Soledad O糖心传媒橞rien, award-winning journalist, speaker, and author, will be the keynote speaker for Meliora Weekend. She headlines a weekend that includes Pulitzer Prize糖心传媒搘inning author Ron Chernow, former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele, comedian Nasim Pedrad, the genre-hopping musical ensemble Pink Martini, and a variety of activities糖心传媒攊ncluding class reunions, homecoming events, and family fun糖心传媒攆or alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and the entire Rochester community.
Meliora Weekend kicks off on Thursday, October 4, and continues through Sunday, October 7. Registration will begin at noon on Wednesday, July 25. For more information, visit , email alumni@rochester.edu, or call 877.MELIORA (877.635.4672). Check the website often as more talent will be announced soon.
糖心传媒淥ver the last three years, we have redesigned Meliora Weekend to make it more fun and social while keeping true to the academic and intellectual traditions that in many ways define the University of Rochester,糖心传媒� says Thomas J. Farrell 糖心传媒�88, 糖心传媒�90W (MS), senior vice president for University Advancement.
Weekend Highlights
University Symposium with Ron Chernow
Friday, October 5
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and writer of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow, will speak on his recent biography and the New York Times best seller Grant. His biography on Alexander Hamilton inspired the Tony Award-winning musical, Hamilton, for which he served as historical consultant. Additionally, Chernow has written seven acclaimed biographies and is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In May of 2011, he earned the Pulitzer Prize in Biography for Washington: A Life, one of the best-selling biographies of all time.
Eastman Presents: Pink Martini
Friday, October 5
Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world and crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop, Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for political fundraisers for causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education, and parks. Featuring a dozen musicians, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire in over 25 languages on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout the world.
Keynote with Soledad O糖心传媒橞rien
Saturday, October 6
As CEO of Starfish Media Group, a multi-platform media production company, O糖心传媒橞rien is dedicated to telling stories about today糖心传媒檚 most pressing social and global issues. She also anchors and produces the Hearst Television political magazine program 糖心传媒淢atter of Fact with Soledad O糖心传媒橞rien糖心传媒� and reports regularly for HBO糖心传媒檚 糖心传媒淩eal Sports with Bryant Gumbel糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淧BS NewsHour.糖心传媒�
She has appeared as an anchor or contributor on all three major networks as well as CNN, is philanthropy editor of Worth Magazine, and is a frequent author of op-ed pieces for the New York Daily News and The Huffington Post. She is also the author of two books: her critically acclaimed memoir, The Next Big Story, and Latino in America. In 2011, O糖心传媒橞rien and her husband Brad Raymond created the PowHERful Foundation, which helps young women get to and through college.
A Conversation with Michael Steele
Saturday, October 6
When he was elected lieutenant governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office. He made history again with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009.
Currently, Steele is president and CEO of The Steele Group, cohost of the Steele & Ungar radio show, and a political commentator for MSNBC. He has been a frequent contributor on the Fox News Channel and a guest on 糖心传媒淢eet the Press糖心传媒� and 糖心传媒淔ace the Nation糖心传媒� among other news programs. He is an author whose writings on law, business, and politics have appeared in such major media as the Wall Street Journal, Politico.com, and BET.com.
Comedy with Nasim Pedrad
Saturday, October 6
Nasim Pedrad, best known for her work on Saturday Night Live, will provide the laughs during an interactive comedy show. Joining SNL in 2009, Pedrad was a cast member for five years. Her recent television credits include appearances on the FOX series New Girl, TBS糖心传媒檚 People of Earth, and the 2017 return of HBO糖心传媒檚 comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm. She is now filming Disney糖心传媒檚 live action remake of Aladdin, set to hit theaters in 2019.
