Table of Contents
SOLD OUT!
HEXAGON Theater Event
Saturday, April 9 8 pm
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center
7995 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD
Join WDCSA for the final night of the Hexagon 2011: A 21-Pun Salute! Hexagon is Washington, DC’s only original political satire musical comedy revue. Every year since 1956 this nonprofit has put on Washington’s only all-original revue of its kind—with more than $3.5 million donated to 40-plus organizations in return. This year, proceeds from the show will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. An all-volunteer membership makes up the cast, crew, orchestra, writers, and production team. It’s a hilarious DC tradition not to be missed!
Book Club Discussion
Sunday, April 10 5 pm
Falls Church, Va
The book group will meet to discuss The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, at Nadia Tongour’s home. New members are welcome. For more information, email alisoncolew@hotmail.com.
Stanford Parents Reception
Monday, April 11 6:30 pm
Bethesda, Md
Stanford’s Development Office is sponsoring an evening reception for Stanford parents at the home of Paula and Felix LaBoy, P’13. Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education Harry Elam will speak at the event. Contact Rosa Sun-Leung at rhsun@stanford.edu for more information.
Multitasking and the Brain
Thursday, April 14 6:30-8 pm
Koshland Science Museum,
Washington DC
Test your multitasking prowess and hear what Dr. Clifford Nass from Stanford University says about how multitasking affects our cognitive abilities. Start the evening with an interactive quiz to find out whether you are a low or high multitasker. Then, test your ability to juggle different tasks. Dr. Nass will put this data in context by discussing what the latest research shows about multitasking.
Dr. Clifford ("Cliff") Nass is the Thomas M. Storke Professor at Stanford University in the Department of Communication. His newest book is The Man Who Lied to His Laptop: What Machines Teach Us About Human Relationships.
Admission is $5; advance ticket purchase is recommended. Please call the Koshland Science Museum at 202-334-1201 or email ksm@nas.edu to purchase tickets.
Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Competition
April 16 & 17 10-5 pm
National Mall,
Washington DC
Two Stanford University teams are participating in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Competition. This year, 55 teams of graduate and undergraduate students have been awarded $10,000 grants to research and develop their design projects that they will present at the National Sustainable Design Expo. They will compete for a P3 Award and a second grant of up to $75,000 to further develop their sustainable solutions, implement them in communities, or turn them into a business.
The Competition is open to the public, and will be held on the National Mall between 7th and 4th Streets in Washington D.C. rain or shine! To learn more, visit the EPA P3 Facebook Page and feel free to browse the abstracts of other sustainable design projects for this year’s competition. If you have any questions please email Bruntz.leilani@epa.gov or call 703-347-0224.
WDCSA Featured Event:
Armageddon Deferred: The Contradiction in America’s Nuclear Weapons Policy
Thursday, April 21 7-8:30 pm
Rockefeller Room,
Bing Stanford In Washington
2661 Connecticut Ave NW,
Washington, D.C.
WDCSA SPEAKERS SERIES
A ban on nuclear testing eluded numerous Presidents; Eisenhower, JFK and Jimmy Carter all sought to end nuclear testing, but failed. Finally, a nuclear test ban treaty was negotiated by Bill Clinton.
Hugh Gusterson, PhD, an expert on nuclear weapons policy and on America’s nuclear weapons laboratories, will discuss how the U.S., despite the end of the arms race, spends more now on nuclear weapons R&D than it did during the Cold War.
Dr. Gusterson received his PhD in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford in 1992. He has authored or co-edited several books including, The Counter-Counterinsurgency Manual: Or, Notes on Demilitarizing American Society, Why America’s Top Pundits Are Wrong, and People of the Bomb: Portraits of America’s Nuclear Complex.
Light refreshments will be available from 7:00 to 7:30pm. The lecture will begin promptly at 7:30pm, followed by discussion and Q&A. The cost to attend is $5.00 for Young Alumni and WDCSA members, and $10.00 for non-WDCSA members. RSVP to this event at http://pgnet.stanford.edu/goto/event7617reg. Seating is limited to 60! Questions? Contact Vered Sharon ’89 at Vered_Sharon@hotmail.com.
Stanford Day at the Horse Races
Sunday, May 1 1 pm
Middleburg Hunt Point to Point Races
Glenwood Park, Middleburg, VA
FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT
Get out your hat and binoculars for A Day at the Races! Rain or shine Admission is $25.00 per person and includes a tasty tailgate picnic and libations in a patron space overlooking the finish line. Children under 12 free. Space is limited so please RSVP by April 25 and send a check payable to WDCSA to Margaret New, P.O. Box 933, Middleburg, VA 20118-0933. Tickets and directions will be mailed to you.
For further information call Margaret “Maggie” New at 703-298-2525 or email maggie@middleburggroup.com
Stanford Parents Event
Sunday, May 1
Chevy Chase, Md
WDCSA member, Melissa Clark P’12, is hosting an upcoming afternoon parent reception at her home. An official invitation and directions will go out closer to the date. Topics up for informal discussion will include “Life After Stanford” and career-related questions, the academic advising system, study
abroad programs (we’ll have parents whose sons and daughters have already taken part in these programs, as well as those who have students looking into the possibility of participating), and how the housing selection system works for upperclassmen. Hope you can attend!
