The Trinity Reporter CELEBRATING CINESTUDIO - The student-founded movie theater marks 50 years on campus
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The Trinity CELEBRATING Reporter C I N E ST U D I O The student-founded movie theater marks WINTER 2020 50 years on campus ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Women at the Summit: 50 Years of Coeducation at Trinity College
C O N T E N T S F E A T U R E S 10 Women at the Summit: 50 Years of Coeducation at Trinity College Advocates for equality These alumni work to empower women 16 Celebrating Cinestudio The student-founded movie theater marks 50 years on campus 22 Breakthroughs in treating genetic illnesses D. Holmes Morton, M.D., IDP’79 dedicates career to Amish, Mennonite children 26 From student to staff member Young alumni pay it forward as Trinity employees 31 We are the Class of 2023 Catching up with six members of Trinity’s Bicentennial Class 38 The campaign for Trinity athletics Fundraising effort ‘will impact every student and team’ ON THE COVER A new, color-changing neon sign welcomes patrons to Cinestudio, the on-campus independent movie theater celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. P H OTO : H E L D E R M I R A
D E P A R T M E N T S 03 ALONG THE WALK 06 VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT 07 AROUND HARTFORD 08 TRINITY TREASURE 43 CLASS NOTES 74 IN MEMORY 78 ALUMNI EVENTS 80 ENDNOTE T H E T R I N I T Y R E P O RT E R Vol. 50, No. 2, Winter 2020 Published by the Office of Communications, Trinity College, Hartford, CT 06106. Postage paid at Hartford, Connecticut, and additional mailing offices. The Trinity Reporter is mailed to alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of Trinity College without charge. All publication rights reserved, and contents may be reproduced or reprinted only by written permission of the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the editor or contributors and do not reflect the official position of Trinity College. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Trinity Reporter, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106 The editor welcomes your questions and comments: Sonya Adams, Office of Communications, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106, sonya.adams@trincoll.edu, or 860-297-2143. www.trincoll.edu ON THIS PAGE Acclaimed concert organist Christopher Houlihan ’09, right, John Rose College Organist-and-Directorship Distinguished Chair of Chapel Music, performs in the Trinity College Chapel with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra during the opening concert of the 2019 Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival Hartford in September 2019. P H OTO : J O H N WOI K E / Fall 2014 / 3
LE T T E R S WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! The Trinity Reporter welcomes letters related to items published in recent issues. Please send remarks to the editor at sonya.adams@trincoll.edu or Sonya Adams, Office of Communications, Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106. MAKING PURPOSEFUL ADMIRATION FOR ALUMNUS BANTAM CONNECTIONS My name is Meaghan Race [’18, M’19]. So excited to read about Joe Catrino’s Still strange to think I’m an alumna groundbreaking work transforming since I’m not too far removed from my Trinity’s Career Development Center time at Trinity. I read the article on (“That Next Step,” spring 2019). Dr. Eric Manheimer in The Reporter Especially impressed with his inte- (“Sharing Patients’ Stories,” fall 2019) gration of design thinking from the and to be frank was overjoyed and Excellence. It was a most interesting set powerful Designing Your Life program impressed to have attended the same of discussions as the realities of going out of Stanford University. Helping college as an individual I have such coed unfolded. I was particularly fond students develop the tools to find more admiration for. I am currently work- of and respected President Lockwood’s meaningful connections between their ing in N.Y.C. at Mount Sinai Hospital leadership not only in guiding the near-term studies and their career while I apply for medical school, and board to the decision but also the tran- path is one way Trinity is setting itself I was unaware that I had a connection sitional controversies that followed. apart. This methodology resonates with Dr. Manheimer. … I simply want to I had planned to attend the celebra- with us alumni as well. As secretary for reach out to thank him. It might sound tion that occurred in San Francisco the Class of 1982, I have been hearing a little corny, but his philosophy on last year marking the start of the many fascinating updates from classmates medicine has played a huge part in events. Unfortunately, I was ill and exploring late-stage career transi- my journey toward pursuing this could not get there. The events planned tions. Whether prompted by personal career path. for the Women at the Summit program passions or triggered by forces beyond Meaghan Race ’18, M’19 this next month sound intriguing and their control, these alumni are forg- New York, New York appropriate. Alas, all are on the East ing new pathways. As someone who Coast, so I won’t be able to join but will has navigated a few career evolutions AT THE TABLE WHEN hope to see the streamed version. myself, I have come to appreciate the TRINITY WENT COED Marv Peterson ’60 help that a supportive circle provides— I may be one of the only living members Aptos, California especially the connections within our of the Board of Trustees at the time this Trinity Bantam Network. The Designing transition [to coeducation] occurred. Your Life program is a refreshing and Perhaps the only living one! I was an MORE WAYS TO CONNECT: illuminating approach. So grateful alumni trustee from 1969 to 1975 in the facebook.com/ Trinity has such an energizing leader period when the transition was taking TrinityCollege paving the way to help our students place. Interestingly, although I was and alumni forge more purposeful con- already nine years out of Trinity (Class nections going forward. of 1960), I was probably 20–25 years twitter.com/ TrinityCollege Thank you for another fascinating younger than the rest of the trustees. feature article. I had previously been president of the Ellin Carpenter Smith ’82 Boston Trinity Alumni Club and later instagram.com/ Windsor, Connecticut received the Trinity Alumni Medal for TrinityCollege 2 THE TRINITY REPORTER
