Le Cirque du Soleil
Tuesday, September 29
Need we say more?
Join the Washington D.C. Stanford Association on Tuesday, September 29 at
7:30 PM for Cirque du Soleil’s extraordinary “Quidam.” Featuring some of
the most talented performers in the world, Cirque du Soleil is the
theatre-lover’s alternative to a typical circus. The avant-garde Cirque
interweaves theatrical portions with “circus” acts.
The event is held in a tent at the Galleria at Tysons II, Route 123 and
International Drive, Tysons Corner, VA. Tickets are available at the
group-discounted price of $44 each. The seats are lower level Category 1
seats–the best available.
The Details:
Place: Galleria at Tysons II, Route 123 and International Drive,
Tysons Corner, VA
Time: 7:30 PM
Cost: $44
RSVP: Please send self-addressed stamped envelope along with a check (payable
to WDCSA) to:
Dell Wilkinson
6401 N 27th Street
Arlington, VA 22207
Tickets will be mailed to you.
Questions: Contact Dell Wilkinson, (703) 237-4818 or
dell@vni.net.
President’s Welcome
As the incoming president of the WDCSA, it is obligatory that I write a short
missive on the state of the organization, and my thoughts on the year to
come. This is quite a simple task, as the WDCSA is in wonderful form, and
the coming year promises to be one of our best ever. And both of these
conclusions are a direct result of the tireless efforts of two extraordinary
ladies- outgoing WDCSA co-presidents Sherry Abel and Monica Mulrooney.
First, the WDCSA is in fantastic shape. Under the leadership of Sherry and
Monica, we sponsored a wide variety of events last year, reaching a significant
portion of the Washington, D.C. Stanford community. From Big Game to the
opera, to the Adopt-a-School benefit at the South African Embassy, to a paintball
tournament, there was fun, camaraderie, and even a little public service.
It was a great year and I thank Sherry and Monica for their dedication and
hard work.
This year, too, promises to be memorable– in no small part due to projects
initiated last year. The planning for the upcoming faculty lecture and visit
to the Van Gogh exhibit began ten months ago. Indeed, planning for most fall
events was started last spring. So this year, we still reap the benefits
of last year’s efforts, and my task will be to try to continue these activities,
striving to measure up to the high standards set by my most able predecessors.
It’s going to be tough, but I don’t believe that they will let me fail. So
again, from all of us, Sherry and Monica, thank you very, very much.
Modern Drama Discussion Group
Tuesday, September 15 & Friday, September 25
Not enough drama in your life?
Then look into the Modern Drama Discussion Group, a joint project of the
DC-area Stanford, Cornell, and University of Chicago Clubs. This group meets
monthly at area restaurants to discuss plays from the modern theater. Discussions
about local productions are usually led by the play’s director. Then, within
a few weeks, the group attends the play (at a group discount), staying after
the performance for a second discussion, this time with the cast. Participation
in the discussions is free, although a nominal $2 donation is requested to
cover costs.
The drama group has its own website,
www.jskay-consulting.com/footlights,
and you can receive regular updates on group activities by sending the message
“join footlights” (without quotes) to
listserv@jskay-consulting.com.
Email is dsobelso@capaccess.org,
and finally, to speak to an actual person, call (202) 484-8303.
The Lady’s Not for Burning
This fall, the group begins a series of plays about “outsiders” with this
classic verse romance written in 1948 by the English playwright Christopher
Fry. Set in the 15th century, the play follows a cynical, weary ex-soldier
who arrives in town and demands to be hanged, but hesitates when he meets
a beautiful, eccentric woman who is fleeing a mob that wants her burned as
a witch. In The New York Times, Brooks Atkinson called the play “an immensely
brilliant comedy written in sparkling poetry,” and compared Christopher Fry
to Shakespeare. A viewing of a video of the play, starring Kenneth Branagh,
will complement the group’s discussion.
