Campus Life

Like every other part of the campus community, Wesleyan’s student activity organizations are learning to adapt to the realities of the pandemic. The biggest change for many of those groups is a simple one—having the ability to get back together again. Hundreds of students attended the university’s annual Student Involvement Fair (view photos) in early September, and the excitement was, understandably, quite high. Wesleyan’s wide array of activities are always an opportunity for students to expand their intellectual and cultural horizons. For many, stuck in a pandemic stasis for almost two years, the Involvement Fair is a chance to interact…

The ongoing demolition of the 1954 wing of the Public Affairs Center (PAC) yielded a touch of history on Sept. 17 when crews unearthed a time capsule sealed into the concrete entry slab on the east side of the building. A demolition contractor found a partially damaged copper box that had been encased in concrete. The outside of the box was green and brown with oxidation and dirt, but the inside retained its original bright sheen and color. This particular contractor had seen time capsules on other building projects and knew what he was dealing with. (more…)

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…

As students settle into a fully-residential fall semester with more than 95 percent of the student body vaccinated for COVID-19, the University continues to mandate the wearing of masks inside all university buildings. Wearing masks outdoors is optional. "Because of your hard work and diligence thus far, we have taken important steps towards creating a healthy campus environment," said Wesleyan Medical Director Dr. Tom McLarney in a recent campus-wide health update. "We will continue to monitor our situation and adjust accordingly." View the latest updates and campus guidelines on Wesleyan's Keep Wes Safe website. Photos of student activities during the…

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…

Rob Borman, Wesleyan’s grounds manager, watched as Wesleyan and Emerson’s soccer teams went through warmups on a beautiful late summer day. It was warm and the sun shined as the players went through passing drills and stretched on the perfect turf. Emerson’s players shouted through their drills. Wesleyan’s goalies bounded from side to side as they practiced knocking away shots on goal. Borman, though, wasn’t looking at the players. He was checking out his brand-new field, installed in May. “That is 100 percent Kentucky bluegrass,” he said. “The ball should roll awesome.” For the first time in two years, Jackson…

Richard Bennet Morales '24 is what you'd call a "third culture kid." By definition, the term refers to a child who grows up in a culture different from the one in which his or her parents grew up. And Bennet Morales fits the description. Born in Puerto Rico to Spanish and American parents, he moved to Paris at the age of 3, and to Barcelona 11 years later. After graduating from a French-speaking high school, he resided in Madrid, briefly, with his family. And now, he's among 392 international students studying at Wesleyan this fall. "I was really interested in…

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,…

The Class of 2025's New Student Orientation concluded on Friday, Sept. 3 with a celebratory return to an in-person "Common Moment" which was held on Andrus Field. The annual shared participatory arts event is one of the culminating experiences of students' first week on campus. The movement experience for incoming students, which has been held since 2008 starting with the Class of 2012, featured both faculty and alumni choreographers from Wesleyan’s Dance Department. The event had pivoted to an asynchronous event last summer. The Class of 2024 participated virtually (view performance) from their residence halls on Aug. 28, 2020 due…

This October, Wesleyan will present a multidisciplinary dance project titled “WesWorks” that transforms the ordinary, mundane, and skillful movements of facilities and custodial employees into a performance accompanied by live, original music and stories told in the workers’ voices. Led by Allison Orr, the choreographer and artistic director of Forklift Danceworks, a distinguished fellow in the College of Environment, "WesWorks" will teach students techniques of community art practice through performance. In these Q&As, we speak with Forklift Danceworks employees and Wesleyan alumnae Gretchen LaMotte '18 (click to read), choreographer and programs manager and Penny Snyder '16 (click to read), communications manager…

For more than a decade, the student group WILD Wes (Working for Intelligent Landscape Design at Wesleyan University) has worked to transform a .75 acre of sloping, sandy land into a thriving permaculture site. Located inside the West College Courtyard, the garden boasts a biodiverse natural ecosystem with plants that are beneficial to humans and wildlife. Birds, bees, butterflies (and humans) enjoy the plethora of seasonal produce: blackberries, blueberries, pears, apples, corn, currants, and more. Seasonal flowers, from beebalm to woodland sunflowers, provide insects with nectar-rich meals, and grassy native groundcovers spread to absorb heavy rain and eliminate the need…

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Student Activity Groups Excited to Get Back to Normal

67-Year-Old Time Capsule Discovered during PAC Renovation

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

Students Continue to Wear Masks Indoors, Keep Wes Safe

Students Network, Share Interests at Annual Involvement Fair

Student-Athletes Return to Regular Play Following 2-Year Hiatus

New International Students Hail from 26 Countries

Performance Helps New Students Navigate Human Differences, Social Positionality

Students Embody Dances from Different World Cultures during Annual Common Moment (Video)

Alumni Share Experiences with Forklift Danceworks; Prepare for ‘WesWorks’

WILD Wes Continues Summer Work on Permaculture Site

Students Begin Harvesting, Selling Produce at Long Lane Farm