New scholarship honors dean and mentor Alverna Burdick
Dean E. Alverna Burdick
From 1926 until 1958, students who needed a sympathetic ear - and some common-sense advice - knew just where to turn: to Dean E. Alverna Burdick. An alumna who attended Connecticut College on scholarship during World War II is so grateful, she has established a scholarship in Burdick's name. "I would not have made it through college without Dean Burdick," said the alumna, whose gift is anonymous. "I must have been in her office once a week. She was a saint. She was all warmth and personality."
The alumna, an immigrant from Europe, has asked that the scholarship be designated for a first-generation college student. It was awarded for the first time this fall, to an entering freshman from rural New England. Burdick, who taught in the physical education department, became dean of students in 1931 and held the position 27 years. The door to her office on the second floor of Fanning Hall was always open, and students didn't hesitate to visit. Burdick expected the best in effort and character from every student. She had an easy manner and a sense of humor that often drew on her roots in rural Greenfield, Penn. - a town that is "more of a condition than a place," she joked. She credited her father for her good nature and common sense.
Burdick was an enthusiastic supporter of the students, whether they were putting on a play, competing on an athletic field or reaching to find an answer to a difficult question in class. She made sure that students who needed spending money had it, and that those who couldn't get home on vacations had a place to stay. In 1958 she retired to return to home and run the family farm, including a grocery store and gas station. The students in East House voted that year to change the name of their residence to E. Alverna Burdick House.
The alumna who created the scholarship said she always wanted to honor Burdick, who died in 1970. "I'm in a position to do for others what she enabled me to do. She helped me to deal with an unfamiliar environment. I'm happy to give other young people a chance to come to a place like Connecticut College," she said. "It made it possible for the American Dream to come true for me." This year's scholarship recipient will get a top-quality liberal arts education, the alumna said. "It will make a very big difference in her life," she said. "All she needs is a leg up."
For more information about supporting scholarships, visit http://campaign.conncoll.edu.
The Boston Billionaire
Fall Weekend 2022


For the Birds Radio Program: Brambling Rose
A strange bird from Europe turned up in East Grand Forks this winter. (4:04) Date verified
(Recording of a House Sparrow)
Last weekend I headed out with a couple of friends all the way across Minnesota to East Grand Forks, where a Brambling has been visiting a feeder every day since December 26.
The Brambling is a striking House Sparrow-sized finch. It has a bold white rump and abdomen, white wingbars, and bright pinkish-orange breast, upper wing coverts, and sides. It takes its name from the brambles in its native home in northern Eurasia, though it is actually more commonly found in birch stands and mixed evergreen forests. It’s the most abundant species on the highlands of Norway and Sweden—sort of the Ole or Lena of the bird world. As with a few other northern Eurasian species, it’s also an uncommon migrant in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands.
The first Brambling ever recorded in North America was a male shot at a watch house on the Pribilofs on October 25, 1914, and it’s been found regularly in Alaska since then. Unlike other Eurasian species, an occasional Brambling also mysteriously turns up here and there throughout the rest of North America. The first one found in the lower 48 states was shot at a feeding station in Stanton, New Jersey in December, 1958–that bird is now lying in state in the Princeton Museum, its tail feathers missing. Four Bramblings turned up at feeders in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York between 1961 and 1965. And one spent the winter of 1967-68 eating sunflower seeds with a pack of House Finches in Portland, Oregon.
The first Minnesota record of a Brambling was of an individual that visited a feeder in Owatonna from January until March of 1984. That same winter Bramblings were recorded in California, Utah, Colorado, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
This year’s Brambling turned up at Angie Schneider’s East Grand Forks feeder during a blizzard the day after Christmas. Angie isn’t what you’d call a bird watcher—she just likes to feed the birds, and since she gets a few chickadees in with her abundant House Sparrows, she figures it’s worth while.
When the Brambling arrived, she knew it was different from the sparrows, but didn’t have the foggiest idea what it was until she called a local newspaper columnist. Poor Angie didn’t know what she was in for. Since word got out, birders from all over Minnesota, as well as Wisconsin, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio, have been flocking to her house. The bird is hidden from view at all angles except from her kitchen window, but she has kindly opened her home to every stranger who calls and arranges to come between eight in the morning and noon. One obnoxious Twin Cities birder almost ruined it for everyone who followed, making rude demands of her and even scolding her three-year-old grandson. But by the time he came, she had fortunately learned that most birders are pleasant people.
When we arrived at 8:15 last Saturday, there were already four other birders from Rochester and the cities gathered around her kitchen table, and another soon joined us. Little Lena, or Brambling Rose, flitted in for a few brief appearances, but is clearly more at ease when only Angie is around—it must have heard about the Princeton Museum. We filled the time between the bird’s visits chatting. Angie’s been having a hectic season, to say the least, but she also has an abundance of stories, letters, photos, and clippings to remember the bizarre winter when a little lost bird blew in on a storm.
Of the two hundred and forty million people living in the United States, that stranded Siberian bird turned to Angie Schneider when it needed help on its North American adventure. If you ask me, it made the right decision.


Nonprofits Battle COVID-19 On The Front Lines
3:03pm March 27, 2020
by David Ford
CoronavirusNC
city with dwellings
service industry workers
Pictured from left to right: Third-year Wake Forest University medical student Joe Humphries, nurse practitioner and City with Dwellings volunteer Sandy Yamane, volunteer nursing student Paige Carmack, and WFU med student Zach German prepare to greet clients. Photo courtesy of Executive Director Tracy Mohr.
As the pandemic continues to disrupt our lives here in the Triad, local nonprofits entrusted to help society's most vulnerable are themselves struggling to provide services in compliance with COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. In response, the City of Winston-Salem, United Way, and other agencies set up a $1-million-dollar fund to support these community-based organizations as they manage the flood of new requests for food, clothing, housing, and medical care.
On March 18, at an outdoor press conference in downtown Winston-Salem, Mayor Allen Joines, visibly emotional, assessed harsh realities on the ground.
“We all have been approached by individuals who've lost their jobs or who have seen their jobs diminish,” said Joines. “With store closings, restaurant closings, we know many people are out of work. And people have approached me and asked, ‘What can we do to help?'"
Next, he announced the creation of a locally controlled COVID-19 Response Fund for Forsyth County: a million dollars to be matched by the community and made available to help citizens get through this difficult time. Within days of the mayor's announcement, the goal was met and exceeded, with much of the money earmarked for individuals experiencing homelessness, service industry workers, and residents without health care coverage like Keith Polk.
He says, “I had a stroke two years ago, and while I was there it was like, ‘Hey, dude, did you know you've got diabetes?' And I didn't. So, it's been a long road and I don't have insurance.”
Polk is a shop foreman for a commercial fire protection company, but he's reliant on the local nonprofit Shalom Project to meet his costly prescription needs.