ALONG THE WALK News from the Trinity community Senator speaks on gun reform The Trinity College Democrats welcomed U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Igor Volsky, founder and executive director of Guns Down America, to a Gun Violence Prevention Forum on October 4, 2019, in McCook Auditorium. Murphy, author of The Violence Inside Us, a book about the history of violence in the United States that was set to be published in January, discussed the role he has played in the gun reform move- ment and answered questions on the issue of gun violence in America today. “We need to realize that gun violence is on the radar of politicians, and the Democrats are doing everything in their power to implement strict background checks,” he said. Volsky, whose tweets highlighting the amount of money politicians received from the National Rifle Association (NRA) went viral in 2016 and served as a cata- lyst for his larger gun reform movement, emphasized the difference between action and surface-level empathy exercised by politicians. “Lawmakers are quick to send thoughts and prayers after a shooting, but these lawmakers are the ones taking money from the NRA,” Volsky said. Guns Down America, which aims to move the country toward a future with fewer guns, focuses on driving corporate-based cam- paigns to encourage corporations, such as Walmart, to end sales of assault weapons and to advocate for gun reform. Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Thomas X. Lefebvre expressed appreciation for both speakers’ input. “Volsky’s creative campaign tactics bring a breath of fresh air and optimism to the gun control conversation, which, for far too long, has seemed hopeless in this country,” Lefebvre said. “It was also a rare opportunity for students to listen and exchange with Senator Murphy, one of the loudest voices nationally on the topic.” P H OTO : N IC K C A I TO
A LON G T H E WAL K Brownell THOMAS CHURCH U P DAT E The Digital Health CT Prıze Digital Health CT, the new digital health (or med- for TEACHING tech) accelerator run by Startupbootcamp, recently announced its inaugural cohort in Hartford. The 10 EXCELLENCE chosen start-ups exhibit a diverse range of health care technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), process automation, personalized medicine, Calling on Trinity alumni to honor the and virtual health. The teams, selected from hundreds of start-ups by professors who made an impact on their lives a selection committee that included Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney, relocated to Hartford in Did you have a teacher who changed the way you think? Influenced November for the three-month accelerator program, your career choices? Helped you to wake up intellectually? If so, you which gave them the sup- have a wonderful chance to pay tribute to that teacher. The Thomas port, resources, and industry Church Brownell Prize for Teaching Excellence, which recognizes con- and investor connections sistently outstanding teaching by a senior faculty member, is awarded they need to help grow their annually at Honors Day. All alumni are invited to submit nominations businesses. Along with sup- port from Startupbootcamp, explaining in 200 to 300 words why they believe a favorite professor the teams gained access to deserves this prestigious award. Nominations should be sent to Sylvia an extensive range of part- DeMore via email (sylvia.demore@trincoll.edu) or postal mail (Office ners, mentors, and investors of the Dean of the Faculty, Williams Memorial 118, Trinity College, 300 from across the accelerator’s If you have questions Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106). The nomination dead- global network. about the Brownell line is Friday, March 6, 2020. For the inaugural year of Prize, please direct them to Sylvia DeMore, Associate professors, full professors, senior lecturers, and the Digital Health CT accel- special assistant to the principal lecturers who have been at the college for at least eration program, the start- dean of the faculty, at three years, will not retire prior to June 30, 2020, and have ups will work closely with sylvia.demore@ Digital Health CT’s partners— trincoll.edu. not previously received the Brownell Prize are eligible. A Hartford HealthCare, Trinity complete list of eligible faculty, as well as a roster of previ- College, and the UConn ous winners, appears online at commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. The Brownell Prize was made possible by a gift from the late Paul H. ↗ School of Business—and will For more about the 10 start-ups— be housed at Trinity’s down- Briger ’61, P’87. Robert Stewart (mathematics) was the first recipient, CompanionMx, Ellipsis, Clearstep, town space at Constitution and Adrienne Fulco (legal and policy studies) was the 2019 honoree. Encapsulate, MDI Health, QR Fertile, BrainCheck, Lineus Medical, Plaza, where the college’s DeepScribe, and Aiva—please visit Liberal Arts Action Lab also commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. is located. “The digital health domain O N E S M A L L ST E P DI A LO G U E S O N L I N E is exploding with opportunity right now, and I feel Recordings from the fall 2018 visit to Trinity College by One Small Step, a confident that we are positioned to support serious national StoryCorps project that brings together Americans with differing entrepreneurs in hitting the market fast and hard,” political views, are available online at commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. said Gerry Roston, managing director of Digital Trinity was the first college to partner with StoryCorps on this ini- Health CT. Sonia Cardenas, interim dean of the fac- tiative aimed at listening and finding common ground. One Small Step ulty and vice president for academic affairs, noted discussions follow the usual StoryCorps format—two people, 40 minutes, that the accelerator “will provide cutting-edge oppor- P H OTO S : ( L E F T ) K E L LY A N N O L E K S I W M ’ 15; ( R IG H T ) J AC K M C CO N N E L L and a facilitator to help guide the conversation. But the tunities for our students, exposing them firsthand to twist is that One Small Step conversations take place the world of start-ups.” between individuals who have not met before and who hold opposing political views. The One Small Step project is supported by a $1 mil- lion grant from the Rockefeller Foundation. Founded in CORRECTIONS Due to a data maintenance issue, an obituary 2003, StoryCorps has recorded more than 75,000 facil- for Thomas O. Mitchell ’66 ran in error in the itated interviews with more than 150,000 participants “In Memory” section of the fall 2019 issue of around the country. With the permission of participants, full discussions The Trinity Reporter. He is not deceased. Xiangming Chen’s first name was from the college’s event are archived at Trinity’s Watkinson Library and misspelled in the “Positively Pivotal” feature become part of the national StoryCorps Archive, housed at the American in the printed edition of the spring 2019 issue Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Segments of The Trinity Reporter. We regret these errors. also may air nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition. 4 THE TRINITY REPORTER
