Students – Page 27

How did a young refugee from Iraq inspire a high school student from New Britain, Conn., to write a poem that went on to be performed by a 100-person choir made up of high schoolers from around the East Coast? It all began at Wesleyan. Ahmed Badr ’20 was born in Iraq and came to the United States as a refugee in 2008, after his family’s home in Baghdad was bombed by militia troops. As he struggled to adjust to life in the U.S., he started a personal blog to write about his experiences, and “found it incredibly empowering” to…

Wesleyan students celebrated the end of the 2017–18 academic year during the annual Spring Fling, held May 10 on Foss Hill. Music acts included Girltype Behaviors, Gus Dapperton, Injury Reserve, and Kamaiyah. Italian ice and caramel corn vendors provided snacks during the event. The event is organized by Wesleyan’s Spring Fling Committee and the Office of Student Activities. (Photos by Olivia Drake) (more…)

Seven Wesleyan students recently were inducted into the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Honor Society, and many of them presented research posters at the ASBMB annual meeting in San Diego, April 21–25. The ASBMB Honor Society recognizes exceptional undergraduate juniors and seniors who are pursuing a degree in the molecular life sciences for their scholarly achievement, research accomplishments, and outreach activities. The Wesleyan students inducted were Will Barr '18, Alexa Strauss '19, Emily Kessler '18, Christine Little '18, Julie McDonald '18, Rubye Peyser '18, and Alexander Shames '18. The following students attended the annual meeting: • Kessler, whose poster was…

On May 7, the DANC 354 course, Improvisational Forms, performed a roving improvisational performance on campus as part of their final assignment. The group started at Exley Science Center, traveled to Olin Library and the Public Affairs Center, and finished at Usdan University Center. During the performance, the students explored campus architecture with their bodies and movements. They traveled in interconnected clumps, and also as individuals, and interacted with objects and passersby. Throughout the semester, students explored various approaches to dance improvisation and studied movement vocabulary; increased compositional awareness; developed their creative thinking and observational skills; and sharpened their performance presence. Students learned about improvisation exercises, structured…

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On May 2, the sixth annual Scholar-Athlete Dinner was held in Beckham Hall to honor top scholar-athletes in all 29 varsity sports. Photos from the event are below: (Photos by Tom Dzimian) (more…)

Thirteen seniors, majoring in the College of the Environment, presented posters during a COE Colloquium on May 2. (Photos by Tom Dzimian) (more…)

The Asian American Student Collective (AASC) and Shakti, the South Asian Student Association, hosted the annual Holi (Festival of Colors) celebration April 28 on Foss Hill. Students tossed colored powder at each other, celebrating the spring season. The event served as the culmination of a month-long celebration of Asian-American culture, identity, history, and activism. (Photos and video by Melissa Rocha) (more…)

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The 2017–18 winter season was a historic one for the Wesleyan athletic programs, highlighted by the men's basketball team winning its first-ever NCAA Tournament game, while Laila Samy '18 of women's squash, Caroline Murphy '20 of women's swimming and diving, and Isaiah Bellamy '18 and Devon Carrillo '17 of wrestling all earned All-American honors. Here is a team-by-team breakdown: Men's Basketball (22–7, 7–3 NESCAC) * NCAA Second Round / NESCAC Finals Set a program record in overall wins (22) and tied a program record with seven NESCAC victories. Hosted first- and second-round games in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the…

On April 19, 20, and 21, the Center for African American Studies and Second Shades student organization presented the play La Violecion of My PapiYon (Papiyon means butterfly in Haitian Creole) in the Patricelli '92 Theater. The play was written by Arline Pierre-Louis '19 and directed by Ruby Fludzinski '20 and Ray Achan '19. The production was put together by a cast and crew of over 50 people who all identify as people of color. Set in the beautiful town of Jacmel, Haiti, during the post-Duvalier era (1988), Gylda (played by Inayah Bashir '20 and pictured below in the purple and…

Senior Katherine Paterson's passion for theater and environmental studies has grown over the past two months while she constructed a greenhouse for an honors thesis that explores and links together urban farming, communal activity, and theater. On Earth Day, April 22, Paterson presented (at)tend, a durational performance of song, poetry, and spoken word, which unfolded over the course of the spring semester. The project involved the collective construction, seeding, and tending of a greenhouse by students and community members, and culminated with a spring harvest. "The goal of the project was to serve as an experiment in creative place-making—in creating a space that the larger…

Badr ’20 Guides Upward Bound Students to Write about Their Experiences

Students Celebrate End of Semester at Spring Fling

Students Inducted into Honor Society, Present Research at American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Meeting

Improvisational Forms Class Offers Roving Performance on Campus

Items Fall 100 Feet, Explode at the Third Annual Big Drop

Student-Athletes Honored at 6th Annual Dinner, Awards Ceremony

Seniors Present College of the Environment Research at Poster Session

Students Celebrate Spring, South Asian Culture at Holi Festival

Honors, MA Students Share Research at Science Theses Celebration

2017–18 Winter Athletic Season Ends with Historical Victories

CAAS, Second Shades Present Student-Written, Directed Play

Paterson’s Senior Thesis Explores Urban Farming, Communal Activity, Performance