“I'm on six medications a day,” says Polk. “Three of them are for blood pressure. One of them is for cholesterol. And quite frankly — the Shalom Project — they saved my life one month at a time.”
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, many of the nonprofits providing assistance are themselves struggling. The COVID-19 Response Fund will be used in part to support their ongoing efforts.
City with Dwellings in downtown Winston-Salem. Photo courtesy of Executive Director Tracy Mohr.
Lea Thullbery is an outreach coordinator for City with Dwellings. The organization identifies the needs of people living with mental illness, experiencing homelessness, or substance use disorder, finds local solutions, and offers something equally as important.
“Instead of just handing someone a piece of paper and it says, 'Here's the address, go for it,' we make sure that all of that information is updated, make sure the person can get there,” says Thullbery. “We make sure that if they need help or if they need a walk alongside person we can do that for them.”
During the current coronavirus pandemic, as larger local relief agencies like the United Way have been on lockdown — employees forced to work from home — Thullbery and her tiny staff of mostly volunteers have partnered to fill the void — on the ground, relaying messages to and from clients without phones, and providing transportation.
But those services may not be available for much longer. As healthcare systems around the country have become overloaded, nursing home patients in other parts of the state are arriving at hospitals in Winston-Salem, and eventually on the streets. Thullbery says it's extremely time-consuming work.
“None of their services are here,” says Thullbery. “Their food stamps aren't here. Their SSI ... nothing's here. Of course, you can't go to the Social Security office to try to transfer. So, we're in a stuck place right now.”
City with Dwellings partners with other agencies to house the city's most vulnerable people in overflow shelters like this one. Photo courtesy of CwD.
To help, City with Dwellings has put up large tents in the parking lot — gridded off into six-foot squares. There the homeless are greeted out front by a nurse practitioner and small group of third-year medical students who offer information about the virus, explain social distancing, proper hygiene, answer questions and make physical assessments.
Thanks to private donations there are now mobile and wheelchair accessible showers, a washer and dryer, and overflow shelters have welcomed the new arrivals. The number of people in North Carolina diagnosed with coronavirus continues to grow and the worst is yet to come. But with continued community support, Thullbery says they're here for the long haul.
For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.


Luke calls on MoJ to invest properly in Dartmoor prison
Today Luke urged the Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, to tackle the dilapidated facilities and crisis of understaffing at Dartmoor prison with proper investment.
Last December, the independent prison watchdog warned that the quality of provision in the facility has been “compromised by a lack of investment,” placing an unnecessary burden on staff and undermining their ability to deal with problems such as phone smuggling.
The watchdog also revealed that some prisoners have been kept in their cells for up to 23 hours a day, raising serious concerns over their mental and physical health.
Speaking in Parliament, Luke asked the Minister to set out what plans he has to invest in the prison. In December last year, the government u-turned on its previous plan to close the prison by 2023, and Luke pointed out that the government now needs to outline a proper investment strategy for the facility.
“Now that the Secretary of State has dropped his plans to close Dartmoor prison, he needs to invest properly in it. At present, the dilapidated facilities are compromising the safety, security and health of both prisoners and prison staff.”
In his response, the Minister said he would write to Luke to discuss the issues facing Dartmoor prison.


What Is the Net Worth of Each ‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Today?
When The Big Bang Theory first came on the air on the 24th of September, 2007, its producers, writers, and cast members, like every other crew of a TV show, hoped it would become a success. While not every show gets to see that hope come to fulfillment, The Big Bang Theory nailed it as it became the leading sitcom on television for a majority of its 12-season run, and several of its cast members grew in net worth as they became multimillionaires.
Not only did they become rich from their time on the show, but they became global stars, with teeming fans across the world. As millionaires, most of the cast members joined the highest-paid actors and actresses on television, raking in as much as $1 million per episode. With the show finally over after twelve seasons, we take a look at how much The Big Bang Theory transformed the financial status of its cast members.
Net Worth of The Big Bang Theory Cast
1. Jim Parsons – $70 million
Jim Parsons
When Jim Parson began his career in 1993, like every other new actor, he hoped to last long in the business and be successful but he may not have expected it to happen this way.
The actor, who had appeared in shows like Taste, Ed, Why Blitt?, and movies like Happy End, Garden State, the Great New Wonderful before he was cast on The Big Bang Theory in 2007, went on to become the most popular face of the show, via the character, Sheldon Cooper.
He was a lead actor on the show during its entire run, appearing in all 279 episodes. Like the show itself, which started slowly in ratings and popularity, Jim Parsons was earning $60 thousand per episode for the first three seasons of the show, gradually going through changes with the passing of a couple of seasons until the eighth season when he began to earn $1 million per episode.
Jim, along with the rest of the principal cast, took a pay cut in the tenth season of the show, earning $900 thousand per episode. His mega earnings on the show, combined with his other appearances in other projects like Hidden Figures, Home, Visions and a few others, have earned him an estimated net worth of $70 million.
2. Johnny Galecki – $50 million
Johnny Galecki began his career in 1987, well before Jim Parsons and had a lot more presence in the industry before he was cast in the sitcom. He had appeared in movies like Bean, Suicide Kings, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Bookies, etc and shows like Roseanne, Billy, and Blind Faith, prior to his debut appearance on the sitcom.
However, just like Jim Parsons, he began his time on The Big Bang Theory earning $60 thousand per episode and at the end of three seasons, his salary increased to $200 thousand, and then $350 thousand and eventually, $1 million per episode, which he earned for a couple of seasons before he got a pay cut to $900 thousand, which he earned till the end of the show.
During his time on the show, Johnny Galecki, who played Leonard Hofstadter, appeared on other shows like Entourage, The Conners, and movies like Hancock, In Time and The Cleanse, stacking up a net worth of $50 million.
3. Kaley Cuoco – $55 million
Rounding up the big three is Kaley Cuoco who played Penny on The Big Bang Theory and also appeared in all 279 episodes of the show. Her salary journey on the show mirrors that of the other two main cast members.
Kaley Cuoco first got her breakthrough as an actress on the sitcom, 8 Simple Rules where she starred as Bridget Hennessy but it was her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory that truly made her a Hollywood star.
In her career as an actress, Kaley, who has built a filmography with over 60 movies and TV shows, which includes other major works like The Wedding Ringer and Monster Allergy, has been able to amass a net worth of $55 million, with the bulk of it coming from her work on The Big Bang Theory.
4. Simon Helberg – $45 million
Simon Helberg
Simon Helberg is a comedian and musician who began his career in 1999 with his first notable work being Derek & Simon: The Show, a web series.
He joined The Big Bang Theory in 2007 as a supporting character on the show, earning between $20 and $30 thousand per episode. After a few seasons, his pay was increased to $100 thousand per episode and eventually, he began to earn as much as the big three, bagging $1 million per episode.
He earned the large sum for some seasons before getting a pay cut as the rest of the cast to $900 thousand to fund an increase in the salaries of Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch.