Discussion
Tuesday, September 15
Little Cafe and Grill, 2039 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Court House Metro)
6:30 PM Dinner, 7:30 PM Discussion
Cost: $2 donation suggested (plus dinner if you wish)
RSVP: Karen Veninga AB ’80 (703) 536-5020
Viewing of Video
Friday, September 25
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd. (corner
of George Mason Drive)
Cost: $2 (includes refreshments)
Further information: George Manno (703) 370-1838
Combined School Social Club
Friday, September 25
Morton’s of Chicago
This month’s combined school social event is hosted by Vassar. Alums from
Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Wellesley, University of Chicago, Mt.
Holyoke, etc. are invited. This event is not designed for those who just
graduated, but no one is too young or too old to come! Both hot and cold
hors d’oeuvres will be served, with a cash bar. An alternative area has been
reserved for inclement weather.
The Details:
Place: Morton’s of Chicago
1050 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC
Time: 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Cost: $20 in advance
$25 at the door
RSVP: Send checks (payable to WDCSA) to Bill Pegram, 815 South 18th, #400,
Arlington, VA 22202. Call (703) 486-0952 (h) if you have any questions.
Potluck Picnic
Sunday, September 20
The combined school social club (see announcement above) is invited to again
picnic in the Camp David area adjacent to Cunningham Falls State Park and
Catoctin Mt. Park.
Bring a swimsuit to swim in the crystalline pond; bring sneakers for volleyball
and badminton; bring hiking shoes to hike through the park; bring marshmallows
for the campfire and musical instruments to play and bring a dog if s/he
gets along with other dogs.
The event is potluck. Please call Bill Pegram at (703) 486-0952 a day or
two before so we have a rough idea of the number of people coming. If the
weather is iffy, call Bill on the day of the picnic for information about
a rain date.
A-M Main Courses
P-S Drinks, Ice (no alcoholic beverages), Napkins, Plates, Utensils
T-Z Desserts
Directions: Take route 270 North to Frederick, Maryland. Just beyond
Frederick, 270N divides into 70E (right lanes) and 15N (straight/left lanes).
Take 15N for about 15-20 minutes. Take Route 77 going west toward the parks.
You will pass a visitor’s center and 2.4 miles beyond you will see a yellow
diamond shaped sign on your right for Tower Road (you will pass two stone
signs saying Catoctin Mountain Park) Go left on Tower road. It is a dirt
road between a grey wooden shed and a tree with 2 reflectors. Go 1 mile to
Fox Tower road where you turn left. After a short distance, you will pass
a small brown house on your right. Go down an incline and look for a black
mailbox on your right—Number 13949. The driveway is opposite the black
mailbox. If you get lost, you can call Lynne at (301) 416-0492.
Washington Opera
Thursday, October 29 & Thursday, November 12
We have purchased 25 tickets for Fedora and 20 tickets for three additional
operas this season.
Coming up:
Fedora
(with Placido Domingo and Mirella Freni)
October 29 at 8:00 PM
Premium orchestra seats, Opera House
Price: $130.00
Samson et Dalila
(with Jose Cura and Denyce Graves, conducted by Domingo)
November 12 at 8:00 PM
Prime first tier seats, Opera House
Price: $104.00
Future operas: Boris Godunov (2/15/99) and Tristan und Isolde (3/23/99).
We anticipate strong demand for these tickets, so in order to allow the maximum
number of WDCSA members to attend, and to be as fair as possible, we will
follow this policy: We will accept reservations for the first two operas
only–Fedora and Samson et Dalila–for now. Reservations will be on a first-come,
first-serve basis according to the order in which we receive checks by mail.
Members of WDCSA may request a maximum of two tickets per opera. If you are
requesting tickets for both of the first two operas, please send a separate
check for each, in case one is oversubscribed but the other isn’t.
Please send checks, payable to WDCSA, to Julie Campbell, 2601 Klingle Road
NW, Washington, D.C. 20008. For questions, call Julie at 202-244- 0206 or
e-mail her at JulieSed@aol.com.
A Discussion with Lisbeth Schorr and Roger Wilkins:
Is Systematic Social Reform Possible?
Thursday, October 1, 1998
Those of us living literally and metaphorically inside the Beltway are
preoccupied with two questions: Can government programs be effective? Can
Americans ameliorate the social conditions of their impoverished urban
neighborhoods?
