Tom Breen Journalist Profile

Articles

Making a Mountain of Maori Rights

1 month ago | quadrant.org.au | Amy Brooke |Daryl McCann |Joanna Bell |Tom Breen

I was recently reminded how gaining a little power can […]Feb 26 20259 minsDemocrats fear that the machinery of the modern state can be used against them, just as they used it against TrumpFeb 26 202516 minsA flight to Britain for treatment was cheaper than maintaining my pointless American health insurance planFeb 26 20258 minsI was recently reminded how gaining a little power can increase the urge to acquire more.
UConn Firsts: The First Standalone Library

Jan 9, 2025 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

For almost 50 years, the Homer Babbidge Library in the center of the Storrs campus has served as UConn’s central repository for books, scholarly publications, and multimedia of all kinds. But generations of UConn students had spent countless hours in a different library altogether – the Wilbur Cross Building.
UConn Firsts: The First Brick Building on Campus

Dec 19, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

In its early decades, the campus of what became the University of Connecticut was largely made of wood and plaster: Old Main, Whitney Hall, and other buildings either predated the school or were built quickly to accommodate its growing population. In an era of open flames and kerosene lamps, this sometimes led to disaster: Gold Hall, the Chemical Laboratory, and the first women’s dorm would all fall victim to fires in the early years.
Architects and Gardeners

Nov 29, 2024 | quadrant.org.au | Conor Ross |Alexander Voltz |Roger Franklin |Tom Breen

n schools today the mental health of students is never […] Nov 30 2024 19 mins Today we hold the artistry of performing musicians to higher standards than we hold the artistry of composers Nov 30 2024 11 mins There can be no doubt stifling political conformity is playing its part today’s dearth of creative, quality art Nov 30 2024 8 mins George R.R. Martin, known for his high fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, of which the first book is A Game of Thrones, was a critical influence on me...
UConn Firsts: First Student Newspaper

Nov 21, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

Every weekday morning during the academic year, UConn students, faculty, staff, and visitors get the latest scoop on the University in the pages and online platforms of the Daily Campus, UConn’s student-run newspaper. But back on May 11, 1896, daily publication was a far-off dream for the eight newshounds who made up editorial board of the brand-new Storrs Agricultural College Lookout.
UConn Firsts: First Jonathan

Nov 7, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

Today, the most famous resident of UConn Nation is synonymous with the University: Jonathan, the name given to successive generations of beloved huskies who cheer on athletic teams from the sidelines, delight students, faculty, and visitors when taking cross-campus strolls, and serve as the ultimate goodwill ambassador for UConn.
UConn Firsts: First Visit from a US President

Oct 24, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

Gerald Ford had been out of the White House for nearly 10 years when he spoke to a packed Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 23, 1986, but that occasion was nonetheless the first visit to UConn by someone who had served as President of the United States. Ford, a Michigan congressman who became vice president after the resignation of Spiro Agnew in 1973, would become the country’s 38th president the following year, after Richard Nixon’s resignation.
UConn Firsts: The First Concert at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts

Oct 10, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

Picture the scene: women in elegant party dresses and men in tuxedos are ushering patrons from a pink, marbled lobby into a concert hall with neat rows of plush, velvet seats for a performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was Dec. 6, 1955, and what was then called Jorgensen Auditorium, a dream 15 years in the making, was finally a reality.
UConn Scholars Consider 'Historic Firsts' of 2024 Election

Oct 9, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

It’s rare that any particular event can be confidently predicted to be of major historical significance before it happens, but American presidential elections definitely fit the bill. And while all presidential elections are momentous, each one has unique dynamics and characteristics that influence history in very different ways. It was with this in mind that three UConn scholars gathered at the Old State House in Hartford on Tuesday, Oct.
UConn Firsts: First Day of Classes – Sept. 28, 1881 - UConn Today

Sep 26, 2024 | today.uconn.edu | Tom Breen

Editor’s Note: This is the inaugural post in a new series called UConn Firsts, celebrating noteworthy students, faculty, milestones, and moments from across the history of the University of Connecticut.