Apart from his appearances on The Big Bang Theory, which has contributed the most to his $45 million net worth, Simon Helberg has appeared in other works like We’ll Never Have Paris, I Am I, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Guild, and King Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.
5. Kunal Nayyar – $45 million
Kunal Nayyar is perhaps one of the most successful Indian actors in Hollywood and it is all thanks to his role as Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory.
Prior to appearing on the CBS sitcom, Kunal, who is a British-Indian actor, appeared in NCIS, in an episode and the movie S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Since he began appearing on The Big Bang Theory, where he plays an astrophysicist in the science-themed show, he has made appearances in other major projects like Trolls, The Scribbler, The Mindy Project and Sanjay and Craig.
Aside from his onscreen roles, Kunal Nayyar has also made several appearances in theatre plays, in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Over the course of his acting career thus far, where he has over 20 movies and TV shows, he has been able to accrue a net worth of $45 million, most of which were earned from The Big Bang Theory, where he shared a similar salary trajectory with Simon Helberg.
6. Melissa Rauch – $8 million
The first five cast members on the show started appearing from the onset of the show but Melissa Rauch joined in its third season as a recurring character, playing Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz.
She started as a waitress in The Cheesecake Factory before becoming the fiancé of Howard Wolowitz, playing alongside Simon Helberg, whose character journey best symbolizes her journey from being a recurring character on the show to one of the main characters in the fourth season until the 12th season.
She started on the show, earning between $20-30 thousand per episode, eventually getting bumped to $60 thousand following her status as a main cast member. After a couple of years of being on the show, Melissa Rauch was earning as much as $500 thousand per episode, becoming one of the highest-earning actresses in television in the process.
Prior to appearing on The Big Bang Theory, Melissa Rauch appeared in Delirious, 12 Miles of Bad Road, Kath & Kim and has since appeared in other projects like The Office, True Blood, all of which has earned her an estimated net worth of $8 million.
See Also: Top 10 Highest Paid Actors In The World Right Now
7. Mayim Bialik – $25 million
Mayim Bialik may not be the highest-earning woman on the show, but in a science-themed show, she was the only science-oriented person on the show, considering she is a certified neuroscientist.
Before appearing on The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik had been acting since she was twelve years old and appeared in works like Lloyd in Space, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Blossom, MacGyver and a host of others.
Mayim Bialik began appearing on the show as Amy Farrah Fowler as a guest actress in the third season and was eventually promoted to the main cast in the fourth season, through to the 12th season. She famously played a neuroscientist who is also the love interest of Sheldon Cooper on the show.
Her earnings curve on the show is very much similar to that of Melissa Rauch. However, she has been able to boast of a bigger net worth of $25 million as a result of her longer filmography, which has appearances in over 50 movies and TV shows. Aside from her acting career, Mayim Bialik also has a YouTube channel where she earns through ads.
For the main cast i.e Galecki, Parsons and Cuoco, their contract with CBS ensures a certain percentage (10%) in back-end money and as a result, ensures the cast is set to earn as much as $10 million year-on-year through reruns of the show.
Other than the main cast, other notable cast members over the course of the show include Kevin Sussman who played Stuart Bloom and has a net worth of $3 million. There is also John Ross Bowie, who played Barry Kripke, he has a net worth of $3 million, Wil Wheaton plays himself on the show and has a net worth of $500 thousand, Sara Gilbert played Leslie Winkle and has a net worth of $35 million and Laura Spencer, who played Emily Sweeney, has a net worth of $4 million.
Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury: Who Has a Higher Net Worth and Who Is Older


The Snazziest Jazz Clubs in Paris
From Django Reinhardt's slick fingers to Josephine Baker's hypnotizing dance moves, jazz has deeply seeped into the culture and heritage of Paris. In fact, apart from New Orleans and New York, the French capital is the best-known city for the genre. Not only was the city's Jazz Age among the most electrifying in history, but even today, you'll hear jazz at every corner of Paris. Of course, the best places in the city to truly listen, feel, and immerse yourself in jazz are at the clubs. Offering both classic and modern jazz, these places are every jazz lover's paradise!
Jazz Club Etoile
Having started out as a patio bar in Le Méridien Etoile hotel in 1975, no one would've guessed that Jazz Club Etoile would become the musical hotspot that it is today. On its early days, it was simply a hotel bar with a single piano and a stage, pretty plain by today's standards. But as more and more influential names in the jazz scene started to perform here—the likes of Maxim Saury, Marcel Zanini, The Count’s Men, and more— it eventually became the go-to club for all things jazz in Paris. Today, it's among, if not the most popular establishment of its kind in the city.
Source: Jazz Club Etoile Facebook Page
La Petite Halle
Compared to other genres of music, jazz is most beloved for its openness and welcoming attitude to emerging artists and even other genres. As long as you have your own beat and you can keep up with the rhythm, you can join in on the fun, even in a jazz club in Paris. And this is why La Petite Halle, located on Avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement, is such a popular hotspot in the city's jazz scene. In this one-of-a-kind space, artists from all walks of life gather to celebrate music at its finest. It's only here where you can listen to a DJ set converge with top-notch jazz musicians for a truly unique performance.
Source: La Petite Halle Facebook Page
The Bal Blomet
You can tell how great a place is by how long it has served its purpose. The Bal Blomet jazz club, for instance, has provided a platform for the finest entertainers in Paris since 1924. That's right! It's a 1920s hotspot that's still alive and kicking to this day. It's particularly famous for having helped launch the careers of many black artists, ranging from the iconic dancer Josphine Baker to the influential musician, Ernest Léardée, among many others. Today, it remains a hub for all things jazz, as well as an open stage for up-and-coming artists to show the world what they got.
Source: The Bal Blomet Facebook Page/ Victor Tonelli Photographe
Mon Coeur Belleville
Mon Coeur Belleville doesn't just provide excellent music. It actually sets the scene for a dreamy Parisian moment, the likes of which you've probably only seen in movies and on TV. Picture it: you're in an outside terrace, jazz music is playing in the background, and you're in-between sips of coffee and whiffs of your cigarette as you watch the sunset. Sounds pretty cinematic, doesn't it? Well, that's the sort of energy you'll find in Mon Coeur Belleville. Since it overlooks Parc de Belleville, you get a gorgeous view of this outdoor jazz club that you won't find anywhere else!
Source: Mon Coeur Belleville
Three-time Grammy Award-winning bassist, Richard Bona, opened Nubia, a jazz club and restaurant, in March of 2018. This is practically all you need to know about this place. The fact that this world-famous artist, who has worked with the likes of Quincy Jones, Mike Stern, and more, established a hub for all things music should already tell you that you'll want to come here. Though it's mostly regarded as a jazz club, Bona actually opened this place as a haven for sound technology; a fitting platform for musical frontiers the likes of which the world has yet to hear.