Tackling these questions in a joint discussion sponsored by both the Stanford
and Harvard Clubs will be Lisbeth Shorr, Lecturer in Social Medicine at Harvard
University, Director of the Harvard University Project on Effective
Interventions, and author of the recent book, Common Purpose, Strengthening
Families and Neighborhoods to Rebuild America; and Roger Wilkins, Pulitzer
Prize winning journalist, social activist, and currently Robinson Professor
of History and American Culture at George Mason University. They will address
the current collapse of confidence by an alarming number of Americans in
the ability of government to solve our urban social problems. They will also
explore the whether there has been an attendant loss of faith by many poorer
citizens in the traditional American values of individual effort and hard
work. And they will discuss the paradox of why many effective demonstration
projects have not succeeded when applied on a larger scale. And finally,
they will suggest some hard-learned prescriptions for moving beyond frustration
and towards approaches that can succeed.
The Details
Place: The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium
Time: 6:30-8:30 PM
Cost: $10.00
Questions: Contact Sherry Abel (202) 244-4568,
eabel@erols.com
Adopt-a-School
This year, the WDCSA will again co-sponsor a tutoring program, held each
Saturday morning during the academic year, at the Meyer Elementary School
in the Shaw neighborhood of northwest Washington. With volunteers from Princeton
and Harvard, Stanford alums provide basic instruction in core subjects such
as reading and arithmetic. We also teach the fundamentals of computers in
a modest computer lab funded through the program.
The kids are kindergartners through fourth graders, and eagerly work with
the tutors to improve their academic skills. Volunteers are always needed–it’s
not necessary to attend every Saturday–but we warn you it’s easy to get
hooked on the enthusiasm of this group of kids.
We will initiate the program October 17, so keep an eye on this space. Or
contact Jennifer Ballen, the WDCSA Adopt-a-School Program Coordinator
(Jennifer_Ballen@ed.gov or (202) 362-2017) for further details.
Looking Ahead to October…
Second Thursdays- A new series of events designed for the younger set. That
means Metro-accessible, inexpensive, and fun. Mark your calendar for the
Second Thursday of each month–starting October 8th–and stay tuned for more
details.
Van Gogh! Van Gogh! Van Gogh! Van Gogh!
You’ve heard the rumors and they are true. You don’t need to stand in the
heat for up to six hours to get free advance passes to the exhibit of 70
Van Gogh paintings at the National Gallery of Art. On Saturday, October 31,
1998, Michael Marrinan, Associate Professor of Art History at Stanford, will
speak to club members about Van Gogh’s masterpieces at a brunch reception
in the Royal Netherlands Embassy. Those attending the lecture will receive
one pass to the exhibit (on a Saturday following October 31).
Look for the official invitation that will be mailed from Stanford directly.
Then, order your tickets immediately, as we will have only 270 tickets for
the exhibit.
Top-10 Ranked Stanford Men’s Basketball
Sunday, December 6, and Monday, December 7
In a rare East Coast appearance, the Stanford men’s basketball team will
square off in a four-team tournament at the MCI Center in Washington D.C.
on December 6th and 7th. Come join us and root for the Stanford Cardinal
as it enters the 1998-99 season. With all five starters back from last year’s
Final Four appearance, a tremendous year is in store for the Cardinal. Stanford
will kick off the tournament on Sunday, December 6th against the University
of Maryland Terrapins. The second game will feature George Washington
University’s Colonials and the Blue Demons of DePaul. The winners will meet
in Monday’s championship game.
The cost for the all-tournament ticket (two days/four games) is $65. Tickets
go on sale to the general public on October 1. However, from now until September
30, the MCI Center is holding a block of premium seats for Stanford fans.
You will be receiving a separate mailing about the tournament, but to give
Stanford fans as much time as possible to purchase tickets before they go
on sale to the general public, we are including information in this newsletter
as well. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the MCI Center’s
Group Sales at (202) 661-5061. Be sure to request seating in the Stanford
section.
Incidentally, we plan to have a social event in conjunction with the team’s
Washington D.C. appearance. More information will be available closer to
tournament time once the team’s schedule is finalized.