Stanford at the Opera
Kennedy Center
Iphigénie en Tauride – Gluck
Thursday, May 12 @ 7:30 pm
Placido Domingo returns as Oreste in a savage drama filled with passionate singing and magical music – a Washington National Opera Premiere with Patricia Racette as Iphigénie. Deadline for ordering is April 15. Tickets will be mailed week of April 25.
Don Pasquale – Donizetti
Thursday, May 26 @ 7:30 pm
Famed bass-baritone, James Morris, in a WNO debut as Pasquale with MET favorite Dwayne Croft as Dr. Malatesta. A true opera buffa to be enjoyed by all. Deadline for ordering is May 1. Tickets will be mailed week of May 8. Prime Orchestra $156.50; 2nd Tier $ 81.50.
For tickets – send a check payable to WDCSA to Betty Byrne, 1822 Ingleside Terrace NW, Washington DC 20010. Contact Betty @
bettybyrne@stanfordalumni.org or 202.483.4048. All performances are by the Washington National Opera (WNO) and are at the Kennedy Center.
Stanford Day of Service: Beyond the Farm
Hunger Fighting in DC
Saturday, May 14 1-4 pm
Capital Area Food Bank
645 Taylor Street NE, Washington DC
FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT
In concert with Stanford’s celebration of its first global day of service, WDCSA, the Stanford Black Alumni Association of Washington DC (SBAA-DC) and Stanford Chicano Latino Alumni Association (SCLAA) are coordinating a hands-on community
service opportunity with the Capital Area Food Bank.
This hands on community service opportunity will be a great way for alums to make a huge difference in the lives of the hungry and the organizations that support them in our nation’s capital. Please save the date/time and get ready to impact a small, but significant, part of the world for the better!
The Capital Area Food Bank is one of the nation’s most comprehensive anti-hunger organizations and the Washington metropolitan area’s largest nonprofit distributor of food and other necessities to lowincome clients living in the District of Columbia area.
Activities will include packing and sorting donated food, working on the shopping floor and assisting with various other tasks that are considered light to medium labor. Standing for up to three hours in a warehouse and lifting up to 35 pounds are also typical. Please dress for the weather and wear closed-toe shoes. Children over 12 years of age are welcome. A parent or guardian for anyone under the age of 18 must sign a youth waiver.
To register, visit
https://www.cervistech.com/acts/webreg/eventdetail.php?event_id=61&org_id=0032&event_category_id=&keyword=&filter_choice=&cal_choice=&console_mode=console .
Black Chefs in the White House Dinner
Saturday, May 14
Johnny’s Half Shell on Capitol Hill
400 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC
WDCSA SPEAKERS SERIES
As a continuation of the WDCSA Speakers Series, WDCSA and the Stanford Black Alumni Association will co-host a special dinner at Johnny’s Half Shell on Capitol Hill, owned and operated by Stanford alum Chef Ann Cashion (’77, MA ’78).
The evening will feature a prix fixe 3-course dinner inspired by dishes discussed by author and Stanford alum Adrian Miller (’91) in his upcoming book about the history of American soul food and the important role of Black American chefs who served at the White House.
Johnny’s Half Shell is a premier seafood restaurant in Washington DC, located within easy walking distance of Union Station. More information will shortly be available at: http://www.stanfordalumni.org/erc/regional/listing.html?type=events&zipcode=20008.
Happiness Is: Spring Fling
Wednesday, May 18 6:30-8 pm
Koshland Science Museum
Washington DC
As late May approaches, summer and love are in the air. Find out what makes us happy during a program with Dr. Laura Carstensen, an expert in the psychological sciences from Stanford University.
The evening will begin with a short survey about global happiness. Then, Dr. Carstensen will compare
global assessments to momentary assessments. She will explain why we grow happier as we age, an assertion that is counterintuitive to preconceived notions about aging.
Laura Carstensen is the founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, the Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. Professor in Public Policy, and a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Her most current empirical research focuses on ways in which motivational changes influence cognitive processing.
Stanford In the News
• Lindsay Arnold Sugden ‘02, MBA ’10, a past President of the WDCSA, has been selected for the Board of Directors of the Stanford Alumni Association.
• Stanford is considering joining some other top engineering programs in establishing a Research
Campus in New York City.
Get Involved
WDCSA Unveils Facebook Group
The Washington DC Stanford Association is excited to expand its social networking presence! Alumni, parents, and friends can now follow WDCSA on Facebook and LinkedIn. Join the groups via the links below to learn about club events, to network, to share photos, to learn about job opportunities, and more.
Facebook – Washington DC Stanford Association: www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?
gid=192108686046
LinkedIn – Washington DC Stanford Association: www.linkedin.com/groups/Washington-DCStanford-Association-3728513?mostPopular=&gid=3728513
Co-ed Softball on the Mall
It’s that time of year again for Stanford alumni co-ed softball! The team, sponsored by your Washington DC Stanford Association (WDCSA), will be participating in the Capital Alumni Network (CAN) league for the 7th consecutive season.
If you are interested in playing, please send an email to wdcsasoftball@gmail.com. Here are some key things to know:
• Most games will be played during the week on the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument starting at 6:30 pm. Other games will be played on the weekends between 9 am and 2 pm
• Regular season starts April 11
• End of season tournament will be held August 6, 7, and 13
• Whether we win or lose, we always have a good time at our sponsor bar!
We hope to see you on the diamond this spring!
This month’s newsletter is available for download in PDF format.