Caveau de la Huchette
When you think 'Paris jazz club,' you're probably envisioning someplace exotic, intimate, dimly-lit, with cigarette smoke filling up the entire space. Well, such a hotspot actually exists and it's called Caveau de la Huchette. Located on the narrow yet bustling Rue de la Huchette, this ancient underground cellar-turned-jazz club is the type of 'hidden gem' you'd expect in a city like Paris. Though it's not necessarily all that hidden, it's undeniably a gem for music lovers who want to listen to old-school 1920s jazz at its finest. Just don't dwell on the fact that the place itself was once used as an execution chamber back in the 1500s!
Source: Caveau de la Huchette 'officiel' Facebook Page
38 RIV Jazz Club
Haven't had enough of cellars-turned-clubs in Paris? Well, you simply must check out 38 RIV Jazz Club too! Tucked away medieval cellar on Rue de Rivoli, between the 1st and 4th arrondissements, and located practically a stone's throw away from the Notre Dame, this seemingly-underground jazz club is definitely a mood. It has retained its original medieval stonework, adding only a stage, a bar, and instruments for that early 20th-century appeal. And while this place looks vintage from every corner, you can expect the very latest in jazz music to fill up the cellar. Here, you're in for a night of fine music and excellent drinks, all within an ancient ambiance, that you won't soon forget!
Source: 38 RIV Jazz Club
Le Baiser Salé
Jazz, more or less, is a pretty intimate genre of music. It's the kind that touches your soul with every beat, every rhythm, and every scat you hear. And it's this sort of closeness that Le Baiser Salé has become one of the hottest jazz clubs in all of Paris. Located on Rue des Lombards in the 1st arrondissement's Châtelet district, there's no amplified sound in this cozy little nook of an establishment, allowing the audience to not just listen, but actually absorb the music coming from the stage in its entirety. And since a ticket here only costs €3.00 each, it's also one of the more affordable and most accessible clubs on this list.
Source: Le Baiser Salé
Life in Paris isn't complete without a little jazz. If you fancy yourself a jazz baby, you'll want to go to any or all of these amazing clubs, each cooler than the next. You'll get your jazz fix here with little to no problem at all!
You can also immerse yourself in Parisian jazz by playing a record in your own luxury home!
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Notre Dame - Lemoine


Egelhoff, Martin 2014 Evaluation
Second Judicial District - District Court Judge
Honorable Martin F. Egelhoff
The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance, on a vote of 10-0, recommends that Judge Martin F. Egelhoff BE RETAINED.
The governor appointed Judge Egelhoff to the Denver District Court bench in July 1999. He earned an undergraduate degree at Colorado State University in 1981 and a law degree at the University of Colorado School of Law in 1984. Before becoming a judge, Judge Egelhoff served as Chief Deputy Denver District Attorney. Judge Egelhoff engages in legal and non-legal community service activities. During the current period, Judge Egelhoff has presided over civil and criminal courts. He currently presides over criminal matters.
The Commission reviewed the results of surveys of lawyers and non-lawyers, interviewed the judge, reviewed three of the Judge’s written opinions and an appellate opinion reviewing one of his decisions, and selected members of the Commission observed Judge Egelhoff in court. Of attorneys responding to the survey, 70% recommended retention, 18% recommended against retention, and 11% expressed no opinion. Of non-attorneys responding to the survey, 91% recommended retention, 4% recommended against retention, and 6% expressed no opinion. Judge Egelhoff’s survey results revealed an overall combined average rating below the average combined rating of all judges standing for retention.
During Judge Egelhoff’s interview, the Commission discussed with the Judge the Commission’s concerns that attorney survey respondents rated Judge Egelhoff’s performance below-average and particularly that the survey showed significant negative ratings and comments related to Judge Egelhoff’s overall demeanor. Judge Egelhoff expressed concern regarding attorney survey results showing he was below average in giving proceedings a sense of dignity, treating participants with respect, and conducting the courtroom in a neutral manner, and with the negative comments regarding his impatience, shortness of temper, and apparent arrogance. Judge Egelhoff indicated his willingness to work on these issues and perceptions. The Commission notes that Judge Egelhoff did not receive the same level of negative survey results or comments from non-attorney respondents. During the current term, Judge Egelhoff impressed the Commission with his ability to take over and manage difficult courtroom dockets, when the judges rotated courtrooms. Judge Egelhoff has twice received difficult courtroom dockets and his efforts to put case management back on track may be the root of some of the negative criticism. Positive comments described Judge Egelhoff as being thoughtful, knowledgeable about the law and patient with his explanation of rulings.


Brown Bag Lectures feature local interests, talents
Brian Borden
The 14th Annual Brown Bag Lectures will begin at 12:05 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Rotunda F.
The first lecture in the series will be “Notes of a Traveler on Highway 14” presented by SDSU history professor John Miller. Miller’s book, Looking for History on Highway 14, was first published in 1993.
Miller said that most people do not know that Highway 14 was originally known by another name.
“Before it was called Highway 14, it was called the Black and Yellow Trail, short for Chicago to Black Hills and Yellowstone Park,” said Miller.
The book and lecture spotlights several of the small towns along Highway 14.
“Each town has a special focus in this book. It is like a kaleidoscope,” said Miller.
Miller said that visiting the towns was enjoyable.
“It was a heck of a lot of fun writing the book, and it was even more fun researching the book,” said Miller.
After eight years, many things are not the same as when Miller first visited them. A cafe is now a dress shop, another cafe is now a bar and some buildings do not exist. Many of the residents he interviewed on his journeys have died.
“One thing I emphasize in both the book and the introduction is how these towns have are constantly changing,” Miller said. “You can expect change, it is going to happen.”
In addition to Miller’s lecture, the series will also feature “Hometown S.D. presented by Greg Latza, “Haviland-Yesterday and Today” by Carol J. Peterson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, “The Adventures of Lewis and Clark in South Dakota” by Mary Edelen, “Fort Sisseston, Then and Now” by Marty DeWitt and “Travels in China 1980-2001” by Geoffery Grant.
#1.888361:2700567308.jpg:road.jpg:Highway 14 stretches out behind Dr. Jerry Miller.:Sue A. Pulse


Abortion provider central to Roe reversal case to open in Las Cruces, opponents protest
Michael McDevitt Leah Romero
LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces Women’s Health Organization is preparing to open its doors to provide the people of southern New Mexico and surrounding areas access to abortion care.
Activists who oppose abortion rights have already pledged to fight to try to drive the clinic out of town. One of their first steps will be the planned establishment of a crisis pregnancy center nearby.
The clinic is moving to Las Cruces from Jackson, Mississippi, where it took a central role in the U.S. Supreme Court case that ultimately resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old ruling which found the Constitution protected the right to have an abortion.
The Jackson center was the only abortion clinic operating in Mississippi — until recently.
Gallery:Bans Off Las Cruces abortion rights demonstration at Pioneer Women's Park
Owner Diane Derzis and Shannon Brewer, Jackson Women’s Health Organization executive director, have both stated publicly that their intention is to create a place where people seeking to end a pregnancy can go for the medical procedure — particularly in a state that does not legally restrict abortion access.
