Clark Newsmakers
She met the new ‘Boss’ In an interview for the Spring 2014 CLARK alumni magazine story about radio station WCUW, Harriet Baskas ’77 recalled meeting an up-and-coming musician prior to recording his concert in Atwood Hall. Baskas’ anecdote didn’t make the magazine, but we feel it deserves a second act. “This was the era when very cool bands were coming to campus. I would take the heavy reel-toreel tape deck over to Atwood to record a concert, and hang out as it was being set up. I remember vividly Bruce Springsteen and his band all sitting out in front of the library on a nice sunny day. I went over and asked if I could record the concert, and Bruce Springsteen performs in Atwood Hall in 1977. they said, ‘No, we’d rather you not.’ And I said, ‘Nobody knows who you are. We’ll put you on the radio and make you famous.’ At that point the station was running at about 80 watts — less than a light bulb — and I was going to make them famous! Many years later, Clarence Clemons [saxophonist in Springsteen’s E-Street Band] was at a public radio conference that I attended. I went up to him and said, ‘I feel really badly — it was so presumptuous of me.’ And without missing a beat, he said, ‘Something’s been bothering The Boss all this time, and that’s probably what it is.’”
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HE CLARK COMMUNITY continues its worthy — and newsworthy — activities, with
members regularly featured or mentioned in media reports around the world. Visit the Clark News Hub (news.clarku.edu) for a complete online archive with summaries and
links. Here is a recent sampling:
The Washington Post: Robert Boatright’s (political science) book, “Getting Primaried,” is called “the definitive work on congressional primary elections.” His comments also appear in Vox.com, The New York Times, and other media. The Chronicle of Higher Education: President David Angel discusses “Liberal Education 2.0” in a video conversation with a senior reporter. He also comments in U.S. News & World Report on the value of students studying abroad. Scientist: A paper by David Hibbett (biology), published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is highlighted in several outlets, including Phys.org. Yahoo! Finance: James Córdova (psychology) discusses “Why Couples Fight about Money” in an article originating in U.S. News & World Report. “It’s rarely the math that couples are really arguing over,” he says. USA Today: Jeffrey Jensen Arnett (psychology) continues to be a key source for media covering issues surrounding emerging adulthood. His comments are in several outlets, including Forbes, The New York Times, NPR, Public Radio International, and more. National Geographic: Bill Lynn (Marsh Institute) weighs in on a “lethal removal” experiment in an article titled “Shooting Owls to Save Other Owls.” The New York Times: Comments by labor relations expert Gary Chaison (GSOM) on the turmoil at Market Basket and other issues appear in major media, including The Boston Globe and NPR. Worcester Telegram & Gazette: Archivist Fordyce Williams is interviewed for a front-page feature marking the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, highlighting the tiny book that went to the moon with Buzz Aldrin and now resides in Clark’s archives. CBC/Radio Canada: Michael Butler (political science) lends his analysis to a debate: “Just War Theory: Is It Intellectual Fraud?” Charlotte Observer: Janette Thomas Greenwood (history) comments in an article considering the reactions of freed slaves. Entrepreneur.com: Excerpts from the Clark Commencement address by Panera Bread founder/ CEO Ron Shaich ’76 are highlighted. Yahoo! News: Dominik Kulakowski (geography) talks about how homeowners can protect property from wildfires. This also appears in the The Christian Science Monitor. ElVocero.com: The outlet reviews “Dream Nation,” by Maria Acosta Cruz (language, literature and culture), who “analyzes and contrasts the nation-building made by the literary canon in Puerto Rico.” Slate: Nina Kushner (history) posts “The Case of the Closely Watched Courtesans,” about a study on the underground commercial sexual economy. Campus Technology: Pennie Turgeon (vice president for information technology and chief information officer) discusses how IT is aligned with the business of the institution and how it partners with academic units. History News Network: One hundred leading Holocaust and genocide scholars from around the world, including Debórah Dwork (Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies), send a letter urging President Obama to release White House emails concerning the genocide in Rwanda.
Pinar Barlas ’16, Farah Weannara ’16 and other members of Acts of Kindness embraced a novel idea this spring: offering free hugs to passersby in Red Square.
The New York Times: Wendy S. Grolnick (psychology) publishes a letter to the editor rebutting an opinion piece titled “Parental Involvement Is Overrated.”