ALON G THE WAL K NSF awards for faculty Two Trinity College professors recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support their scholarship. Assistant Professor of Mathematics Lina Ma was awarded a $100,000 grant from the NSF to support her indepen- dent research and her collaboration with colleagues in the field of computational mathematics. Assistant Professor of Psychology Michael A. Grubb spent the summer of 2019 on a three-month visiting researcher appointment WO M E N L E A D E R S Connecticut journalist Sarah Cody ’95 moderates “Women in at Yale School of Medicine funded by an NSF Research Leadership: A Conversation with President Joanne Berger-Sweeney Opportunity Award (ROA). and Board Chair Cornie Thornburgh ’80” on October 17, 2019. Ma’s project, “Consistent Multi-Scale Treatments of Ion The event, held in Mather Hall’s Washington Room, was part of Transport in Biological Environments,” is a mathemati- the three-semester celebration of Women at the Summit: 50 Years cal pursuit that can be applied to biology. Ma will study of Coeducation at Trinity College. diffusion, ion transport, and heat flow, which occurs in various ion channels throughout the human body. The ↗ To view a recording of this event, please visit commons.trincoll.edu/Reporter. abnormal behavior of ion channels can contrib- ute to health concerns, including Type 2 diabetes or adverse reactions from contact with poison- ous puffer fish. The biggest challenge, Ma said, is that biolog- ical processes, which usually happen in micro- W E L C O M I N G N E W U . S. C I T I Z E N S seconds, can sometimes be controlled by a few atoms. Using traditional differential equation systems to represent the processes may lose too “On our Trinity campus of 2,200 many details. However, she added, modeling things on the particle level and showing tremen- undergraduates, we celebrate the dous detail, such as protons and atoms, can have fact that our student body is more a high computational cost. Ma’s work will be directed toward developing a method that can international than it has ever been, Top to bottom: Ma and Grubb bridge the macro and micro scales. Grubb partnered with Yale Associate Professor with students from 76 foreign of Comparative Medicine and of Neuroscience Ifat Levy, countries. I tell our students all the principal investigator of the NSF grant being sup- plemented as part of the ROA, “Decision-making under the time that our diversity is our uncertainty across the lifespan: Cognitive, motivational, strength. I believe that’s true on and neural bases.” Grubb’s research contributed the larger goals of Levy’s grant, which aims to understand age- our campus, and I know it’s true related changes in learning and decision-making. Building on a project started in his lab at Trinity, Grubb’s of America as well.” P H OTO : ( R IG H T ) S H A N A S U R E C K research with Levy addressed new questions concerning the impact of selective attention on reward learning and Trinity College President Joanne Berger-Sweeney, Keynote Speaker decision-making. Grubb’s role in this study was particu- Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Third Annual Naturalization Ceremony larly significant given the special opportunity for collabo- The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, October 12, 2019 ration between institutions like Trinity and Yale provided by the NSF. W I N T E R 2020 5
A LON G T H E WAL K VO LU N TE E R S P OT L IG HT BY C AT H E R I N E S H E N Diane ‘Dede’ DePatie Consoli ’88, P’19, ’22 Growing up in a multigenerational Trinity family, it was nat- ural for Diane “Dede” DePatie Consoli ’88, P’19, ’22 to stay “I feel very connected to my involved with her alma mater. “Trinity has always been very father through my fundraising important to my family. I basically grew up on campus,” she says with a laugh. “The experience was more than just getting for Trinity as that was his focus an education. It was about making connections and creating lifelong friendships, which began with her service through through his years as a trustee of Tri Delta sorority, now known as the Ivy Society. the college. It’s my pleasure to The strong Trinity family legacy started with her father, Thomas DePatie ’52, a former trustee of the college, followed continue that legacy for him.” by brother-in-law Robert Buffum Jr. ’77 and cousin Peter DePatie ’85. She married Victor Consoli ’87, and they are volunteer, an alumni interviewer, and an Elms Society ambas- Trinity parents to two daughters, Olivia ’19 and Grace ’22. sador. She currently serves as her class president, as a class For the first 15 years after her own graduation, Consoli, agent, and as a member of the Board of Fellows, the Women’s armed with a degree in economics, embarked on a career in Leadership Council, and the Parents Leadership Council. the garment industry, working retail and wholesale with She particularly enjoys being on the Parents Leadership companies including Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor Council because of the relationships formed among parents, in New York and eventually running the women’s division of students, and the college. “It’s important for families to know Nautica Sportswear. Over time, she launched her own busi- that we’re here for them, too,” says Consoli. “Being on the ness, Boxtree Interiors, serving a variety of residential and council is especially gratifying because I facilitate new families commercial clients. She also volunteers as a manager of mer- becoming connected with the college. Creating a welcoming chandise sales for her summer community of Quonochontaug, environment for them will help them see the work we do and Rhode Island, where she once served as town clerk. hopefully encourage them to become involved. The more new Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, Consoli says, her flex- parents are involved, the better work we can do.” ible schedule has allowed her to get more involved with com- Consoli says that philanthropy was a large part of her mittee work at Trinity. Throughout the years, she has served on upbringing, and she continues to value that philosophy. “I’ve the Trinity College Alumni Association Executive Committee been a donor to the college for a lifetime, and I can’t imagine and the Social Reform Charter Committee and as a member not helping our school,” she says. “When I saw there were of the Long Walk Societies. She has been an admissions specific improvements needed, that really spurred me on to become more involved. I love being the person who connects everyone and shows them what a wonderful place Trinity is. “It is gratifying to be the one who connects a new family with a passion to a need we have at the college,” she contin- ues. “Most people donate to specific things that resonate with them, and Trinity has so many specific needs right now that it is all about [matching] the right people to the fundraising efforts for that need. I feel very connected to my father through my fundraising for Trinity as that was his focus through his years as a trustee of the college. It’s my pleasure to continue that legacy for him.” Kerry Smith, Trinity’s director of family giving, says Consoli plays an important role in creating a warm and friendly envi- ronment for parents. “She’s a valuable asset to the college through her ability to welcome and connect parents to one another,” says Smith. “Her advocacy and dedication to help Dede DePatie Consoli ’88, P’19, ’22, second from right, with husband Victor Consoli Trinity become the best that it can be is an embodiment of all ’87, P’19, ’22 and daughters Olivia ’19 and Grace ’22 we desire in a volunteer. We’re very fortunate to have her.” 6 THE TRINITY REPORTER
