Weber Tierney Family profiled in NY Times

Gay Couples Say Civil Unions Aren’t Enough

Eager to celebrate their partnership, Tracy and Katy Weber Tierney were among the first in line when Connecticut created civil unions three years ago as a way to formalize same-sex relationships without using the word “marriage.”

But when Tracy was giving birth to their son, Jake, five months ago, a hospital employee inquired whether she was “married, single, divorced or widowed.”

“I’m in a civil union,” she replied. When the employee checked “single,” Tracy protested. “I’m actually more married than single,” she said, leaving the employee flustered about how to proceed.

That conundrum is at the core of a case on which the Connecticut Supreme Court is expected to rule soon. It presents a new constitutional challenge to the political compromise that several states have made in recent years to grant rights to gay and lesbian couples while preserving the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and woman. At the same time, the state legislature’s joint Judiciary Committee has scheduled a public hearing in Hartford on Monday to consider amending the civil union law in light of complaints from same-sex couples that the measure had not delivered the equal rights it had promised. The committee passed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage, 27-15, last year, but it was never put to a full vote of the legislature.

Read the rest of the article

On her way to being a conducting superstar!

The Beaumont Texas Journal has a article up about the search for a new conductor for the Symphony of Southeast Texas and our own Carolyn Kuan is at the top of the list.

Best of Wishes Carolyn!

Symphony of Southeast Texas returns to Julie Rogers for opener
Search for conductor begins with Carolyn Kuan

Conductor candidate Carolyn Kuan of Seattle, will lead the Symphony of Southeast Texas in its Sept. 15 season opener.
The Symphony of Southeast Texas is sporting a new look this year. The orchestra returns home to the beautifully restored Julie Rogers Theatre with the opening concert of the 2007- 2008 season. This season also marks the symphony's search to select a new Music Director/Conductor of the orchestra.

Audience members will have a chance throughout the season to cast their vote for the new leader of the orchestra.

The first concert of the season will be Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. Carolyn Kuan, of Seattle, leads the orchestra through three late romantic period masterpieces. Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from his unfinished opera, Prince Igor, will be immediately recognizable to audience members. The main dance theme was used in the 1953 Broadway hit Kismet.

Read The Rest of the Article

Creating her first feature-length documentary

Our own Julie Casper Roth is profiled in Wisconsin's The Daily Telegram about her new documentary project. Julie also won Best Experimental Film and Best of Smith College at the 2007 Five College Film Festival for her film Object Lesson.

Documentary captures story of first gay club in Superior and its owner The Daily Telegram - 08/31/2007

The Main Club is the subject of a documentary by a Superior native.

Julie Casper Roth is planning to shoot her first feature-length documentary on the history of Superior’s first openly gay club and its owner, Bob Jannsen. ... Roth wants Northlanders, and the rest of the nation, to know more about the club.

“There’s an amazing history with the Main Club, and it’s almost a hidden history,” she said. “People in town will benefit from learning about the Main and the benefit it has in the community.” ...

When she moved away from Superior for college in Massachusetts, Roth attended Smith College in Northampton, a community with a vibrant gay community, she said. Seeing that vibrancy, Roth began to wonder about the gay community back in the Twin Ports. During college, Roth started working with experimental and documentary video. Since then, her work has been screened at film festivals and she’s won awards for her work.

Many of the films Roth makes deal with identity. She’s visited the topics of motherhood, mental illness, gender and sexuality in the past. This film follows that interest because it allows her to explore how people mediate GLBT identity within the Superior area, she said.

Read the entire article.

Katrina Gamble published in Legislative Studies Quarterly

Our own Katrina Gamble's findings on racial differences among legislators participating in select House committees are published in the current issue of Legislative Studies Quarterly.

Black Legislators More Active Than White Counterparts, Study Finds
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In a behind-the-scenes analysis of the U.S. Congress, Brown University political scientist Katrina Gamble found that black representatives put more time and resources than white representatives into developing policies and advocating for legislation of interest to African Americans. Furthermore, Gamble’s findings indicate that black representatives are more actively involved on legislation of all types – not just on bills benefiting African American constituents. Her research focused on three committees in the House of Representatives from the 107th Congress, in session through 2001 and 2002. The findings are published in the current issue of Legislative Studies Quarterly.