Now, the Las Cruces location, which will also be known as Pink House West to echo the closed Jackson clinic’s nickname, will be the only clinic outside the Albuquerque area to offer medical abortions in the state. Currently, the few abortion providers which exist in southern New Mexico only offer abortion via medication early in a pregnancy.
Pink House West is expected to open soon in a former dentist's office building at 2918 Hillrise Dr. However, the date medical procedures are to begin is still unknown.
A Las Cruces Sun-News reporter dropped by the Hillrise location, but found the doors tightly shut and no signage posted. Operators did not respond to multiple inquiries, both in-person and via email.
Anti-abortion organizers plan competing center next door to Las Cruces abortion provider
Mark Cavaliere is CEO of the Southwest Coalition for Life, a faith-based nonprofit opposed to abortion which organizes against providers in the region. On its website, the group credits its organizing efforts to the closures of three abortion clinics in Las Cruces and El Paso since the group formed in 2015.
On Tuesday evening, several hundred anti-abortion organizers gathered at a rally next to the planned location of Pink House West to decry the clinic’s arrival and talk about next steps for the pro-life movement. During the event, Cavaliere announced the planned opening of a center next door meant to deter people from receiving abortions.
To raucous applause, Cavaliere said a lease was secured at 2908 Hillrise Dr., yards away from the new abortion provider, and staff and volunteers were being sought. Cards were passed around to rally attendees asking for financial contributions to help set up the facility.
“If ever there was a place to respond to a challenge like we’re facing, it’s the City of the Crosses,” Cavaliere told rally goers. “We’ve seen what God can do.”
More:Where do New Mexico voters stand on oil and gas for November election? Climate change?
The facility is planned to be a branch of the Guiding Star Project, which currently has a center in El Paso.
“This will be an affiliate of Guiding Star … to provide that message that we don't feel is being accurately represented from this neighboring facility,” Cavaliere said in an interview with the Sun-News.
The Guiding Star Project is opposed to abortion and contraception, saying on its website both practices “interrupt natural, healthy biological processes” for women.
“Pregnancy is not a disease,” Leah Jacobson, CEO of the National Guiding Star Project, told rally attendees. “Fertility is a gift. It is not a burden.”
Like similar crisis pregnancy centers in Las Cruces, Guiding Star’s center will provide free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, parenting classes, material assistance such as diapers, wipes and infant clothes, post-abortion support groups and “options counseling,” Cavaliere said.
“We do (counseling) in a really non-judgmental way without any shame or judgment, informing women of all the pros and cons of all their decisions — which include parenting, adoption and abortion — in a medically accurate way that a lot of times they're not hearing … from the facility that profits off of one of their choices,” Cavaliere said, claiming that an abortion clinic has a profit incentive to convince someone to terminate a pregnancy.
Critics of these types of pregnancy centers say they often provide medical misinformation to people who are considering abortion, such as claiming it makes women more susceptible to breast cancer, infertility and mental illness.
A 2017 report from NARAL Pro-Choice America, an abortion rights organization, argues crisis pregnancy centers use misleading advertising, obscure details over the phone, and use coercive and emotionally manipulative tactics against visitors to persuade women against having an abortion.
One Las Cruces city councilor has previously floated the idea of proposing a citywide ordinance to regulate the ways crisis pregnancy centers present themselves and their services. At least two CPCs already operate in Las Cruces.
Several other cities nationwide have passed ordinances prohibiting CPCs from engaging in deceptive advertising, a type of speech that courts have ruled is not constitutionally protected.
When reached Tuesday, City Councilor Johana Bencomo said she was still researching the best way the city government could address the issue of CPCs within city limits.
More:US investigates New Mexico helicopter crash that killed 4
Cavaliere said outreach workers will likely be posted outside the Guiding Star facility to offer “support and information” to people considering abortion who may be visiting Pink House West.
The Guiding Star center is just a start. During Tuesday evening’s rally, attendees heard from Mark Lee Dickson, leader of an effort to outlaw abortion by enacting ordinances declaring cities “sanctuary cities” for the unborn. Attendees were also encouraged to look into the records of candidates running in this year’s general election and vote for those who oppose abortion.
“The governor … wants to make this an abortion destination,” said David Gallegos, a Republican State Senator. “Instead of talking about White Sands, they want to talk about the Pink House. We have to take this curse off of New Mexico.”
Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, mmcdevitt@lcsun-news.com or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter. Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.


The Great Days > News > Navy intercepts fishing boat trying to smuggle explosives from Iran to Yemen
Navy intercepts fishing boat trying to smuggle explosives from Iran to Yemen
posted on Nov. 15, 2022 at 2:11 pm
The Navy says it seized enough material to fuel more than a dozen ballistic missiles when warships from the 5th Fleet intercepted a fishing vessel heading from Iran to Yemen.
The Navy found more than 70 tons of ammonium perchlorate, commonly used to make rocket and missile fuel as well as explosives, on Nov. 8 when it intercepted the fishing vessel as it transited international waters, the 5th Fleet said Tuesday.
“This was a massive amount of explosive material,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. “The unlawful transfer of lethal aid from Iran does not go unnoticed. It is irresponsible, dangerous, and leads to violence and instability across the Middle East.”
The fishing boat was intercepted while transiting from Iran along a route often used to traffic weapons to Yemen, where the government is engaged in a civil war with Houthi rebels, officials said. Transferring weapons to the Houthis violates U.N. Security Council resolutions and international law, officials said.
The search of the boat also uncovered more than 100 tons of urea fertilizer — a chemical compound traditionally used in agriculture but also known as an explosive precursor.
The U.S. Coast Guard ship USCGC John Scheuerman and guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans intercepted the vessel. A Navy explosive ordnance disposal team also took part in the weeklong effort to search the boat and verify the type of material that was found, officials said.
Joe Biden unexpectedly skips gala dinner at G-20 summit, retires to hotel
Clients, Judges, Conflicts & Risk Management — On Client Non-engagement Declination Letters, Judicial Stock Dealings Database Now Online


Buckhannon, WV 26201
West Virginia Wesleyan College is one of the nine private, not-for-profit 4-year colleges in West Virginia. The campus is located in Buckhannon town.
According to the NCES 2017 report, a total of 1,449 students attend the school. In the 2017 fall enrollment, 366 freshman students enrolled, and approximately 271 students returned for their sophomore year (which makes its freshman retention rate 74%). Every year 50% of the graduating class students graduate in 150% of the time it takes to complete their studies.
West Virginia Wesleyan College's in-state tuition for the 2017-2018 academic year was $29,574, and fees were $1,178. Out-of-state tuition and fees for the same period were $29,574 and $1,178 respectively.
