Snapshots

Wesleyan University’s picturesque campus takes on a new glow when the first snow falls. Students are busy wrapping up the semester and now there is just enough snow on Foss Hill to allow for a sled run – a rite of passage for Wesleyan students across the generations. Photos by James Sims.

In 2021 Wesleyan began construction on a reimagined southeast corner of Andrus Field. At the core of this work is an extension and gut renovation of the Public Affairs Center (PAC), and a new Davison Art Center gallery building. This latter project is part of a broader effort to expand the arts at Wesleyan beyond the Center for the Arts and to make them part of an inclusive, accessible, and interdisciplinary network of buildings at the core of campus. On June 4, as part of the Class of 2020's Weekend Celebration, Alan Rubacha, assistant vice president of construction and infrastructure…

On April 30, Wesleyan's Archaeology and Anthropology Collections hosted an open house at Exley Science Center. In addition to viewing artifacts excavated from around the world and Middletown, guests were able to tour the museums, watch demonstrations of stone tool-making and 3D scanning, and participate in a hands-on animal bone and scat identification exercise. The event was co-hosted by the Wesleyan Archaeology Program, Environmental Archaeology Laboratory, Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History, and the George Brown Goode Biological Collections. (Photos by Willow Saxon '24)

After four years of developing and honing their artistic skills, 30 art studio majors from the Department of Art and Art History have completed senior thesis projects this spring and are sharing their final works with the public. The annual Senior Thesis Exhibition, held in the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, is the culmination of a two-semester thesis tutorial. The exhibition is critiqued by the faculty advisor and a second critic, and must be passed by a vote of the faculty of the art studio program. The senior thesis allows the art studio majors to engage in a solo, rigorous, self-directed…

The Wesleyan community is experiencing a rather warm start to fall, but a beautiful one nonetheless! (Photos by Willow Saxon '25 and Olivia Drake MALS '08)

During Long Lane Farm's annual Pumpkin Festival, members of the Wesleyan and Middletown communities learned about local organic farming and food politics while enjoying free veggie burgers, hot cider, vendors, live music, and various crafts, including pumpkin painting. "Pumpkin Fest is just the kind of event that provides a moment for residents and students to meet for food, music, and laughter," said farmer Elle Bixby '23. "Long Lane Farm's mission of providing a place for growing sustainable food in a community spirit is a perfect backdrop for reminding students that there is more to the Wesleyan campus than just classrooms…

The Office of Admission welcomed prospective students and guests to an October Open House on Oct. 11. The vibrant day offered two, identical half-day programs that featured a talk from Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez '96, vice president and dean of admission and financial aid; a student-to-student panel; an information session on the admission process and financial aid; an address to parents by President Michael Roth '78; a resource panel discussion; and student-led campus tours. Photos of the event are below: (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)

Since 1995, the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Japanese Garden—or Shôyôan Teien—has provided a serene space for meditation, tea ceremonies, and art classes. Designed, built, and continuously cared for by Stephen Morrell, a landscape architect specializing in Japanese-style gardens, Wesleyan's Shôyôan Teien is being celebrated through a new exhibit that contemplates the garden’s rich history. "One's experience of the garden is meant to be personal," Morrell said. "By design, it encourages a peaceful intimate relationship where subjective and objective experience merges into present moment being. When that happens you become part of the garden." The exhibit, titled 25th Anniversary…

Barbecue-smoked pork paninis, apple cider-brined turkey legs, clam fritters with fresh pickle aioli, and blue hubbard squash bisque were among the lunchtime tastings offered to Wesleyan students on Sept. 21. As part of the 16th annual Eat Local Challenge themed "limited miles, unlimited flavors," Wesleyan's food service provider Bon Appétit staff was charged with crafting a meal from products and ingredients harvested within a 150-mile radius of the campus without sacrificing flavor. The meal included produce, meat, dessert, and drinks from local farmers and fishermen. "Back home, I often shop very locally and care a lot about where my food…

From Alpha Delta Phi Society to the WeSanskriti—a South Asian classical dancing group—Wesleyan's 300-plus student groups offer opportunities for students with different backgrounds to meet peers with common interests. As part of Wesleyan's Week of Welcome (WesWOW), representatives from more than 100 student groups and clubs gathered on Andrus Field Sept. 10 for the Student Involvement Fair. Group members provided information, sign-up sheets, and various activities associated with their individual clubs. Wesleyan has more than 300 student-run groups, focusing on activism, identity, sports, publications, performance and visual arts, community service, religious affiliations, cultural interests, and more. Among them are the…

Through a series of skits performed by new student orientation leaders, the Class of 2025 campus newcomers learned how they may experience power, privilege, and difference as they navigate different communities at Wesleyan. Titled "I, You, (We)s," the Sept. 2 performance, held during New Student Orientation, presented frequent challenges in community engagement and offered suggestions for engaging authentically, thoughtfully, and collaboratively. "The goal of this program was to introduce new students to the topics and conversations that would be relevant during their time at Wesleyan," explained Esme Maria Ng '22, who co-wrote the scripts with fellow student playwright and "I,…

A Welcoming Wesleyan Sight: The First Snow of 2022

Class of 2020 Alumni Receive a Perimeter Tour of the Renovated PAC, Art Gallery

Wesleyan’s Archaeology, Anthropology, Biological Collections Showcased at Public Open House

Art Studio Majors Display Senior Theses at Zilkha Gallery

Bite Off More than You Can Chew at the New “Wisdom Teeth” Exhibit

Fall Is In the Air …

Fall Harvest Celebrated with Middletown Community at Pumpkin Fest

Prospective Students, Parents Attend Vibrant Admission Open House

Wesleyan’s Japanese Garden Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Exhibit

“Limited Miles, Unlimited Flavors” Theme of 2021 Eat Local Challenge

Students Network, Share Interests at Annual Involvement Fair

Performance Helps New Students Navigate Human Differences, Social Positionality