“With Congress becoming increasingly diverse, it is crucial to study how diversity affects deliberation, discussion, and policy outcomes,” said Gamble, assistant professor of political science at Brown. “These findings demonstrate that diverse political institutions are important for providing political representation to racial minorities. As we see more and more African Americans run for state-wide and national office it is significant to know that many black politicians work as advocates for racial minorities, but are also active on a variety of issues relevant to all Americans.”

Read the rest of the Brown Press Release

Her life's a real circus

The Madison Capital Times has a great story about our own Krin Haglund. Shortly after graduation Krin succumbed to the pull of the circus and is now planning to create her own troop. Congrats Krin and best wishes!

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Her life's a real circus: Multifaceted performer with Canadian troupe is coming home
MONTREAL -- Here are the clues.

When Krin Haglund was a little girl, her dad would tip her upside-down every day. In the Madison family's archives is a snapshot of her at age 6, fixated on performers in Baraboo.

This is a woman who has long loved the circus, but it wasn't until age 21 that she decided to join one. Nothing has shattered her dream, but events have challenged it, and she continues to reinvent herself as a professional clown, comedienne, aerialist and acrobat.

Since 2002, she has performed with Cirque Eloize, a 13-year-old Canadian company that travels the world, most recently returning from the Chekhov Festival in Moscow. It was in Germany two months before that.

Haglund will lead a two-day clowning workshop next month in Madison. The Cirque Eloize cast of 12 will come to Milwaukee in November to present "Rain," a globally acclaimed theatrical and acrobatic tribute to childhood.

Read the rest of the article

Cirque Eloize in action. Krin is in many of the shots in this clip.

Simon Aronoff profiled in MetroWeekly

Our own Simon Aronoff is on the cover of the July 26th MetroWeekly for his work as the deputy director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Read Simon Says: Simon Aronoff just wants equality -- for everyone.

The interview with Simon is great, as is his commitment to social justice and equality.

Congratulations Simon on all your work!

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Highlights Carolyn Kuan

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer had a great article on our own Carolyn Kuan and her post at the Seattle Symphony Orchestra last week. I have included the first few paragraphs below with a link to the full article.

If you are in the Seattle area show your support of Carolyn and check out one of the shows she is conducting. See her bio at the Seattle Symphony site.

Congrats Carolyn on all your success!

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New Seattle Symphony associate conductor is aiming for the top
By R.M. CAMPBELL - P-I MUSIC CRITIC

It was only last year when Marin Alsop was named music director of the Baltimore Symphony that she became the first woman to lead a major American orchestra.

However, for Carolyn Kuan, women on the podium is a non-issue.

"It's not a subject I bring up," said Kuan, who recently was promoted, a year ahead of schedule, to associate conductor of the Seattle Symphony. "There are so many other things to discuss." But, she added, "I think I have been very fortunate."

Two decades ago, no major management firm represented a female conductor, top-flight orchestras rarely had women musicians and female music directors were, almost without exception, found only in regional orchestras. The pioneers were few, among them Antonia Brica, Sarah Caldwell and Eve Queler. Today, there are 30 or so scattered across the country, from nations as diverse as China and Finland, and leading the parade into more important jobs.

Kuan, whose biggest conducting assignment of her first season in Seattle comes this week, is with an orchestra that had one of the first women music directors. Mary Davenport-Enberg took the baton in 1921 and led the symphony for a couple of years.

It's no surprise that Alsop is a major role model for the 30-year-old Kuan, who not only admired her from afar but up close.
Read the Rest of the Article

A '99 Showing at Cannes Short Film Corner

Francesca Nadel (1999) writes that after completing her Master 1 in Political Science at the Sorbonne last year, she decided to remain in Paris and return to cinema. She recently produced her first short film, Dans les règles de l'art, which was presented at the 2007 Cannes Short Film Corner.

Summary of the Film from the Cannes Short Film Corner:
Joshua Sylla, young artist in the underground parisian scene, entertains an adulterous relationship with the wife of an afluent business man. She, on the other hand, flaunts him right under the nose of her unknowning husband by organizing his art exhibit.

Maxime, able and sly accountant, attempts to convince his employer to launder stolen company money.

But, beware as not all will be winners in the end...