Campus LocaleRemote Town
Is Admission OpenNo
Business ModelNot-for-profit
On Campus HousingYes
The West Virginia Wesleyan College University Bachelor of Science in Nursing is a program preparing students for a career in the nursing profession. The program is accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Students are prepared for the theoretical and practical aspects of a career in nursing forming the foundation for professional nursing and further graduate studies.
Graduates from the program are eligible to apply to sit for National Examinations for licensing to obtain licensure as a Registered Nurse.
Admissions Requirements:
Applications to the nursing program will be reviewed on the basis of a combined assessment of high school GPA and total SAT scores or composite ACT scores. The program has limited space available for direct admission students.
Students who have already completed some degree of college level course work can apply to transfer to the program. Students transferring from another institution and/or another major are required to show proof of a minimum of 3.0 GPA for all college level course work and all pre-requisite courses to the program will need to have been completed with a ‘C’ grade or higher.
Registered Nurses are admitted to the program on the basis of academic records and the availability of space. Registered Nurses applying to the program are required a minimum of a 2.5 GPA or higher for all college level coursework and an unencumbered license to practice.
Bachelor's degree 4 11
Master's degree 0 5
Post-master's certificate 0 0
NCLEX-RN: 97%
Nursing schools located within 101 miles radius of West Virginia Wesleyan College
Alderson Broaddus University
Waynesburg University
Wheeling Jesuit University
Eastern Mennonite University
University of Charleston
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Mountain State University
Hood College
Hiram College
Muskingum University
Carson-Newman University
Christian Brothers University
Freed-Hardeman University
King University
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission
Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program
Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
CCNE
Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
Enrolled students test score (Fall 2017)
SAT 955 to 1170
ACT 19 to 25
Admission considerations
Secondary school GPA Required
Secondary school rank Recommended
Secondary school record Required
Completion of college-preparatory program Recommended
Recommendations Recommended
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Admission test scores (SAT/ACT) Required
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Recommended
Other Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) Neither required nor recommended
In addition to the college's admission requirements each nursing program might have its own admission criteria (such as: TEAS score, HESI A2 score, nursing prerequisites GPA, etc).
Undergrads $35
Graduates $50
LPN 45 $18,900 $18,900 $18,900
FNP 50 $30,350 $30,350 $30,350
In 2017-2018 academic year, 100% of West Virginia Wesleyan College's students received financial aid. Below is the breakdown of the financial aid provided to students.
Other Federal Grant 3% $7,149
Institutional Grant & Scholarships 99% $20,454
Private Loans 7% $10,935
Bachelor's in Nursing Degree Scholarships
Gustavus B. Capito Fund for Nursing Education
Eleanora G. Wylie Scholarship for Nursing
Mary T. Price Scholarship
Bernice Pickens Parsons Fund Scholarship
Data source: https://nces.ed.gov (2017-2018 colleges survey) and West Virginia state board of nursing.
59 College Ave


Where will the next 'Hamilton' come from now that so many playwrights are in TV?
Malik Rainey for NPR
Playwright Terry Guest poses for a portrait on Sept. 28, at the Alleyway Theater in Buffalo, N.Y.
When COVID-19 hit, Chicago playwright and actor Terry Guest was furloughed for two weeks from the coffee shop where he worked.
"And I thought, when will I ever get two weeks off of work again? Never. So I'm going to write a play," Guest said. "And there was very little pressure at the time. So I just sat down and wrote whatever was on my heart. It ended up taking a little bit longer than two weeks, because I ended up having a little more time than I anticipated."
Sarah Potter / The Alleyway Theatre
The Alleyway Theatre
The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest is a lyrical play about how the ghosts of the past shape the identities of the living.
The play he wrote, The Magnolia Ballet, is the first in a trilogy.
"They all take place in the swampy part of Georgia where I grew up," Guest said. "There's lots of magic there. Lots of ghosts. Lots of mosquitoes."
The play — funny, emotional — is a lyrical piece about fathers and sons, masculinity, sexuality and how the ghosts of the past shape our present identities.
"I like to say that this story is 100% true, even though it's not all fact," said Guest.
Once it was finished, Guest asked his theater friends if they would give his new play a Zoom reading.
"Everybody was sort of like, 'Oh, this is pretty good. This is really good.'"
/ Malik Rainey for NPR
Playwright Terry Guest poses with Carlos Jones who directed a production of The Magnolia Ballet at Alleyway Theater in Buffalo, N.Y., on Sept. 28, 2022.
One of the directors in that reading gave the script to Bill Simmons at The Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. He liked it and gave it to Chris Handley at The Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo.
"I read it and thought 'Oh my god this is fantastic,'" said Handley.
The Williamston Theatre in Michigan also liked it and — bingo! — they had enough theaters involved to get money for a "rolling world premiere," from the National New Play Network.
If three theaters that are members of the Network agree to produce the same new play they're eligible for $7,500 each, "regardless of their budget size," explained Nan Barnett, executive director of the network. Playwrights also receive funding to travel to those premieres so they can experience their work, "in the hands of different directors, on the bodies of different actors and as reflected through the audiences and critics of all these different communities."
Terry Guest used those funds to travel to The Alleyway, a theater contained in a former 1941 Greyhound Bus Station. When the bus station moved in the late 1970s, The Alleyway shared the space with the local police precinct. Now, the theater occupies the whole building, leased from the city of Buffalo.
The Magnolia Ballet, which opened Alleyway's new season, is a tale of tension and release, identity and shame. One gay teen struggles to come out to his hyper-masculine dad. Another denies his sexuality altogether. But it's also funny, with some awkward dancing to Brittney Spears by the sole white character and irreverent jokes about historical figures — including one imagining the character of Prissy from Gone With The Wind as a porn star.
Eric Watkins / Terry Guest
Terry Guest
Playwright and actor Terry Guest in a production of his play, The Magnolia Ballet, from About Face at the Den Theatre in Chicago. Eric Watkins was the production's lighting designer.
Chris Jones, theater critic for The Chicago Tribune and The Daily News, compared a Chicago production of The Magnolia Ballet, which starred Guest himself, to Michael R. Jackson's Broadway hit A Strange Loop, saying it was "just as poetically resonant and ambitious," as Jackson's Tony Award-winning play.
Even so, a new play by an unknown writer is not an easy sell to audiences, The Alleyway's Handley said.
"That's what keeps me up at night," he said. "Because it is people of a certain age who are coming to see theater. And the kind of theater that we are doing is truly not something that they probably are interested in."
Handley, one of only two full-time employees at Alleyway, said the theater's survival is dependent on grants and an annual production of A Christmas Carol. He says applying for grants is 80% of his job.
The Alleyway Theatre's production of The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest stars two local Buffalo actors, Nigel Reynolds and Shawn Adiletta.
That's because there's not a lot of money in regional theater, especially for those stages that take risks on new work. The pandemic shutdowns made things worse as audiences dried up; two longtime incubators for new play development closed: The Sundance Theatre Lab and The Lark.