A ROUND H A RTFORD ALON G THE WAL K HartBeat Ensemble, founded in 2001, is an artist-led professional theater company in Hartford dedicated to creating provoca- tive offerings that build community partnerships. Housed in the Carriage House Theater, HartBeat engages with the local area through programming that includes commissions, pop-up perfor- mances, and community conversations, the latter involving the organization’s partnership with a civic or social group to spark dialogue on a particular topic. HartBeat collaborates with more than 50 community organizations as it trains young adults to create their own work, making the theater an incubator for developing individual passions. HartBeat also hosts education programs such as Startin’ Drama, which provides conflict resolu- tion workshops for a positive school climate, and the Youth Play Institute, which offers paid internships in play creation. ↗ For more information on HartBeat Ensemble and its many programs, please visit commons.trincoll. edu/Reporter. H A RT B E AT E N S E M B L E 360 FA R M I N GTO N AV E N U E H A RT F O R D, C T P H OTO : R AY D. S H AW P H OTO G R A P H Y W I N T E R 2020 7
A LON G T H E WAL K WGRAC Director Laura Lockwood M’95, right, T R INIT Y T R E AS U R E and WGRAC Training and Program Coordinator WGRAC Monique Daley, second from left, chat with Shaylee Boger ’23 and Posse Scholar Diante’ Dancy ’21 in the WGRAC Lounge and Library. EDITOR’S NOTE “Trinity The Women & Gender Resource Action Center (WGRAC)—founded in 1977 as the Women’s Center at Trinity Treasure” highlights a College—is a welcoming space on campus that provides education, builds community, and promotes empower- person, place, or thing on campus that is just ment of students with a focus on woman-identified students. Part of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, what the name implies: along with the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Queer Resource Center (QRC), WGRAC accomplishes its a Trinity treasure. Do you mission through educational, social, and cultural programming and dialogue. Annual events that create respect- have an idea for what to showcase? Please send ful interaction among people of all genders and backgrounds include Take Back the Night, Breaking the Binary your suggestions to Photo Shoot and Open Mic, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, and The Vagina Monologues. WGRAC, led by Laura Lockwood sonya.adams@trincoll.edu. M’95 and Monique Daley, supports five student-led organizations: the Big Sister-Little Sister program; Students Encouraging Consensual Sex (SECS); Promoting Healthy Awareness of the Body (PHAB); the Masculinity Project; and IGNITE, a leadership-development and empowerment group for women-identified students. WGRAC also ↗ provides required sexual misconduct education and prevention training for sophomores and oversees the cam- P H OTO : S A R A H M CCOY For more information puswide Green Dot violence-prevention strategy; the Sexual Assault Resource Team (SART); and first-year orien- about WGRAC, please visit tation programs on Title IX rights, resources, and reporting options. “WGRAC has been a safe haven for me,” says commons.trincoll.edu/ Reporter. Jaymie Bianca ’21, who co-founded IGNITE with Sarah Donahue ’20. “It has been a space where I can voice my opinions and be heard. I found my passion for advocacy and activism here.” 8 THE TRINITY REPORTER
ALON G THE WAL K Mellon grant The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Trinity College a grant of $114,000 to support the planning of a con- vening of women of color (WOC) leaders in higher education and other sectors. The funding will be used over approxi- mately 16 months, culminating in a meeting of WOC leaders expected to take place in January 2021. Inspired by the Mellon Foundation meeting for Women of Color Presidents in Higher Education in 2017, Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney; Johnnetta Cole, presi- dent emerita of Spelman and Bennett Colleges; and Mariko Silver, former president of Bennington College and current president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation, became R E C E N T P U B L I C AT I O N S convinced that to connect and create more leadership oppor- tunities for WOC in higher education, it is important to reach The Promise of the Suburbs: Daily Life in the Industrial beyond higher education for lessons learned and for inspira- A Victorian History in United States, 1870–1900 tion. Berger-Sweeney is serving as the principal investigator Literature and Culture Julie Husband and Jim O’Loughlin ’88, for the project. Sarah Bilston, Professor of English; P’20; ABC-CLOI, LLC, 2019; 289 pages Yale University Press, 2019; 282 pages According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Kurt Vonnegut Remembered female students of color received 32.9 percent of undergradu- The Future of Catholicism Edited by Jim O’Loughlin ’88, P’20 ate degrees awarded in 2015–16, but only 5 percent of all col- in America The University of Alabama Press, 2019; Edited by Patricia O’Connell Killen 242 pages lege and university presidents and chancellors are women of and Mark Silk, Director, Leonard E. color. The grant will be used to collect and analyze existing Greenberg Center for the Study of Why Will No One Play with research about the representation of WOC leaders in various Religion in Public Life and Professor Me? The Play Better Plan industries and study why there is a disproportionately low of Religion in Public Life; Columbia to Help Children of All Ages University Press, 2019; 368 pages Make Friends and Thrive representation of WOC in academic leadership, while devel- Caroline Maguire ’97, with Teresa oping ideas to identify and encourage WOC leaders who will The Future of Mainline Barker; Grand Central Publishing, create change in academia. Protestantism in America 2019; 355 pages Edited by James Hudnut-Beumler and Mark Silk, Director, Leonard E. Burn the Ice: The work produced by this grant Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life and Professor The American Culinary Revolution and Its End has the potential to generate of Religion in Public Life; Columbia University Press, 2018; 228 pages Kevin Alexander ’03; Penguin Press, 2019; 371 pages opportunities to develop a Turning Tides: A Frog Hollow Childhood: unique, cross-disciplinary Caribbean Intersections in the Americas and Beyond A Memoir of Hartford Lynn Davis M’85; Page Publishing, mentoring network for the future. Edited by Heather Cateau and Milla Cozart Riggio, James J. Goodwin 2019; 168 pages Professor of English, Emerita; Ian Randle