A few stills from the movie below:


Congrats on the success Francesca!!!

Krin ran away with the circus!

Krin Haglund continues her circus endeavors and is currently performing with Cirque Eloize "Rain" and on occasion is the circus MC/artistic director for the band the Dresden Dolls. Krin is on their new DVD shot in London last fall. Krin works mostly as a clown, single wheel acrobat and aerialist, but has been beginning to direct and coach lately.


"Rain" is getting great reviews. The New York Times reviewed the performance as "accomplished circus and theater. There are tricks galore, but the spectacular physicality of the performers is bent towards something more profound - a whimsical and moving journey through the topography of the human mind." The Boston Globe gave an equally glowing review and even singled out Krin as a "standout" saying that "Haglund’s character gives the show its most heartrending moment."

2007 US Dates Left for Rain
March 24 - Davis, CA -Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts
March 27 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Harman Hall
March 30 - Lancaster, CA - Lancaster Perf. Arts Center
March 31 - April 08 - Irvine, CA - Irvine Barclay Theatre
April 10 - 11 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center
April 13 - 14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall

"Rain" will also be in Europe this summer and Krin says she would love to meet up with Smithies on the tour!

Congrats on all the success Krin!!!

Malian's Song

Marge Bruchac (Ada '99) recently published her newest children's book, "Malian's Song", which illustrates the experience of two young Abenaki girls during Robert Roger's 1759 raid. The book was selected as an "Editor's Choice" by the New York Times Book Review. Congratulations Marge!


The Vermont Folklife Center describes the story in the following way:
In the words of a young Abenaki girl, Malian’s Song tells the true story of the deliberate English attack by British Major Robert Rogers on the St. Francis Abenaki community near Montréal in 1759. Jeanne Brink, a descendant of Malian living in Vermont, told the little-known Abenaki version of the brutal attack--which stands in direct contrast to Rogers’ surviving journal records--to the Vermont Folklife Center. The only picture book to present this key piece of North American history from the Native American perspective, Malian’s Song underscores the Abenaki people’s strength and fortitude in the face of unspeakable loss.

Congrats to Chris Gajilan

Chris Gajilan ('99) won an emmy last September at the 27th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Feature Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast" for her work as producer on Anderson Cooper 360. The feature story was Charity Hospital.

Congrats Chris!!!!!

Conducting her destiny

Another wonderful article about our own Carolyn Kuan appeard in the Seattle Times over the weekend. Congratulations Carolyn!

Conducting her destiny
Smith alumna Carolyn Kuan '99, the new assistant conductor of the Seattle Symphony, said that although she considered a career in computer science, musical conducting drew her because "it was the thing I understood the least. In the process of sharing what you learn with people, you see how music moves people and makes life more beautiful."

Read the entire article about Carolyn

Smithie Fulbrights Everywhere

This year Smith was the #1 top producing bachelor's institution for 2005 Fulbright Scholars. Smith boasts the highest number of U.S. Fulbright Scholars this year with a total 16 awards. Even better news is that the class of 1999's own Cassie Hays was among this year's scholars. Congrats Cassie and congrats to Smith!

The school listings are located here in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Congratulations Robyn!

Robyn Marasco has been named a new tenure track assistant professor at Williams College in political science. She was a government and philosophy major at Smith and received her Ph.D. in political science from the UC Berkeley in 2006. At Berkeley she won the Continuing Students Fellowship in 2005. Her doctoral dissertation is titled "Critique on the Heights of Despair: Politics, Philosophy, and the Persistence of Hope."
From iBerkshire News

Who You Know

So this is a little behind, but it is still very exciting. Earlier this summer Ernessa Carter co-wrote and co-produced a promo for a series called Who You Know. She and her co-writers/producers entered the promo into a FX Channel competition to find the best pitch for a new series. Back in June they found out they were in the top 20. (YAY!) Result of the contest were announced on FX at the end of June (sorry about being so behind Ernessa). While they did not win, Ernessa's promo placed in the top 5. Congratulations Ernessa!!!!!!

Check out Ernessa's blog to see what she is working on next... I love the the movie reviews.

Making History at the Seattle Symphony

Carolyn Kuan, Smith '99, will become the first Asian American assistant director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra this fall.

Check out the full story.

Congrats Carolyn!