Perhaps even more jarring to those in regional theater, the Humana Festival for New American Plays, one of the most important showcases for new work, isn't coming back.
"It's not a sustainable model based on how we've moved into our 21st century," said Robert Barry Fleming, executive artistic director of Actors Theatre of Louisville, which produced the festival for some 40 years.
Humana was a major, expensive undertaking. Multiple plays that had never been staged before were given full productions: elaborate sets, costumes, A-list actors and directors, even original music.
Another factor in the decision to end the festival, said Fleming, is that other theaters got in on the act. "When we began the Humana Festival of New American Plays, that was a very new idea. Now festivals are kind of so ubiquitous so as to be indistinguishable in a lot of ways," he said. Today there are new play festivals in West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana and elsewhere.
But Fleming said Actors Theatre of Louisville is still committed to new work. "It's rooted much more in the community and rooted much more in [the community's] comprehensive health," he said. One example: The Clinic, founded by nurse and choreographer Tara Rynders, conducts resiliency workshops for healthcare workers. Nurses throughout Kentucky have been participating.
Actors Richard Satterwhite (R) and Nigel Reynolds (L) play a father and son in Terry Guest's The Magnolia Ballet at The Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo.
Theaters across the country have been doing considerable soul-searching in recent years. "The pandemic exposed a lot of the underpinnings that weren't maybe as stable as we thought," said Barnett. Everything from supply chains to precarious funding models have been getting more scrutiny. Theaters are trying to do everything differently in order to survive.
The problem and perks with TV
Classics — Shakespeare, Arthur Miller — may be sure-fire hits for the older audiences, but new plays are important: they reflect the issues and concerns of society, develop empathy and draw in the younger, more diverse audiences that theater needs. They're also what fuel the commercial theater; many of Broadways plays and musicals started in regional theaters.
Playwrights, of course, are their engine, and there's a deep need for diverse playwrights to produce plays. Yet between the low pay and aging audiences, there's not a lot of incentive for playwrights to work in regional theater.
Theater critic Jones said that many of them are looking elsewhere.
"I think one of the most under reported phenomena is the detrimental effect television has had on the theater," he said.
Television is snapping up playwrights. Law & Order, The Flight Attendant, Maid, Shameless, and The Americans are among the many shows using playwrights.
"I mean, every time I look at credits for a TV show, I see one of my favorite playwrights," said Jones, "and when they're writing a TV show, they're not writing a new play."
One of those playwrights-turned-screenwriters is Tanya Saracho. She's unequivocal. "The American theater doesn't support a living for a playwright," she said.
Jackson Davis / Tanya Saracho
Tanya Saracho
"The American theatre doesn't support a living for a playwright," says playwright-turned-screenwriter Tanya Saracho. After spending years working in theater in Chicago, she now works in TV full-time.
In addition to writing new plays, Saracho founded and ran a theater company, Teatro Luna in Chicago. She now works in TV full-time. She created the show Vida for the Starz network, and has written for Girls and How To Get Away With Murder.
But she still loves theater. "I always say I divorced my first wife and I miss her all the time. But I'm still not coming back," she said, laughing.
Saracho said theater prepared her for screen work, because playwrights are especially good at "crafting character." And when she's staffing a TV writers' room, "I do look at playwrights a lot because you've had to stand on your own without a writers' room."
Playwright Terry Guest — young, diverse, the kind of playwright regional theaters are desperate for — would also love to work in TV.
"I would love to write anything. I would love to write for Issa Rae," he said. "I would love to write on Succession. Succession needs some gay flavor in there anyway."
The National New Play Network, of course, hopes Terry Guest keeps writing plays for regional theatre. The Network even gave him a special award for The Magnolia Ballet: $500.
Audio and digital stories edited by Jennifer Vanasco. Audio produced by Jeevika Verma.
See stories by Elizabeth Blair


Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Operations
Department of Energy OIG
Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6) is a byproduct of uranium enrichment at Department of Energy gaseous diffusion plants since World War II. Uranium enrichment, a process used to make fuel for nuclear power plants and for military applications, created a legacy of approximately 800,000 metric tons of DUF6 that was stored in about 67,000 steel cylinders at the Department’s gaseous diffusion plant sites Public Law 107-206, signed by the President in August 2002, requires that no later than 30 days after enactment, the Department must award a contract for the design, construction, and operation of DUF6 conversion facilities at the Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio, sites. Public Law 107-206 also stipulates that the contract require groundbreaking for construction to occur no later than July 31, 2004, at both sites. We initiated this audit to determine the Department’s progress in converting its DUF6 inventory. We found that the Department made limited progress in converting its DUF6 inventory into a more stable form for reuse, storage, or disposal. After encountering numerous problems with safely converting the DUF6 inventory, the Department revised its baseline in 2019 and estimated that it would then take an additional 18 years, until 2054, to convert the inventory. The Department revised its projected costs to convert the full inventory of DUF6 to around $11.7 billion, more than two and a half times its original estimate of $4.6 billion. In addition to COVID-19 impacts, delays in converting the DUF6 occurred, in part, due to inherent technical or mechanical flaws that resulted in numerous shutdowns of the plants. While the Department invested in plant modifications to address some of these flaws, it had not completed comprehensive studies of the plants’ inherent flaws and their realistic conversion capabilities. Management concurred with our finding and one recommendation, and its proposed corrective actions are consistent with our recommendation.
DOE-OIG-23-04
Portsmouth, OH
DOE-OIG-23-04.pdf 828.34 KB
https://www.energy.gov/node/4823995
http://energy.gov/ig/office-inspector-general


Speaking Straight: "Four Women of Egypt"
Margot Badran
Four Women of Egypt
By Tahani Rached
Office National du Film du Canada, 1997
The film opens with four middle aged women-who could be your mothers, your aunts, your friends - walking on a bridge at the barrages south of Cairo. It is an idyllic scene: soft light falls on the causarina trees and Nile waters. This is al-Qanatir, the Women's Prison, where the strolling figures spent time is off camera. Later, we see the women in their homes in different quarters of Cairo. We see them relaxing at a kebab house near the Hussain Mosque in the Musky. We see one holding forth on Abbassiyya Street recalling the neighborhood of her childhood. One wends her way through the streets of the Delta village of Kamshish pointing to the site of her husband's assassination. Another rummages through the personal archives of her activist past; yet another lectures to students at Cairo University. We see them talking, laughing, teasing, agreeing and disagreeing-being vibrantly Egyptian.
"Four Women of Egypt" is more than a film; it is an event, a public conversation. The four women speak animatedly about the nation, politics, culture, and Islam. They connect the politics and ideologies of past and present with the adhesive of their own experience. The women saturate their conversations with humor, that quintessentially Egyptian vernacular, and with irony, that most delicious of deconstructive devices. They speak with refreshing candor and hard-hitting honesty as they rake over the past and muddle through the present.
