Olivia Drake – Page 40

On Sept. 26, the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore hosted a public discussion between Wesleyan President Michael Roth ’78 and Roxanne Coady, founder of RJ Julia Booksellers, on Roth’s new book and the crises facing higher education today. Roth's new book, Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist's Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness on College Campuses, was published Aug. 20 by Yale University Press. In the book, Roth takes a pragmatic and empathetic approach to the challenges facing higher education. He offers important historical, sociological, and economic context, as well as firsthand observations from his decades as a higher ed…

On Sept. 24, Wesleyan's dining service Bon Appétit challenged itself by creating a meal using ingredients sourced within a 150-mile radius of campus. The result was the 14th annual Eat Local Challenge. This year's menu included steamed lobster, mussels, corn, potatoes, haddock tacos with curtido slaw, clam fritters, wood-fired rotisserie chicken, smoked pork sandwiches, blueberry crisp, pork belly, turkey, cucumber and tomato salad, barbecue seitan, fresh greens, butternut squash stew, and fresh fruit. Food was sourced from Horse Listener's Orchard in Ashford, Conn.; Maine Sea Salt Company in Marshfield, Maine; Mi Terra Tortilla Company in Hadley, Mass.; Lakeside Farms in…

On Sept. 20, members of the Wesleyan community—including students, faculty, staff, and Middletown community leaders—joined millions of young people around the world by participating in the Global Climate Strike. Taking place in more than 150 countries, the Global Climate Strike (held Sept. 20-27) amplifies a chorus of concern about the catastrophic dangers of climate change. The on-campus strike included speeches by students, faculty, and a community member, and concluded with a march around campus. Boldly displaying handcrafted signs, students paraded around campus chanting, "No coal, no oil, keep the carbon in the soil," and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, fossil fuels…

Wesleyan's fundraising arm, the Office of University Relations, now has a new name—and a new home. Effective Aug. 1, University Relations was renamed the Office of Advancement, which reflects the evolution of the team’s work as they refine their focus and prepare for the next campaign, and aligns with industry standards. "Of course, the staff’s commitment to the Wesleyan community and to engaging alumni, parents, and students in the life of the University remains unchanged," said Frantz Williams ’99, vice president for advancement. "We’re all excited for this new chapter!" During the summer the advancement staff relocated to 291 Main…

In honor of Constitution Day, Special Collections and Archives hosted a pop-up exhibit inside the Davison Rare Book Room in Olin Library on Sept. 19. The exhibit featured early versions of the US Constitution, Federalist papers, the Connecticut State Constitution, and original letters by Founding Fathers George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. Photos of the exhibit are below: (Photos by Nick Sng '23) (more…)

(more…)

The Mattabesset String Collective, a five-piece Wesleyan-affiliated acoustic ensemble, performed at a venue in Higganum, Conn., on July 29. The group plays an eclectic mix of bluegrass, blues, folk, mountain, country, and rock, all in a string band style. (Photos by Olivia Drake and Bill Burkhart) (more…)

Inspired by Fête de la Musique (also known as Make Music Day), the eighth annual The MASH festival on Sept. 6 highlighted Wesleyan's student music scene, with multiple stages on campus featuring everything from a cappella ensembles to student and faculty bands. More than 15 musicians or groups performed, including gonzo, sweetburger, Jackie Weo, g.flores, Mattabesset String Collective, Quasimodal, audrey mills, the basukes, Rebecca Roff, la media chulla, Lopii, Baby Leelo, livia wood, Pablo lee-davis, iris olympia, Philippe bungabong, ian etc., and Lily Gitlitz. Photos of The MASH are below: (Photos by Preksha Sreewastav '21) (more…)

Equipped with 3-D printers, water-jet and laser cutters, computer-operated milling machines, and high-tech drills, saws, and workstations, Wesleyan's new IDEAS Lab is on the "cutting edge" of digital fabrication. This fall, the College of Integrative Sciences opened the adjoined classroom and makerspace in Room 40 of Exley Science Center. While it is currently used by students in the IDEAS (Integrated Design, Engineering & Applied Science) program, by spring 2020 the space should be open to the entire Wesleyan community. "The space is the heart of our efforts to provide students with a facility to explore their ideas and create new…

Every day, 100 Americans are shot and killed and hundreds more are wounded as a result of gun violence. Through an organization called Everytown for Gun Safety, four Wesleyan alumni are working with lawmakers to pass common-sense laws and policies that build safer communities and save lives while still respecting the Second Amendment. Everytown members research a range of vital issues surrounding gun violence and develop data-driven solutions. To date, Everytown has supported nearly six million mayors, mothers, police, teachers, survivors, gun owners, students, and everyday Americans to make their own communities safer. (more…)

This fall, Wesleyan welcomes 48 new faculty to campus. Of those, there are 16 tenure-track, 10 professors of the practice, one artist-in-residence, one adjunct, and 20 new visiting faculty members. The new faculty bring a diverse skill set to campus. Among them are experts in international political economy; Indian cinema and film; environmental archaeology and ancient DNA; German poetry and aesthetic theory of the 18th century; music and expressive culture in Kazakhstan; politics in the African diaspora; Russian and Anglo-American literature; physiological and psychological effects of alcohol; and digital video production. In addition, three are Wesleyan alumni. Bios of the…

Representatives from 100 student-run groups participated in the annual Student Groups Fair Sept. 6 on Andrus Field. The fair is sponsored by the Wesleyan Student Assembly. 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 Wesleyan Film Board, Wesleyan Bellydance, the Math Club, Women in Business, Fusion Dance Crew, Men's Water Polo, TEDxWesleyan U, WesClimb, Wes Cheerleaders, Climate Action Group, Wesleyan Beekeepers, Interfaith Council, Middle School Tutoring Partnership, and the United Student Labor Action Coalition. View all student groups online…

President Roth Discusses New Book, Higher Education

Bon Appétit Creates Meal Harvested from within 150-Miles of Campus

Wesleyan Community Participates in Global Climate Strikes (with Photo Gallery)

University Relations Debuts New Name, Moves Offices to Main Street with Financial Services

Special Collections and Archives Celebrates Constitution Day with Pop-Up Exhibit

Mehr-Muska Speaks on New Book during Local Authors Program

Wesleyan String Ensemble Performs Eclectic Mix

Bands, Soloists Perform at the 8th Annual MASH Festival

New IDEAS Lab Offers State-of-the-Art Digital Fabrication Tools

4 Alumni Work to End Gun Violence Through Everytown

Wesleyan Welcomes 48 New Faculty, Postdocs, Scholars

Campus Groups Showcased at Student Activities Fair