Publishers, 2019; 344 pages If you have a recent book, CD, or The project aims to meet an unmet need, as no existing video that you would like listed in organizations provide a network to connect WOC in top- Bob Steele on the Radio: The Trinity Reporter, please submit a level positions across sectors. While a handful focus The Life of Connecticut’s copy to Sonya Adams, Office of on training, mentoring, and preparing WOC for leader- Beloved Broadcaster Communications, Trinity College, 300 Paul Hensler M’08; McFarland & Summit Street, Hartford, CT 06106. ship positions, these organizations often focus on empow- Company, Inc., Publishers, 2019; Questions? Email sonya.adams@ ering WOC in a specific sector. The work produced by 186 pages trincoll.edu. this grant has the potential to generate opportunities to develop a unique, cross-disciplinary mentoring network for the future. Other potential benefits of the project include the creation of a list of best practices for mentoring WOC P H OTO : J O H N ATA S H I A N leaders and the forging of connections between WOC in The convening participants will include approximately 50 academia, who are teaching talented students, and WOC WOC who are presidents in higher education and leaders in in other sectors, who are able to offer jobs to those students other sectors, including government, nonprofit, arts and cul- upon graduation. ture, and media. W I N T E R 2020 9
50 Women at the Summit YEARS OF COEDUCATION ADVOCATES AT TRINITY COLLEGE FOR EQUALITY These alumni work to empower women BY M AU R A K I N G S C U L LY • I L LU ST R AT I O N S BY J O E L K I M M E L How do you measure the impact of coeducation at Trinity College? You could look at the facts: Trinity has 11,844 female graduates, constitut- ing a full 42 percent of living alumni. You could consider the difference coeducation has made on all graduates—no matter the gender—who have traversed the Long Walk over the last 50 years. Or you could, as we do in this issue of The Trinity Reporter, take a slightly different tack, looking at a small sampling of graduates who are working in the wom- en’s empowerment space. Some focus their efforts on a specific industry or city; others pursue a broader agenda on the global stage. No matter their bailiwick, one and all demonstrate the power of a Trinity education as espoused in the col- lege’s mission statement, that it prepares bold, independent thinkers who lead transformative lives. In the case of these nine graduates, their transformative lives are proving to be game changing worldwide. 10 THE TRINITY REPORTER
DONNA HAGHIGHAT ’89 CEO, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts; Springfield, Massachusetts The daughter of Iranian immigrants, “I never took edu- cation for granted,” Donna Haghighat explains. Her mother, Parvaneh, was married at 16, at which time Haghighat’s grandfather insisted she drop out of high school. Thanks to her persistence (and with help from her mother), Parvaneh finished high school and went on to complete college in the United States while rais- ing four children. Inspired by her example, Haghighat now leads the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, where she strives to elevate local women to take charge. The Women’s Fund does this through fundraising for two initiatives: grant making to area organizations that share the Women’s Fund’s vision and training women through its Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI). To date, more than 250 women have completed LIPPI training, and 3 million women and families have been impacted through its grants. “I love making connec- tions with people who share my passion for advancing women and girls,” she notes. CHARLOTTE (FOUCH) FOX ’06 Director of Communications, International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF); Washington, D.C. A tireless advocate of gender equity with a lifelong pas- sion for the news, Charlotte (Fouch) Fox notes that she is “supremely happy” to have landed at IWMF. “My pro- fessional work is now my life’s work, which is incredi- bly validating,” she says. The IWMF is an organization that breaks barriers for women journalists, transforming global news media. The IWMF’s fellowship and grant programs support women in media—both freelance and staff journalists—helping them become experts in report- ing in underserved regions, generate must-read stories, and bring critical issues affecting women and others to light. The organization is the sole provider of safety train- ing, byline opportunities, and emergency support tai- lored to female journalists and photographers around the world. In addition to working directly with journalists, the IWMF studies why journalism remains dominated by men and advocates for inclusive practices that help pro- pel women and minorities into leadership roles. W I N T E R 2020 11
ADVOCATES FOR EQUALITY MARY KATE MORR ’12 Volunteer Coordinator, Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute (RMMFI); Denver, Colorado Growing up in Denver, Mary Kate Morr watched the gen- trification of the Mile High City unfold around her. After earning a master’s degree in social work, Morr decided she “wanted to work in a place where I was pushing back on that gentrification.” Enter RMMFI, an organization that helps people with an idea transform into serious entrepreneurs through personal, business, and financial investments. Through its 12-week business boot camp and mentorship program for under-resourced entre- preneurs, RMMFI builds community wealth by reimag- ining social and economic inclusion. Start-ups run the gamut from products like candles and soaps, to services like cleaning, as well as graphic design and food carts. “Part of our mission is to build up female business own- ers along with entrepreneurs of color,” says Morr, who recruits mentors for RMMFI. “Our entrepreneurs are diverse in every sense of the word, and part of my role is to build a pool of mentors with shared life experience reflecting that diversity.” CHRISTINE QUINN ’88 President and CEO, Women in Need (WIN); New York, New York What do you do after you’ve served as speaker of the New York City Council—the first woman and openly LGBT person to hold the position? Four years ago, Christine Quinn grappled with that question and decided she wanted to keep doing advocacy work for issues she cared about. WIN, the largest provider of shelter and services to women and families in New York City—with 11 shelters and more than 300 supportive housing units across the city—checked all of her boxes. WIN’s vision is to break the cycle of homelessness by providing safe housing and critical services to help homeless women and their chil- dren rebuild their lives. “Homelessness is the significant crisis of our time,” Quinn says. “New York cannot be the greatest city in the world if 60,000 people have to sleep on the street every night. Our job is to stand with those experiencing homelessness and eradicate the underlying conditions that cause it.” 12 THE TRINITY REPORTER
