that you should prepare for your test at least 2 weeks in advance, and nish
your readings 3 days prior to the discussion in class.
I understand that students at times hesitate to open up, but again, “you get what you
give.” There is absolutely no stigma in asking for help, everyone would have to at least
ask for help once in their academic career; students at all levels have come with questions, and great students always know when and where they should ask for help.
Wesleyan’s soccer team has increased its roster size to 25 athletes and currently has a
record of 8-7.
Wesleyan soccer has had individuals recognized four out of eight weeks as the Great
South Athletic Conference Player of the Week.
Freshman soccer player Leah McLeod set the single season record for goals scored
with 12 thus far this year.
Wesleyan’s soccer and volleyball teams are currently ranked 2nd in the Great South
Athletic Conference.
Wesleyan volleyball earned its rst ever Great South Athletic Conference Player of the
Week honor.
Wesleyan volleyball earned two wins over Division II Fort Valley State University this
season.
What does the word “success” mean to you?
I think that everyone has very unique expectations and therefore very different denition of “success.” So far I’m helping students to gure out what “success” means to
them without imposing my own denition on them. By asking them questions, and
answering their questions, I could nd out what they expect to achieve at Wesleyan,
what their goals in academia and, in a broader sense, in life, so that I could direct them
toward their own “success.”
Thank you for your time!
Page 3
CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT
Music Review
“I Sold My Bed, but Not My Stereo!”
A Review of Music Midtown 2013
Ashlee Day
Staff Writer/
Layout Editor
(Continued from page 1) ....Even though
was pouring rain for most of the day, I had
the opportunity to see a few of my favorite
artists live with a crowd of around 100,000
people and I had one of the greatest (and
muddiest) times of my life. During the day
I
was able, to catch, whether in full or for
few songs: Capital Cities, Arctic Monkeys,
Imagine Dragons, Kendrick Lamar, and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Arriving at Music Midtown was actually
more of an ordeal than I expected, sure I
knew it would rain but when I woke up
Saturday morning it was not just raining it
was pouring. So with rain poncho in tow
and prayers that I would not catch pneumonia, I, and my best friend and fellow
Wesleyanne, Paula Lockhart set off towards Altanta for the musical adventure of a life
time. We arrived to the actual festival later than expected disappointingly missing the
performance of a band that I really enjoy and have already had the privilege of seeing
live previously, The Neigbourhood, (check out their song “Sweater Weather” to get a
glimpse of their unique combination of what they refer to as “dark pop”). I did at lease
get to hear them as I waited in the ticket line to get in the park. But once we were in we
set off to see our rst performance of the day, Los Angeles natives Capital Cities.
Trying to watch an outdoor concert in the rain can be miserable but, seeing
Capital Cities made me forget all about that and instead transported me to a dance party
on a beautiful summer’s day. The band, which consists of two vocalists who also play
keys and synthesizer along with a trumpet player, and bass guitarist, a unique combination of instruments if you’ve ever seen one, played exciting set of upbeat pop that
lifted the mood of the entire crowd. The highlights of their performance was the crowd
sing along to their song “I Sold My Bed, but Not My Stereo” which is about the power
of music, as well as the crowd dance along learning the Capital Cities Shufe, and of
course them performing their most popular single “Safe and Sound”. With their matching varsity jackets, and lively performances I was glad they were the rst act I got to
experience at the Festival.
it
I was excited for the next show we planned on seeing because we were seeing
a band that I would strongly argue is my favorite band ever. This band I speak of is the
Arctic Monkeys, the four piece, from Shefeld, England is known throughout the UK
for having the fastest selling debut album of all time and even performed at the 2012
Olympics in London. As much as I love
this band I had never seen them in concert
before so this was an opportunity that I knew
I couldn’t pass up. And it was absolutely
amazing! The band performed a mix of songs
from all ve of their studio albums including
fan favorites, “I Bet That You Look Good on
the Danceoor”, “Florescent Adolescent,” and
also selections from their excellent fth album released in September, AM, “Do I Wanna
Know?” and “Arabella”. Lead singer, Alex
Turner, wearing a silver tuxedo jacket and his
hair slicked back, looked like he had just stepped out of Grease and his performance
was electric I sang and danced along to every single song and the band not only met but
exceeded my expectations..
