Stories Archive

Stories

‘A profound experience’: Leir Luxembourg Program alumni reunite on campus

Uwe Gertz expected perhaps 80 to 100 attendees at the reunion of the Henry J. Leir Luxembourg Program-Clark University (LLP-CU) on Nov. 1. But the turnout exceeded all expectations, necessitating a change of venue from Dana Commons to the Higgins University Center to accommodate more than 160 people — one of them traveling from London — for…
Clark Poll: Married or not, most grown-up millennials say they have found ‘soul mate’

For a generation that has grown up amid a parental divorce rate of 50 percent, most millennials – now in or near their thirties, are succeeding remarkably well in their love lives, so far. Clark University, the nation’s leading institution tracking the development of Emerging Adults (18 to 29 years old), has released a new Clark…
Refugee Testimonies Workshop at Clark: Teaching techniques, value of ‘witnessing’

“Not since the end of the Second World War have there been so many refugees, displaced people and asylum seekers,” said Ban Ki-moon in his speech at the recent opening the 69th UN General Assembly. At a three-day workshop at Clark University, participants explored ways of drawing out, preserving and sharing refugee narratives. The International Development, Community…
Speaker: Time for U.S. to address the education achievement gap

If Rip Van Winkle awoke from a 99-year nap he would discover a world that had vastly changed in all areas except one: education. A lone teacher imparting academic lessons to a classroom of students remains the familiar, comfortable model that has persisted for generations. But is it still effective? Eric Schwarz, the co-founder and…
From Clark, to the Capitol, to City Hall

Rebecca Kirszner Katz ’97, Special Advisor to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, might not be where she is today if she had attended another university. “Here’s the thing about Clark,” she says. “All my life I’ve struggled with learning disabilities. I went to a big public high school in Philadelphia; I’m a pretty assertive…
Sex, Politics, and Putin: Clark University professor’s new book explores political legitimacy in Russia

In her new book, “Sex, Politics, and Putin: Political Legitimacy in Russia,” Clark University Political Science Professor Valerie Sperling explores the ways in which “politicians and political activists in Russia use masculinity, femininity, and homophobia to bolster their legitimacy and to undermine their opponents.” While researching the Russian president as both a man and a political leader, Sperling…
It’s Klingons to Cronkite for Sandy Fries ’76

When he was about ten years old, Sandy Fries ‘76 was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. A fireman? Doctor? Lawyer? No, he told his inquisitor. “I want to be Walter Cronkite.” Fries didn’t become the renowned news anchor, but he did learn what went into creating a Cronkite newscast.…
Clark U. political scientist authors book on congressional primary elections

The fact that fewer than fifteen percent of eligible voters showed up for the 2014 primary elections indicates that primary elections do not matter to very many citizens. However, Clark University associate professor of Political Science Robert Boatright contends that congressional primary elections matter — a lot. He explains their importance, and dispels claims and myths about them in…
Clark U. History Professor investigating rare, century-old photos of Worcester’s early residents of color

Clark University History Professor Janette Greenwood has teamed up with retired teacher and Charlton historian Frank Morrill to research the identities of some early Worcester residents — people of color — pictured in rare photographs that date back to the turn of the last century. The photos are those of the late William Bullard, of Worcester, a photographer…
Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize-winner Natasha Tretheway tells her story

Natasha Tretheway’s newest collection of poems, titled “Thrall,” enthralled an audience in Clark University’s Atwood Hall on Nov. 4, as she delved into matters of race, family, history, and the moving target that is our evolving perceptions of all three. Tretheway’s appearance was part of the African American Intellectual Culture Series and the Higgins School of Humanities’ fall dialogue…