The four are friends. They are nationalists and progressives; one among them is a veiled Islamist. The women defy the stereotypical notion that "fundamentalists" and "secularists" do not talk to each other, that they do not have shared experiences or common concerns. They assault the barriers of rigid ideologies. No wonder the film-deftly directed by Tahani Rachid, a Montreal filmmaker who grew up in Egypt-has touched a nerve in audiences in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, as well as in the West.
Safynaz insists that the four women are "united by [the same] human values"... Amina agrees: "We share the same human values," and adds, "Love of country is not an abstract relationship." Shahenda says succinctly, "We are all engaged in the same struggle." It was during Sadat's regime that the women were thrust into prison...Hundreds of nationalist women were tossed like a salad on top of one another, as Safynaz put it, socialists upon communists upon Nasserists, upon Islamists-Christians upon Muslims.
The four women, who were born into a world under colonial occupation and forged in the fire of nationalism, shuttle us back and forth through five tumultuous decades. Three were born in the late 1930s, one in the late 20s. They came of age with the Revolution of 1952. Wedad Mitry has been a lifelong journalist. A student activist, she was the only woman elected to the Student Union at Cairo University in 1951. That same year she joined the Women's Popular Resistance Committee (founded by the feminist Saiza Nabarawi). Safynaz Kazem, a journalist, theater critic and writer, is the author of many books. In the 1960s she was a graduate student in the United States-in Kansas, Chicago, and New York. Shahenda Maklad was active in student and nationalist movements, running as a candidate in parliamentary campaigns. She continues her tireless fight for peasants' rights and other populist causes. Amina Rachid, a committed leftist, was born into the old upper class, the granddaughter of Ismail Sidki (a former prime minister). She completed her studies in Paris where she was active in the Arab Student Association in France and worked for several years at CNRS. Her political commitment brought her back to Egypt where she teaches French literature at Cairo University.
Wedad and Shahenda met through their resistance work in the 50s. Shahenda and Safinaz met in the 60s on the steps of Dar al-Hilal publishing house (where both were on their way to see the now late Ahmad Baha al-Din) after the assassination of Shahinda's husband Salih Hussain, an activist for peasants' rights. Wedad met Safynaz in the 60s when she returned from work in Iraq where she first encountered Safynaz through her writings. Safynaz, Shahenda, and Amina all met in prison in 1981.
Remembering and living the nation evoke pride and pain. Nationalism has been the mother tongue of the four women, the language of their childhood, girlhood, and young adulthood. Three Muslims and one Christian, they spoke a common language. British colonialism and Western imperialism were the enemies. The revolution of 1952 was a national turning point. The old class system was being dismantled, new social justice-for class, ethnicity, and gender-seemed to be on the horizon. The year 1956 was a high point in the history of the nation, with the final expulsion of the British from Egypt, the nationalization of the Suez Canal, and the vote for women. The year 1964 witnessed the inauguration of the High Dam. The four women were young adults and full of hope, living the revolution. Shahenda and her new husband, taking President Gamal Abdul Nasser's land reform seriously, were fighting for peasants' rights when, in 1966, Saleh Hussain was gunned down by a landowner's thug in a state that could not, or did not care to, protect those who took too much of the revolution in their own hands. The defeat during the war of 1967, for the four women as for other Egyptians, brought pain and searching. The dream was fading. With Nasser's death in 1970 an era had ended. Arab socialism, which all four women had embraced, was over and "open door" capitalism was in.
How does one narrate national history? How does one incorporate Nasser into one's rendition of the nation? What does memory do, how do we use it? The film narrative captures women's memories of the moment and their reflections years later. Safynaz recounts, in an animated voice how as a girl in 1952, giddy with joy, she was looking out from her balcony as the triumphal procession of the Free Officers passed down Abassiyya Street (historical footage is spliced in) and believed Nasser looked directly at her. The film pans forward to four middle-aged women watching, with wry expressions, old clips of Nasser in the 60s expounding on the promises of social and economic reform and on national security-years after disappointments and defeat set in. The women argue over Nasser: Was he good or bad, how was he good or bad-or good and bad? Shahenda, the exuberant nationalist who suffered terrible personal loss, continues to appreciate Nasser and his project, while not forgetting the treacheries and tragedies. When the film cuts to the country in anguish as the dead leader's coffin was borne through the streets of Cairo, the women express the pain of loss and abandonment they experienced at that moment.
In the zigzag through history, the film makes palpable how memory, as a re-experiencing of the moment itself, and memory as a mode of processing the past, serves up "multiple truths." The film lays bare the archaeology of individual lives-those layers and sediments of which we are composed. If one loses the discourse of nationalism-and the discourse itself fades-one does not lose the imprints it made. In Wedad's words: "By your past people know you." The film illuminates this, producing aching feelings and discordant sentiments.
As Sadat was setting out to move the nation away from Arab socialism, the four women remained loyal to the ideals of social justice it espoused. Wedad, Shahenda and Amina continued to employ a secular discourse of social justice (the discourse of the secular nation) while Safynaz, back in the middle 60s, had embraced an Islamic discourse of social justice. Safynaz insists that the four women are "united by [the same] human values," although "my ideals come from my commitment to Islam," whereas theirs "spring from their way of thinking." Amina agrees: "We share the same human values," and adds, "Love of country is not an abstract relationship." Shahenda says succinctly, "We are all engaged in the same struggle." It was during Sadat's regime that the women were thrust into prison (Safynaz and Shahenda more than once). Hundreds of nationalist women were tossed like a salad on top of one another, as Safynaz put it, socialists upon communists upon Nasserists, upon Islamists-Christians upon Muslims.
While the four women are bonded by common values, they also acknowledge their differences. Three are adamant about their desire for the continuation of a secular state-a state with space for religion, but not a religious state. Safynaz alone among them wants an Islamic state. Under conditions of confusion and disappointment and in search of meaning, people-Christians and Muslims alike-are turning to religion, as Shahenda reminds us. Amina, worrying about the implications, believes, "We are suffering from obscurantism." She continues, "This may be more dangerous than physical violence." Many cast Islamism in the context of cultural politics, often calling it a form of cultural nationalism in the face of Western intrusion. Amina dismisses this idea, insisting that it is a matter of power politics; if the Islamists gained power and acted in the West's interests, the West would embrace it, she insists. Shahenda says, along with many others, that the West needs to create an enemy and Islam is it. Speaking across all divisions, Safynaz insists: "I've discovered that deep down in every human culture the values-freedom, justice, tolerance, and human dignity-are the same."
The present is troubling to the four. The revolution of 1952 did not produce the expected results. "Things have gotten worse [since then]," Amina laments. "Maybe we were not able to do the job; maybe others will do it." A member of the new generation, Wedad's daughter Reem says: "We're stuck in an impasse. We are bogged down with painful memories." When her mother Wedad points to "the continuity between generations" she seems to be expressing a hope that some of the old dreams will one day be realized.
This review appeared in Al Jadid Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 24 (Summer 1998)
Copyright (c) 1998 by Al Jadid
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