After the Arctic Monkeys, the great debate of the day commenced because two
artists I was very excited to see Tegan and Sara and Imagine Dragons were scheduled
at the same time. Also I hadn’t eaten all day and it was approaching dinner time and
I wanted to be able to grab something to eat as well. After much debates about things
such as which band’s discography we were more familiar with and location of the
stages to food, and next performers. We agreed to just get dinner and watch some of
Imagine Dragons before heading to Kendrick Lamar. We ended up catching the performance of their hit single “Radioactive” seeing a crowd of tens of thousands singing
along and watching the band execute one of the most exciting percussion solos I had
ever seen was fantastic and I was glad that I got to witness it.
Next up was Kendrick Lamar, who besides Arctic Monkeys is one of my favorite artists out right now. He is a rapper who recently released his debut studio album
“good kid, m.A.A.d. city” and has received wide critical and commercial success for
songs such as “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “Poetic Justice” which features Drake.
The crowd for Kendrick Lamar was denitely intense, and exceedingly diverse including young and old, as well as people of all different ethnic and racial backgrounds,
which I loved seeing especially for a Hip Hop artist. Even arriving to the stage nearly an hour before
the show started there were already an outrageously
large number of people waiting. It did get uncomfortable waiting in a muddy eld, covered in the
rain from several hours earlier but when the wait
was over the show we witness was phenomenal.
The entire crowd was fully immersed in Kendrick
Lamar’s performance as he powered through songs
such as “Backstreet Freestyle” and songs from his
previously release mixtapes such as “A.D.H.D.”
the energy was high. Despite technical difculties
which led to some unrest amongst the crowd, the
show was denitely amongst one of the best concerts I have ever attended.
As our day came to a close and we went from skipping exuberance to foot
dragging exhaustion. We settled in to watch the headliner, Red Hot Chili Peppers. We
heard them perform “Dani California” and “Snow (Hey Oh)”. We stayed until we literally felt our eyelids closing and realized we were going to have to call it a night before
the encore but, watching them was well worth it because we got to see a band that are
musical legends in person and provided a tting ending to a long and music lled day.
Overall, my inaugural visit to the Music Midtown 2013, was both enjoyable and unforgettable. All the artists, Capital Cities, Arctic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, Kendrick
Lamar and Red Hot Chili Peppers put on amazing shows. My only regret is that I didn’t
get to see more artists that were there perform including The Neighbourhood, Tegan
and Sara, Queens of the Stone Age, and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs. It also made me realize
how much I enjoy attending concerts and made me appreciate the way music can bring
people together from all walks of life. I think
through this experience I have ofcially caught
festival fever and hope I can go to more in
2014!
Images by CatMax Photography, LLC; Chris
McKay; and Perry Julian
Movie Review
The Great Gatsby
Angela Yang
Staff Writer
Baz Luhrmann is an excellent
director to present Armour with his post-modernism style
in the movie. From Romeo+Juliet to Moulin Rouge! , all
those armours between young man and woman is incredibly romantic and sad.
Some movie viewers criticize the director for not
using Jazz music to t the golden 20s era. I personally
think that all the music that Luhrmann used in the movie
matches to push the mood of the movie and catch the
pace of it.
It is hard to present a story that many people know
in a movie. There has been too many adaptations of
Fitzgerald’s original story, but it seems like none of them
really did a good job. However, Luhrmann clearly did a
good job in visualizing the story that everyone is familiar with.
In the early 20s, the Great Depression was destroying American Dreams, Wall
Street was breaking down, and everyone was gradually losing himself or herself over
the materialized world. The social structure was collapsing. People like Gatsby, who are
from the lower classes of society, got chances to make a fortune and rise to the higher
class. However, class is not simply a matter of “money” but of hierarchy. Gatsby has
never really been in the life of Daisy nor the class of capitalists. Does Gatsby really love
Daisy? It is hard to tell. Daisy, or Daisy’s old money class, is the green light to Gatsby:
it looks so touchable, but he can never reach it.