50 Women at the Summit YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT TRINITY COLLEGE VALERIA MCFARREN PIPER ’05 Co-founder, TheSheLab; Charlottesville, Virginia “It’s amazing what happens when you bring women together from around the world and are able to form relationships built on trust and respect.” So says Valeria McFarren Piper about TheSheLab, a community of practice and women’s network that is committed to female empowerment and equality. Born and raised in Bolivia, Piper started the organization after spending a decade in Washington, D.C. There, she worked at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. foreign aid agency, where she oversaw strategic communications in 24 countries. Piper and a partner tapped into that global network to form TheSheLab; the 13 members on the organizing committee hail from countries ranging from the Dominican Republic to Tanzania. The project is starting small, hosting monthly TED-type talks—for women, by women—in Charlottesville, where she and her co-founder live. “We now have 400 members and plan to open 10 other chapters in the new year [2020],” Piper notes. “We are each other’s sounding boards, thought partners, and support system.” MELINDA LEONARD REED ’95 Executive Director, Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice (WIGJ); The Hague, the Netherlands After graduating with a B.A. in public policy and a mas- ter’s in international affairs from Columbia University, Melinda Leonard Reed worked overseas doing humanitar- ian aid work for many years. She then moved back to the United States and directed a domestic and sexual violence shelter in Helena, Montana—a position that she described as “domestic humanitarian aid work.” When the posi- tion opened at the WIGJ two years ago, “it was a way to take my slightly divergent career paths and marry them,” Reed says. The WIGJ is a nonprofit international women’s human rights organization that advocates for gender jus- tice through the International Criminal Court (ICC). It also is active in individual countries around the world in peace negotiations and justice processes. The WIGJ works with victims of sexual violence in conflicts under investigation by the ICC and collaborates with more than 6,000 grass- roots partners across multiple armed conflicts. “This work is profoundly important,” Reed says. “Sexual violence is the most widely used weapon of war—and it’s perpetrated with total impunity.” W I N T E R 2020 13
ADVOCATES FOR EQUALITY RICK ZEDNÍK ’93 Managing Director, Women Political Leaders (WPL); Brussels, Belgium “For millennia, social networks have helped people get ahead—largely men,” explains Rick Zedník. “At WPL, we’re making our small contribution to changing that.” Headquartered in Iceland, WPL’s mission is to increase both the number and the influence of women in political leadership. An independent, international, and nonpar- tisan foundation, WPL bills itself as a global champion of equality between women and men. It is the only orga- nization that brings together all female political leaders, seeking to tackle international challenges by harnessing their collective power. Through conferences, a summit, and advocacy, WPL builds communities of knowledge for thousands of women politicians everywhere: members of national legislatures, cabinet ministers, and heads of state and government. In all of its activities, WPL strives to demonstrate the positive impact of more women in positions of political leadership. And to Zedník, a fem- inist “at least since Trinity,” “it’s important to try and rebalance the equation.” ZORAIDA LOPEZ-DIAGO ’03 Co-creator, Women Picturing Revolution (WPR); Beacon, New York When Zoraida Lopez-Diago was growing up, dinner con- versations swirled around gender equity, LGBTQ rights, and similar topics. With her mother heading up affirmative action for a Connecticut state agency, she says, “I always knew that I would do something that dealt with shedding light on issues that are overlooked.” Lopez-Diago, a pho- tographer, curator, and consultant, has taught photogra- phy to female inmates at a maximum-security prison in Medellín, Colombia, lectured about her work at Harvard University and other institutions, and co-founded Women Picturing Revolution (WPR), an organization that brings to the forefront the work of female photographers who have documented conflicts, crises, and revolution. She and co-founder Lesly Deschler Canossi lead seminars and curate discussions in locales including New York and the United Kingdom. Lopez-Diago also is the co-editor of Representations of Black Motherhood and Photography, a book that gives voice to the intersection of photography, black motherhood, and the ways in which black mothers have navigated gender, race, and class. This edited collec- tion is due to be published in 2021 by Leuven University Press in Belgium and distributed by Cornell Press. 14 THE TRINITY REPORTER
50 Women at the Summit YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT TRINITY COLLEGE FINAL THOUGHTS … Without equal representation of women in journalism, there is no full story. The journalists I work to support are truth tellers who fight with their pens.—CHARLOTTE (FOUCH) FOX ’06 How do you keep empowering women and girls relative to the wider world? That’s a challenge, and I like a good challenge.—DONNA HAGHIGHAT ’89 I love spending time with clients. These are some of the toughest, strongest women you could ever meet. I find them endlessly inspiring and impressive. —CHRISTINE QUINN ’88 Entrepreneurs are skewed toward upper-class white males. We need to tap into the talents outside that network—in women, people of color, and working-class individuals—or we’re missing out. —MARY KATE MORR ’12 I don’t think I understood gender inequality when I was at Trinity. I felt relatively equal. But the world isn’t like Trinity.—MELINDA LEONARD REED ’95 DYLLAN MCGEE ’93 Emmy-award winning filmmaker; Waccabuc, New York At Trinity, I learned the importance of creating space for conversations and building bridges between communities. There was power in each of the communities I was involved in—international Throughout her career, Dyllan McGee has been dedicated students, minority students, and my sorority. to telling compelling and immersive stories. But good sto- —VALERIA MCFARREN PIPER ’05 rytelling isn’t enough. It also has to matter. Every proj- ect McGee has brought to life was born from a vision of a I was fortunate to have studied with faculty including fairer and more equitable world. With two Emmys to her Brigitte Schultz and Michael Niemann, two professors credit, she is founder and executive producer of McGee who have had a lasting impact on how I approach Media, a documentary film company whose recent projects my work and photography endeavors. Seeing Trinity include Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. (PBS); professors, such as Johnny Williams and Vijay Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman (Discovery); and Reconstruction Prashad, fight for social justice continually inspires (PBS). McGee also is the founder and executive producer me to deepen my photography practice and continue of MAKERS, a media brand that accelerates the women’s long-term projects.—ZORAIDA LOPEZ-DIAGO ’03 movement through the stories of real-life experiences. MAKERS has produced short documentaries on more than 400 groundbreaking women from all walks of life, including As a senior at Trinity, I was one of five men to Gloria Steinem, Oprah Winfrey, and one of New York City’s take ‘Women’s Studies 101.’ It was the first time first female firefighters. MAKERS hosts an annual confer- I experienced being totally outnumbered. It was ence that brings together more than 500 women for a three- instructive.—RICK ZEDNÍK ’93 day global event, which is subsequently viewed online by more than 20 million people. If you had asked me at Trinity if I was a feminist, I would have said ‘no.’ That’s changed. My two teenage sons have been calling themselves feminists since they could talk.—DYLLAN MCGEE ’93 W I N T E R 2020 15
