Olivia Drake – Page 40

Two Wesleyan students are the recipients of the Friends of the Wesleyan Library's third annual Undergraduate Research Prize. Emma Leuchten '19, an anthropology and religion double major, received the first place prize for her senior essay, "Anthropology Beyond Belief: Navigating Dreams and Reality in the Burmese Weikza Tradition." Leuchten based the paper on fieldwork she conducted in Myanmar during a semester abroad. Her advisor was Elizabeth Traube, professor of anthropology. The essay explores quests for power and knowledge in a contemporary Burmese wizardry tradition. Drawing from personal interviews with weikza (wizard-saints), devotees, and skeptics, Leuchten examines the tensions that have arisen between this…

This year, approximately 740 teams from more than 350 universities across the country competed in tournaments hosted by the American Mock Trial Association (AMTA). And of those 740 teams, Wesleyan's Mock Trial Team A placed eighth in the country in the Temple Law Division during the National Championship Tournament on April 7. The AMTA hosted three rounds of competition for the 5,300 participating college students: Regionals, the Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS), and the National Championship. Wesleyan's three teams—A, B, and C—qualified for the ORCS tournament leading up to Nationals. And for the first time in Wesleyan's history, teams A and B…

A book coauthored by Wesleyan alumni Kennedy Odede ’12 and Jessica Posner ’09 was unanimously chosen as the Common Reading selection for the Class of 2023. The Common Reading is part of Wesleyan's First Year Matters Program, which serves as an introduction to intellectual life at Wesleyan. All Class of 2023 students will receive an electronic copy of the book, Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum (2016). As their first Wesleyan "homework assignment," the students are expected to read it prior to New Student Orientation. The book will serve as a tool for spearheading discussions throughout…

Lizzie Whitney ’19, a College of Letters and German studies double major from California, is the recipient of a 2019 DAAD scholarship for study/research in Germany. The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, or German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports the internationalization of German universities and promotes German studies and the German language abroad. The study scholarship is presented to graduating seniors at the top of their class. Whitney, who is applying to the University of Konstanz for graduate school, will use her DAAD scholarship to support her studies in comparative literature. The study scholarship also provides students with a monthly stipend plus funds for…

After three days of heavy rains, the sun broke through the clouds over campus on April 23, revealing a bright spring morning. (more…)

With the support of a new $500,000 grant, Wesleyan will be able to expand its Digital Design Studio and integrate technology more fully into the University's arts program. The Sherman Fairchild Foundation awarded Wesleyan the grant in March. It will be applied over four years. "We're very grateful for this award," said Nicole Stanton, dean of the Arts and Humanities Division and associate professor of dance. "The grant will enable Wesleyan to integrate technology more fully into our arts program, support the innovative work of our faculty and students, and expand cross-disciplinary opportunities within the arts and with other disciplines."…

Ten Wesleyan seniors and recent alumni are the recipients of 2019-20 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) and Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards. The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. The age and academic level of the students varies by country, ranging from kindergarten to university level. Applicants for Open Study/Research Awards design their own projects and will typically work with advisors at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately…

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A Wesleyan team took the top award—“Best in Show”—during DataFest on April 7. DataFest is a data analysis competition where students are presented with a large, complex, surprise data set and work over the weekend to explore, analyze, and present their findings to a panel of judges. Teams of 3–5 students work together and compete against other teams. This year, students from Wesleyan University, Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and Bentley University participated. Under the auspices of the American Statistical Association, the event is organized by Wesleyan’s Quantitative Analysis Center The winning team was made up of Anna Zagoren '20,…

Wesleyan's students of color presented their annual SOC Fashion Show April 11 in conjunction with WesFest 2019. Models worked with designers to create styles that showcase their bodies of color. Photos of the event are below: (Photos by Rebecca Goldfarb Terry '19) (more…)

For three days, Class of 2023 admitted students and their families had the opportunity to learn all about Wesleyan during the 2019 WesFest. Held April 10-12 on campus, WesFest provided campus visitors with multiple information sessions, campus tours, department open houses, attend-a-class opportunities, keynote speakers, meet-and-greets, student performances, a student activity fair, a concert on Foss Hill, and more. Wesleyan received a record 13,358 applications for its Class of 2023, offering admission to 2,114 students (15.8%) from one of the most competitive, diverse applicant pools in the University’s history. Of those who were admitted, more than 500 attended WesFest. An additional…

A paper by Zhaoyu Sun '20 was published in the April 2019 issue of The Yale Review of International Studies. The article, titled “Critical Comments Among Chinese Netizens – Before and After the Cyber Security Law" is based on a research paper he wrote for his CEAS 385/GOVT 391 Legacies of Authoritarian Politics course last fall. The class was taught by Joan Cho, assistant professor of East Asian studies; assistant professor, government. Sun, a College of East Asian Studies and government double major, explained that despite the growing availability of information within China and the country’s increased linkage to the West, the coercive actions…

Students Receive Undergraduate Research Prizes from Friends of the Wesleyan Library

Wesleyan Mock Trial Team Takes 8th Place in National Competition

Book by Odede ’12, Posner ’09 Chosen for First Year Matters Program’s Common Reading

Whitney ’19 Wins DAAD Scholarship to Support Graduate Study in Germany

Campus Blooms to Life in Late April

Grant Supports Digital Design at Wesleyan

10 Wesleyan Students, Alumni Win Fulbrights

Japanese Community Celebrates Cherry Blossom Viewing

Wesleyan Wins “Best in Show” at 2019 DataFest

Students of Color Present Annual Fashion Show

Class of 2023 Admitted Students Experience All-Things-Wes at WesFest 2019

Paper by Sun ’20 Published in Yale Review of International Studies