All the noise and loudness of all those music and visual effects contributed to present
a fallen world without faith. However, the suddenness and darkness at the end of the
movie indicates how ridiculous all of those things are. Our man Cinderella died to protect his princess while the true Princess never left her Prince.
Page 4
Say Kimchee!
Mai Huong Phung
Staff Writer
Seoul for the
braves!
You denitely
heard a lot about
the political tension
between North and
South Korea earlier
this year. Guess
what? That was
exactly when we
decided to go and
stay in Seoul for as
exchange students
for a semester at
Ewha University. Either to ght or to die. International airports were almost empty, and
a couple exchange students at Ewha left Korea (and obviously left behind all the best
parts!). My mom called me every day just to make sure I was still, well, alive.
Life, in fact, went on normally in Seoul. Can’t expect all those busy working people to
just dig a tunnel, stay there the whole day, eating sweet potatoes, and waiting for the
war to come. So we’re all here, safe and sound, and nally, nally, have a story to tell
our children and grandchildren, or anyone who will never be able to test the story, that
we were once so young and brave, and we had fun in our twenties.
And Seoul for the art lovers
My favorite place to hang out on the weekends (or every day) had to be the Hongdae
area. It’s the peak of the indi culture among the youth. Street artists and musicians are
everywhere on the streets. We often hung
around on the streets, having food on the go,
or maybe spending a couple hours singing
karaoke in a random noraebang (karaoke
box) and forgot the world.
I remember it well. The last time I ever
went to Hongdae, I passed by a gay couple
doing a duet with Damien Rice’s Blower’s
Daughter, eyes gazing at each other, hearts
in full bloom. So I came back, sat with them
for hours as they went through other song in
Damien’s depressing collection. How sad, and
how wonderful, that last farewell.
I guess I have been wordy enough about my
personal experience. I miss Seoul too much.
It is a beautiful city, inside and out. Warning:
any unbearably boring part here is due to my
writing technique. I suggest you all come,
experience things for yourself, and write your
own story.
*Pictures are taken either by me, Kelly Steele,
Allison Pope or Huong Ha, except for the
A Girl’s Guide to Starting Over
Gloria Oduyoye
Staff Writer/Co-Events Editor
Have you ever felt like your exerting so much energy, but the most progress
you make is a lateral move that-a-ways? It can be frustrating when you dwell on it – disappointing, really. But what can we do to turn things around. I am by no means going
to advise you to paint an empty smile across your face if you don’t feel like smiling.
Honestly, all that would result in is a perplexing Mona Lisa complex, where your outer
appearance does not match up with your inner emotions. So what can you do? Sometimes chocolate does the trick. At other times it’s watching movies with good friends.
But what about when you just can’t seem to get out of that slump? I think, my dear, it is
time for a do over!
The rst thing to address when starting over is the removal of all the things that
remind you of what is bogging you down. This can seem almost unbearable at the time,
but once you’ve done it, you’ll realize that you can live without that special thing or
someone. And you’re that much stronger for it.
Seoul to the culinary lovers (a.k.a FOOD, FOOD EVERYWHERE)
One of the rst and foremost reasons that kept us from leaving Seoul was food. Super delicious oriental food at extremely reasonable
prices. A standard Korean BBQ buffet, which allows
you to eat as much meat, all kinds, as you want, costs
around 8,000 – 12,000 won (roughly $8-$12) per
person. So meat lovers, please go to Korea.
Street food includes chicken sticks, toekbokki (Korean rice cake), Japanese takoyaki, and many more!
Most of them are in hot sauce, super-hot sauce, so
yes before being able to tell you this, my tongue was on re a couple times.
20 is the legal age to
drink alcohol in South
Korea, so by the time I
got there, I was able to
legally get a shot or two.
Soju is the most popular
alcoholic beverage, but
we enjoyed makkholi, a
rice-originated wine, way
more. It’s sweet, smells
beautiful, and tastes great
at barbecue buffets.