CELEBRATING Cines 16 THE TRINITY REPORTER
Cinestudio patrons enjoy a “Moonlight Movies” screening of the 1986 cult classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The student-founded movie theater marks 50 years on campus ST O RY BY A N D R E W J. C O N C AT E L L I • P H O T O S BY H E L D E R M I R A tudio W I N T E R 2020 17
“I DON’T THINK THEY QUITE rom across Trinity College’s Main Quad, UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE HAD PLANNED” a gleaming new sign beckons. Entering an unmarked door in a hallway of the Clement Chemistry Building, James Inside, seating in the balcony offers a Hanley ’72 climbs the narrow staircase up to Cinestudio’s projection booth, as respite from the busy world. he’s done countless times over the last The grand golden curtain rises on the 50 years. “We had to take this door off its hinges to get into the booth for the first 37-by-16-foot screen as the projected image blinks time,” he says. In 1969, students in the Trinity Film to life and the film begins to play. Society—of which Hanley and his This is Cinestudio, the independent movie Cinestudio co-founder Peter McMorris ’73 were both enthusiastic members—had palace that celebrates its 50th anniversary this secured permission from the Chemistry Department to show films in the chem- year. And to its intrepid founders, dedicated stu- istry lab auditorium after finding them- dent volunteers, and passionate patrons, there’s selves without a screening venue. “I don’t think they quite understood what we had no other place like it. planned,” Hanley says with a grin. The 18 THE TRINITY REPORTER
Left: Students meet outside the campus landmark. Right: James Hanley ’72 and Peter McMorris ’73, Cinestudio co-founders and co-executive directors, pose amid the theater’s new seats. problem was, nobody had a key to the booth, which had fallen into disuse. “We went at 2:00 in the morning and got in there. We found two 35mm projec- tors from the 1930s, when the building went up,” Hanley says. “Soon, students were hanging up bedsheets as a tempo- rary screen as we prepared for a theater that would serve both students and the community. At the time, there was such a whirlwind of activity here on campus, and this took on a life of its own.” The first public screening on February 16, 1970, was a double feature of Yellow Submarine and Alice’s Restaurant, for ments while engaging in a historical Hanley adds, “When we first started which the Film Society’s faculty adviser, mission, bringing back older film out, one of our goals was to show films Lawrence “Larry” Stires of the Modern titles, preserving a vital legacy of the in a much better setting than most the- Languages Department, put up $500 past, and showing the films exactly aters, with a high technical quality. Over of his own money to secure the pub- as originally presented to ever-new the years, we’ve been able to not only lic rights. “We sold out every night for audiences—all while staying true to maintain that but enhance it.” a week. We even turned away lots of its independent origins. people,” Hanley says. “We put on a big Hanley and McMorris worked at other “STUDENTS HAVE GOTTEN THEIR picture with really good sound, and we jobs at first and ran Cinestudio unpaid EDUCATION AT CINESTUDIO” always have; it just was the ethos of the for many years. “Everybody was doing Today—in addition to being an art house place. We hit at the right time and the it for the love of it,” Hanley says, “but at cinema open to the public—Cinestudio right place.” a certain point the students and alumni is a part of both the academic and social McMorris adds, “Trinity was going wanted to have a more permanent struc- worlds of the college, with faculty, staff, through huge changes in that time, from ture so they knew Cinestudio would and students all taking advantage of a one kind of college to another. We were continue for future students. The first special facility in the heart of campus. part of that change, part of the new. This stage [around the late ’80s] was to hire “Cinestudio has been the ground on space provided us a venue to express us and Larry Stires—we weren’t being which we’ve built the film program,” ourselves. Even today, if there’s a film paid much—and we provided an ongo- says Associate Professor of English out there that needs to be seen, we will ing presence and leadership.” Interest Prakash Younger, director of Trinity’s show it.” from donors in making tax-deductible Interdisciplinary Program in Film At first, the student-run organization donations directly to Cinestudio, rather Studies and a member of the Cinestudio was met with trepidation by some on than through a fund at Trinity, led to its Board of Directors. “We see film as a lens campus. “There were a few conservative establishment as a nonprofit 501c3 orga- into everything. We include philosophy, faculty members who were uneasy about nization in 2005. political science, and classical studies us,” Hanley says. “We were showing Today, the venue features approxi- courses in our curriculum,” he says. some political things. It wasn’t just enter- mately 450 new seats that were installed Milla C Riggio, James J. Goodwin tainment; we were showing films that in 2018 and is equipped with a legendary Professor of English, Emerita, who were enlightening people. And we did Dolby sound system and state-of-the- helped to create the film studies pro- things that shocked people, like paint- art digital projector, while retaining its gram at Trinity and now serves as sec- ing the lobby red. But [former Trinity 35mm and 70mm film projectors for clas- retary of Cinestudio’s board, taught President] Ted Lockwood [’48, H’81] was sic movie presentations. several film courses that made use of the a great supporter of ours and [former “It’s hard to describe this place,” theater. “I taught ‘Film Noir’ and ‘The Trinity Vice President] Tom Smith [’44, McMorris says. “I learn something new Western Film,’ among other courses. H’88] went to bat for us over our freedom every year. It’s an industry that is chang- James [Hanley] and I taught a first-year of speech.” ing constantly, and to keep this place seminar in Cinestudio, where we held In the ensuing 50 years, Cinestudio going, you have to anticipate those the classes, focusing on films shown at has embraced technological advance- changes and make adjustments.” Cinestudio,” she says. W I N T E R 2020 19