Next is to forgive those who have hurt you in the past. Forgiveness is more
about you than it is about anyone else. Forgive so that you can move on to the bigger
and greater things for which you were destined. There’s a saying that goes, “to forgive
is to set a prisoner free…and to discover that that prisoner was you.”
Easy, right? Yeah, I know; not so much. Those are, however, the most daunting
steps, I promise. Here comes the fun part!
Step three: Makeover! We’re young; this is the time to experiment with your
look. If you’ve been dying to try that new hair cut or color, go for it. Maybe your
wardrobe needs some brightening. A trip to the mall [read: the thrift store] can change
all that. You’ll have great pictures and stories to tell when you’re older! It’s important
to note that makeovers don’t just encompass your clothes, hair, and other aesthetics,
though. A full makeover includes a change in your outlook on the world. Think about
what it is that you truly want. Be honest with yourself; no can hear your thoughts. And
like how you boldly changed your look, fearlessly go for what it is that you want.
Finally, nd a new love. At times you may feel as if you’ll never love again,
especially when love has turned sour in the past. But what may not be as apparent is that
your new love is waiting for you to discover it. Maybe it’s painting, or volunteering, or
even taking up a new sport. When you go out on a limb to reinvent yourself, chances are
you’ll discover a more dynamic, one-of-a-kind you – and your newfound passion may
even lead you to that special someone.
When you’re in the midst of a bad situation, it’s so hard to see the light at the
end of the tunnel. Just know that it’s there, and, eventually, you’ll get there, too. I know
how hard it is to give yourself a fresh start. But think about this: the rst day of the rest
of your life begins now.
Page 5
ART REVIEW
Yun-Zhu Lin Exhibition at Wesleyan College
Camille Pegram
Staff Writer
This September Wesleyan College was granted the opportunity to exhibit 20
original works of art by Chinese artist Yunzhu Lin. As a graduate of Xiamen College of
Arts and Crafts in 1961, Lin specializes in realistic painting and gure drawing. With
an impressive curriculum vitae that includes critical appraisal by the Chinese Artist
Association and art work included in the 2008 Olympic Arts Conference and Exhibition
of Works by Celebrated Artists, Wesleyan College was honoured by Ms. Lin’s gracious
donation of two of her original paintings to the school’s permanent collection. The rst
painting, Confucius, The Old Man is dedicated to the college’s newly established Confucius Institute, and the second work entitled The Three Sisters of the Soong Family,
was given in honour of Wesleyan’s rst Chinese graduates in 1913. Both works of art
were dedicated to Wesleyan at the annual fall convocation on September 10, 2013. The
exhibit’s opening night, also September 10, was exquisitely arranged and presented by
the college’s Center for Creative and Performing Arts (under the guidance of Director
Lisa Sloben) and is currently located in the West Gallery of the Porter Fine Arts Building.
The exhibit’s subject matter ranged from scenes depicting eeting moments of
everyday life to religious ceremonies and landscapes, yet one underlying theme is the
artist’s love for natural beauty. Each frame was roughly the same length, height, and
width. They did not appear to be hung in any particular order which gave the exhibit
an element of spontaneity. The exhibit effortlessly combined the notion of a strong
reverence for nature with the celebration of humanity. A clear example of this concept
can be seen in Quest for Lotus, a painting that depicts
a woman contemplating nature and happiness. The
gure holds a blue fan with a pink lotus painted on
its exterior. She gazes at the ower inquisitively as if
she has just discovered a spiritual connection to the
plant. Her facial expression is a mixture of excitement
and curiosity. The gure’s ne drapery, jewellery, and
oral head piece emphasize her femininity and careful
attention is placed on the background of the image.
The gure appears to be standing against the wall of
a building, perhaps a garden with additional brightly
colored plants and owers. In Yunzhu Lin’s paintings
the use of thin meticulous lines, bright colors and oral motifs stress the importance of
maintaining the essence of traditional Chinese painting.
Some of the same concepts seen in Quest for Lotus appear in Lin’s more
spiritual painting entitled, Blessing Bodhisattva. Here, the Buddha is preparing to bless
the people by ceremoniously dipping a plant into a golden bowl of holy water. The
vibrant colors evoke a sense of happiness and joy. The gure is represented standing
on a lotus ower in an elaborate yellow, green, and red garment with white beads and a
gold beaded head piece that drapes past his shoulders. The lower half of the composition envelops the Buddha in grey clouds of smoke created with curvilinear motifs that
somewhat resemble owers. I found this painting especially pleasant because of brightness of the jewellery and garment. Even though the subject matter is more spiritual and
contemplative, the artist creates movement with many stimulating visual patterns.
Overall I found the exhibit to be a wonderful and meditative yet exciting experience.
Each painting captured my interest through Yunzhu Lin’s hypnotic use of color and
intricate patterns. If anyone is interested in seeing this exhibit I would highly recommend going alone and allowing oneself plenty of time to analyze each painting in order
to fully appreciate the ingenuity of this artist’s creativity.
CURRENT AFFAIRS
A Guide to the Understanding of the Syrian Conict
Claire Helm
Staff Writer/ Co-Event Editor
(continued from page 1)
This is a hard situation for any outsider to understand but it’s
also important because the outcome and the way to it may or
may not end up creating even worse effects on Syrians and
the surrounding countries in the Middle East. Especially since the chemical weapons
attack back in August that killed up to 1,300 Syrians, the U.S. has been at the forefront
of countries willing to take signicant action. The U.S. has considered military intervention with “boots on the ground”, air strikes to take out the government’s chemical
weapons facilities, and the recently decided on way of handling the situation: calling in
a non-governmental organization.
What you’re hearing about now is nothing new. The Assad government (Assad
is the name of the family that has held power in Syria since the 1970s) didn’t start
killing rebels back in August, or even earlier this year. The Syrian civil war started in
March 2011 after a peaceful protest against Assad government turned violent when it
reacted by killing the activists. Instead of retreating from President Bashar al-Assad’s
forces though, Syrians began forming opposition groups to ght back. By the time the
infamous chemical weapons attack happened in August, tens of thousands of Syrians
had already been killed by bombings, shootings, decapitations, and possibly smaller
chemical attacks. But the August attack apparently crossed what our president called a
“red line” in 2012. That’s when the U.S. began to offer solutions that have gained both
supporters and adversaries.
One of the initial ideas was to punish Bashar al-Assad by launching airstrikes
at Syria. Advocates of this option say that it would send a stern message and may get
him to stop using chemical weapons against Syrians, but keep U.S. forces out which
would supposedly lessen the chance of becoming involved in the long run and keep our
troops out of harm’s way.
Opponents claim that airstrikes may not actually decrease our chance of
becoming too deeply involved in the long run, may accidentally kill too many civilians,
and may make the situation worse in other ways.
Stripping Bashar al-Assad of power was another option, although again, not
thought to be a very realistic one. The positive side would be that the oppressive leader
is out of power, but critics point out that it could cause some of the same problems as
airstrikes. And, getting rid of one oppressive leader doesn’t necessarily mean that another won’t quickly try to take his place.
Another option has been for the U.S. to intervene militarily, or put “boots on
the ground” in Syria itself. This has probably been the most controversial option.
Supporters may say that the U.S. has a responsibility to protect Syrians because
this is a humanitarian disaster and our government has publicly disapproved of the use
of chemical weapons, or that using our military is the only way to dismantle a dangerous and oppressive government.
Opponents claim that it would be too costly nancially, may result in unintended consequences like killing more civilians rather than saving them, or drag the U.S.
into another drawn-out conict in the Middle East.
Another idea has been to try and get the rebels and the Assad government to
negotiate, but it hasn’t worked out so far.
The latest option, and the one the Assad government seems to be going with
so far, is for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to go
into Syria and take apart every single chemical weapons facility. The OPCW is a nongovernmental organization that was created in 1997 with the mission of decreasing the
world’s supply of chemical weapons by 80%.
The danger of this option is that OPCW workers would be crossing through
areas of conict. Negotiations with ghters to temporarily halt activity in areas where
the OPCW will need to work would be likely. A possible start date for this option is
mid-November, with completion by mid-2014 to be expected.