Hanley works the projector, as he has for some 50 years. Younger adds, “Students have got- ten their education at Cinestudio. I was part of a very special first-year course that was taught there called ‘Thinking through Film,’ which helped to enhance the connection between Cinestudio and the academic offerings.” Connections are made at Cinestudio between Trinity and the Hartford com- munity as well. “With Cinestudio as such an independent place—though very much supported by the college— it’s a portal into the broader culture out- side of the campus,” Younger says. “It is truly a gem of the area in terms of the quality that generations of people both from Trinity and the community have enjoyed. Watching a movie there is like nothing else.” The theater hosts regular daily screenings and special film festivals, including the “Reel Youth Hartford Film Festival” for local high school and middle school students; the “Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival,” founded at Cinestudio in 1988 and pre- sented by Out Film CT; and the “April in Paris [French] Film Festival,” organized by Trinity’s Department of Language and Culture Studies. Cinestudio also screens live events from Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet and London’s Royal Opera House and National Theatre. Trinity Film Festival (TFF), held at Cinestudio each spring since 2012, is a platform for undergraduate student filmmakers from across the country to network and see their films on the big screen. John Michael Mason ’12, M’14, now Trinity’s head track and field coach and chair of Cinestudio’s Board of Directors, founded TFF as an under- graduate. “Cinestudio was one of the reasons I chose to attend Trinity,” he says. “Seeing a film in a theater with other people is a profoundly different and better experience than watching in your own home, on a computer, or on a phone. The communal aspect of it, the darkness, and the clarity of image and sound are all things Cinestudio holds paramount, unlike any theater I’ve ever experienced.” 20 THE TRINITY REPORTER
“ I t is truly a of the area in terms of the quality that gem BEHIND THE SCENES generations of people both from HOW DID CINESTUDIO GET ITS NAME? James Hanley: We liked the name because it sounded Trinity and the community have like a film production studio. There was a theater in New York already called Ciné Studio, so we decided to go with one enjoyed ” word. We argued over whether to put an accent on the e, but [it] was tedious to do with an accent, and it unbalanced . our logo and didn’t look right. We still say Cin-ay-studio, but most people say Cin-ah-studio. WHO OWNS THE BUILDING? PRAKASH YOUNGER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH John Michael Mason: It’s Trinity’s building, and the college allows Cinestudio to operate there in return for having this great resource that With Hanley, McMorris, and two Yellow Submarine. Alumni and past vol- attracts students and the community. part-time projectionists as the only paid unteers of Cinestudio also will be invited staff, Cinestudio is run largely by stu- to a reception on May 2 that coincides WHAT’S THE MEANING OF dent volunteers. Claire Pritchard ’20, with this year’s TFF. The gathering will THE LION SYMBOL? who is double majoring in biochem- serve as a recognition of all those who James Hanley: istry and theater and dance, serves as have helped the organization succeed We were inspired by the movie The Lion in Cinestudio’s lead student volunteer in its first 50 years. Winter [1968] and found a public domain coordinator. “Cinestudio is an amazing “I can’t say that I’ve ever regret- heraldic running lion to use as our logo. venue and opens people up to the fact ted it for a minute,” Hanley says. “It that movie theaters are alive and well,” started with a student impetus and WHO WRITES THE MOVIE DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE FLYER AND WEBSITE? says Pritchard, an Elizabeth Elting ’87 has remained student centered right Peter McMorris Bantam Bold 1823 Scholar. “I’ve learned down the line. I’m very optimistic that It’s a family affair. Christine McCarthy a lot about working on teams, communi- Cinestudio will continue as an integral McMorris [’79] was a student manager at cations, publicity, and being able to mar- part of the campus.” Cinestudio who moved to N.Y.C. to get an ket anything.” Student volunteers pro- As Hanley and McMorris begin to M.F.A. She moved back to Hartford, and gram the “Moonlight Movies” series one think about retiring from their roles as we got married, and now she works at Friday night per month. Sponsored by executive directors of Cinestudio in the Trinity’s Greenberg Center as well the college’s Office of Student Activities, coming years, plans are being made to as researching and writing up the Involvement & Leadership (S.A.I.L.), ensure that the organization they cre- movie descriptions. these movies are funded so they are free ated will go on. WHERE DID THE NEW SIGN COME FROM? to students with a Trinity ID. “We try to “The 50th anniversary is in many James Hanley: make it as accessible as possible for stu- ways a celebration of all that James An alumnus named Wilfred “Bill” dents,” Pritchard says. and Peter have done over the last five Talbot III ’82 reached out to us about Hanley adds, “It’s a very rare combi- decades,” Mason says. “We’re work- donating toward a Cinestudio marquee. nation for a college campus to have a ing hard as a board to put ourselves in He recommended acclaimed designer nonprofit movie theater open to the pub- the position to continue that legacy for Coco Raynes in Boston, and we hired lic, with students who actually manage another 50 years. Cinestudio could only her to design a sign that would be a it and also are a part of its future.” exist and grow because of what Trinity signature artwork in its own right and is: a place where people with ingenu- a fine enhancement to the distinctive “CINESTUDIO WILL CONTINUE AS AN ity are supported, where there’s a larger architecture of the McKim, Mead, and White [designed] building. It was INTEGRAL PART OF THE CAMPUS” community outside of the college, and installed last year, and people fell in love To celebrate its 50th anniversary, where students are given the room and with it right away; it’s become part of the Cinestudio will host special screenings encouragement to take their dreams campus already. on February 22 of the two films that and turn them into reality.” started it all, Alice’s Restaurant and W I N T E R 2020 21
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