Getting rid of the Syrian government’s chemical weapons reserves sounds like
a great way to go right now, but putting so much focus on chemical weapons all of a
sudden has met a lot of backlash.
Critics point out that the U.S. stood by and did nothing for over two years before the attack happened in August. They recognize that many of the world’s countries
have come together to set a standard against the use of chemical weapons, but say that
to take action now would look like a way of saving face instead of doing much to really
help Syrians.
Critics also say that while outsiders can draw lines between chemical attacks
and those using other types of weapons, Syrians don’t know the difference. Their livelihoods, homes, and families are being destroyed while foreigners measure what kind
of weapon used to kill them matters more. They point out that at least 100,000 Syrians
have died since 2011, while up to 1,300 were killed in the chemical weapons attack in
August.
....
(continued on page 7)
Page 6
A Guide to the Understanding... (continued from page 6)
This doesn’t necessarily mean that sending OPCW in to get rid of the government’s chemical weapons facilities is useless, but that there could be more pressing matters to take care of. But some say that with the situation in Syria getting worse, maybe
chemical weapons should be put on the back burner.
More cynical critics also claim that dismantling chemical weapons is less about
helping Syrians than about making sure foreign threats have fewer means to terrorize
the U.S. with. To them, the U.S. has its own advantage in certain kinds of weapons and
wants to destroy weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons) in other countries so that enemies wouldn’t be on the same playing eld as the U.S.
if a war were to happen.
People who support doing something about the August attack say that it’s important for governments to uphold standards they have set for the use of such weapons.
To turn a blind eye now would be like giving the green light for others to use chemical
weapons against their citizens in the future.
They also believe, unlike many critics, that chemical weapons are different
because they may be able to kill many more people at once than guns or bombs.
Aside from the chemical weapons debate, other problems are now developing
in Syria and complicating the situation even more.
Groups linked with al-Qaeda have recently been taking root in some northern
villages, which would challenge any future efforts at replacing the Assad government
with a democratically elected one.
Another issue involves the largest group that has formed to represent the opposition to the Assad government, the Syrian National Council (SNC). While the United
States, Russia, and the United Nations are hoping for negotiations to happen between
the rebels and Bashar al-Assad, the SNC refuses. They argue that Assad has not yet
improved the situation at all and that they would not negotiate with such a tyrannical
government.
The violent reaction against a peaceful protest in March 2011 has essentially
snowballed into a major civil war in Syria and rather than nding denitive solutions,
more problems are cropping up as time goes on. The ideal outcome would be for the
Assad government to step down and allow a democratic government to be established,
although the conict has gone so deep and created so many divisions in Syrian society
that such a solution would probably not be easy to achieve at this point.
A few problems right now are that al-Qaeda groups are gaining hold in parts
of northern Syria, the number of refugees eeing Syria into surrounding countries
(estimated to be in the millions), and that the groups who oppose the Assad government
cannot agree with each other on how to x what is happening in their country.
The violence and disagreements will likely continue, and if outside help is not
accepted, the solutions will have to come from Syrians themselves.
OPINION
Gloria Oduyoye
Staff Writer/ Event Editor
Ready or not America, Nina Davuluri is the new girl
next door – according to CNN, anyhow. Who is this woman,
you ask? Nina Davuluri was crowned the 2014 Miss America on
September 15 in Atlantic City. While there have been many faces representing the title,
Davuluri is the competition’s rst winner of Indian-American descent.
Although having accomplished a history-making feat, Davuluri was met with
some negative backlash from social media sites such as Twitter shortly after her crowning. The reason: because she is in fact Indian-American.
Davuluri has addressed negative sentiments with grace and tact, saying, “For
one negative tweet, I received dozens of positive tweets and support from not only
Indians, but the American people across the country and ... the world for that matter. It’s
been such an honor.”
Nevertheless, this event has sparked a national dialogue on the diversication of mainstream cultural norms in America. For example, one of the hottest shows
currently on television is ABC’s Scandal, starring Kerry Washington. Washington has
made headlines as the only black female lead of a primetime network drama in decades.
Her Emmy nomination for her role as xer Olivia Pope, like Davuluri’s win, is a rarity,
as she is the rst African American to score a nomination in the actress category since
Cicely Tyson in 1995.
While this beautiful land of the free offers a distinct, unique culture, it is
important to remember that it is America’s uniqueness as a melting pot full of diverse
cultures, heritages, and races the distinguishes it from the rest. In truth, Americans are
a diverse people. What unies Americans and attracts immigrants much like Davuluri’s
Indian-born parents is the belief in the American Dream: to achieve whatever it is that
you put your mind to so long as you are willing to work hard for it. Nina Davuluri’s
Americanism is not dened by how she looks or by winning a crown. Rather, Davuluri’s American quality is expressed in her beliefs that “regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or religion, anyone can become not only Miss America, but anything.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Compiled by Sunada Khadka
Staff Writer
The OPCW wins 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
The organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the body monitoring the destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal, has been awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace
Prize.
Following the chemical attacks on Syria, OPCW recently sent inspectors to supervise
the dismantling of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons. While it is OPCW’s rst time
working in an active war zone, its effort nevertheless has been a milestone in “strengthening the rule of law in the eld of disarmament and non-proliferation,” UN Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon states. OPWC grabbed the gold medal and 8m Swedish kronor
($1.25m; £780,000) as winner of the most coveted of the Nobel honors.
Though OPCW’s efforts haven’t been in the spotlight, for the past 16 years,
OPCW has been actively working to rid the world from these dangerous chemical
weapons. OPCW’s mission in Syria was its rst time working in an ongoing conict
and its resilience and determination to live up to the trust of the international community in a short timeframe has made it venerable in many regards. The head of the OPCW
inspection team in Syria, Ake Sellstrom, said: “This is a powerful pat on the back that
will strengthen the organisation’s work in Syria.”
The Nobel Committee also criticized Russia and the US for failing to meet an
April 2012 deadline to destroy their chemical weapons arsenals.
Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24490925
Stampede in India Kills 115 during a major Hindu Festival
Pilgrims visiting a temple for a popular Hindu festival in South India created
a stampede because of fear that a bridge would collapse, which crushed at least a 109
people to death. A large number of people were found injured and some are predicted to
have been washed away by the river.
A state run hospital was crowded by relatives to take the bodies after the autopsies. Volunteers and residents pulled many bodies out of the Sindh River where people
had jumped when the chaos started Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of devotees were
on the pilgrimage to the remote Ratangarh village temple in Madhya Pradesh state’s
Datia district to honor the Hindu mother goddess Durga on the last day of the popular
10-day Navaratri festival. Sunday’s stampede was the second at Ratangarh. Around 50
people died in a stampede in 2006, and a two-lane, concrete bridge was built to replace
a wooden one. An exact number of people who were walking on the bridge was not
clear when the stampede occurred but it was estimated that more than 50,000 were on
the way to the temple and some were headed home when the incident took place.
Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/stampede-hindu-templekills-dozens-india-20555977
The “Bravest Girl in the world”, Malala grabs the EU’s Sakharov
human rights prize.
Pakistani schoolgirl and campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the
Taliban, has been awarded the EU’s Sakharov human rights prize.
Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old activist from Pakistan, was shot a year ago by Taliban
for campaigning for education for girls. The Sakharov Prize for free speech is awarded
by the European Parliament annually in memory of Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov. The 50,000 euro ($65,000) prize is considered Europe’s top human rights
award.
A resident of Pakistan’s mountainous Swat Valley, Malala became known to the world
as an activist in 2009 after writing a blog anonymously for the BBC Urdu service about
her life under Taliban rule and the lack of education for girls in Swat Valley. As she
mentions the Taliban’s Islamist dogma puts harsh restrictions on women’s rights and her
attempt to raise voice against Taliban’s rule, she was shot in her head as she was riding
in a bus with school friends.
Malala received a standing ovation in July this year after her address to the United Nations General Assembly. In her speech she vowed to never keep silent. Known to the
world now as “the bravest girl in the world,” Malala has promised to continue promoting the rights of girls. Due to continuous threats from the Taliban, her family has been
moved to Birmingham in the UK. Malala joins a distinguished list of winners of the
Sakharov Prize which includes South Africa’s Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi
in Myanmar.
Malala was also one of the nominees for the 2013 Noble Peace Prize.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/malala-says-shes-no-western-puppet-111442739.html
Page 7
WESLEYAN CORNER
The First-Year Experience!
Wesleyan Market - The New
Chill Place of Macon!
By the Pirate Class of 2017
Compiled by Dziep Nguyen
Co-Editor
Claire Helm
Staff Writer/ Co-Event Editor
Hey Wesleyannes! Have you ever been
to a farmer’s market? Love the idea of shopping
local? Don’t care about shopping local but want
something fun to do? Y’all need to go down to the
Wesleyan Market soon!
The Wesleyan Market brings together artists and farmers from the middle Georgia region
with the mission of supporting local businesses
and creating a stronger sense of community here in
Macon.
Stop off at the J.C. Tea and Bakery Company, led by a couple of entrepreneurial Wesleyannes. At the October 12 market they had homemade peach and apple pies, cinnamon
rolls, white bread, wheat bread (which is totally amazing), and other delectable bakery
items. If you want something refreshing, then
stop at the bright yellow Shiver Shack truck
for some shaved ice. Mix and match delicious
avors like peach and mango or blackberry and
raspberry and then eat away under the shady
trees before playing with some of the dogs from
Save A Pet animal shelter (and see if there’s
someone in your family who’d be up for adopting one of their amazing and precious dogs).
Lately the market has been getting
Yellow Rock Farm to bring out their alpacas too,
and there’s pretty much nothing better than staring at adorable alpacas for hours on end.
You can even feed them carrots, and they’re really interested in dogs. They also enjoy
sunbathing, so maybe one of you can buy an alpaca and take it up to the deck at Hightower.
For those of you who love to cook, get some local beef, chicken, or pork and
pick up fresh veggies like eggplant, cucumbers, onions, and squash. Farms that regularly come out with fresh produce are The Little Farm, Vestereld Farms, Brandywine
Farms, Georgia Heirloom Tomatoes, Breedlove Farms, East Georgia Produce, and
Greenway Farms of Georgia. Basically, there’s a lot to choose from, and the farmers are
always happy to talk with customers and some recipe advice.
But it’s not just food! There are a lot of vendors with homemade crafts as well.
Beautifully decorated wooden boxes, colorful hand-sewn tote bags, jewelry, and mugs
are some of the things you can expect to see at nearly every market. And with winter
coming on handmade scarves should starting making their way out as well.
There’s also a Wesleyan Market Facebook page that you can like to get regular
updates about when the next market is and which bakers, farmers, artists, and non-profits will be there. Photos of each market are also put up so you can check out the alpacas
whenever you want.
WESLEYAN CROSSWORD
12. What is the ofcial
descriptor for the
Pirate class?
Down
1. What do you call a
Wesleyan student as
well as the name of a
choir on campus?
3. What does every
Wesleyan student follow?
4. Purple Knights
are the Order of the
_____.
5. One cheer that all
Across
classes share.
2. Golden Hearts are win- 6. The rst-year’s link
ners from the _____!
to the senior class
8. After singing this, there is their ____ senior
can be no more cheering sister.
for 24 hours.
7. Upon which do
9. The name of the “iniGreen Knights sober
tiation ceremony” before up?
LINKS?
11. In 1993, the Pirate
10. What do Green
class voted to remove
Knights historically pro- _____ from their
tect? The ____.
name.
This year, the “old, tired” seniors of the Wesleyan Word staff has
come up with a wild idea to help our fellow Purple Knights walk
down the memory lane and recall our years here at Wesleyan. By compiling photos of
the rst-year students, followed by the sophomores, juniors, and seniors, we hope that
you could see the differences in the spirit, the lifestyle, even fashion, (and different levels of procrastination, perhaps). Here are the beautiful faces of the Pirate Class of 2017!
Page 8