Students – Page 8

Sometimes the best learning can happen outside of the classroom. In June 2022, Assistant Professor of African American Studies Garry Bertholf traveled to the Dominican Republic for two weeks with seven students involved in the Africana Research Collective, a group of first-generation low-income students of color who study the African diaspora. The Collective, founded by Yohely Comprés ’24 and Gissel Ramirez ’24, explores the effects of colonialism in the Americas and considers the repercussions of race beyond the United States, through on-campus research and international travel. Other student members include Ethan Barrett ’24, Ayer Richmond ’24, Edmund Jurado ’24, Finn…

For students who are the first in their families to go to college, the process can be daunting. The challenges, however, can make the accomplishments that much sweeter. “To come to a place like Wesleyan takes hard work and dedication. You have to be innovative and creative, and show courage to take the risk to forge your own path,” said April Ruiz, Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success. In celebration of “FGLI (first generation-low income) Appreciation Week,” about 50 students, faculty, and staff came together in the Woodhead Lounge in Exley Hall November 8 for snacks, fellowship, and the…

Housemates Charissa Lee Yi Zhen ’23 and Robyn Wong Min Xuan ’23 met during International Student Orientation and became close friends living in the Womanist House together Spring 2021. Now they have one more thing in common – they are the student recipients of the social justice award named for Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03, a social justice activist. However, their journeys to activism took different paths—one developed their passion long before they came to Wesleyan and the other discovered it while on campus. Wong explained that while she learned leadership in high school, “Coming to the U.S. and specifically Wesleyan awakened…

Election day 2022 on Wesleyan’s campus means students voting, many for the first time. Although turnout appeared light, with many local non-students walking in to cast their ballots, it didn’t mean students hadn’t voted, as many voted either early, absentee, and online, students said in interviews on Election Day. Marlen Popkin ’26 voted absentee for her first time voting this year. She wanted to make sure she voted in her local elections in Brooklyn and knew she wouldn’t be able to make it home to vote. “I wanted to vote in a local election that was relevant. I have…

As part of Wesleyan’s ongoing commitment to recruiting and supporting military veterans, the University has partnered with Service to School as the newest member of its VetLink network of institutions of higher learning. “This partnership allows us to collaborate with the Service to School team in identifying undergraduate veteran applicants and ensuring they are set up for success when applying to Wesleyan,” said Amin Abdul-Malik Gonzalez ’96, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid. “We are proud to welcome Wesleyan University as the newest member of the Service to School VetLink partnership program,” said Jim Selbe, Chief Operating…

Homecoming and Family Weekend 2022 lived up to its billing – families reunited, a couple got engaged, a deep legacy was honored, and the Wesleyan community came together to celebrate. Over 5,000 people watched the football team trounce their archrival Williams College, 35-21, to win the Little Three Championship. The team never trailed Williams during the game and put up almost 500 yards of offense, led by senior quarterback David Estevez’s two touchdown passes and touchdown run. As he gathered with friends on Andrus Field, Chris Richardson ’93, a former Cardinal running back and team captain, reflected on what Homecoming…

What might a life anchored in integrity, community, and meaning look like? A small group of faculty, students, and staff, fortified by Thai food and a welcoming atmosphere, got together in the Develin Room in Olin Library October 15 to kick around these ideas. The talk, entitled “In a World Full of Fear, How Do You Love Yourself and Others?” brought together thinkers from across campus for a conversation. Exploration was the goal of the day. Mary-Jane Rubenstein, professor of religion; Rev. Marichal Monts ‘85, pastor of The Citadel of Love in Hartford; Dia Fortenberry, the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Engagements…

One-hundred-and-eighteen days after the Supreme Court repealed Roe vs. Wade, a group of Wesleyan faculty and students assembled in Judd Hall for a teach-in focusing on protecting reproductive freedom across the country. The October 20 event, co-sponsored by Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Wesleyan Reproductive Advocacy and Legislation (WRAL), gave students the opportunity to learn more about abortion access, coalition work around reproductive freedom, and other related issues. Historically speaking, Connecticut has played an important role in the abortion debate. A 1965 Supreme Court decision, Griswold v. Connecticut, set the legal groundwork for the Roe v. Wade decision. And…

Community can be defined in many ways—shared interests, shared experiences, a shared zip code. For Oliver Egger ’23, founder of the student-led Route 9 Collective writing community, Middlesex County provided fertile ground from which to examine the different voices that populate this small Connecticut county spanned by Route 9. In early September, Wesleyan University Press (WesPress) and the Route 9 Collective published Route 9 Anthology: A Collection of Writing from Wesleyan Students, Faculty, Staff, and Middlesex County Residents, compiled and edited by Egger, who has dreamed of fostering community through art in this manner since his first year at Wesleyan.…

On a Friday afternoon on Huss Courtyard, hundreds of students clustered around tables in long unbroken rows, asked questions—or, given the music thumping from the PA system, shouted them—grabbed flyers and stickers, and scrawled their signatures on sign-up sheets. Once again, this year’s Wesleyan’s annual Student Involvement Fair showcased the spectrum of athletic, creative, cultural, and social clubs and activities on campus at the dawn of the academic year. As students looked for community many gravitated toward organizations devoted to civic engagement in all its forms, providing a chance to direct their passion in ways that can make an impact,…

A little after 6 p.m. last Tuesday, the din of pre-game practice shots and tinny hip-hop quieted inside Silloway Gymnasium, and Wesleyan’s women’s volleyball team assembled for the season opener against the Coast Guard Bears. Within moments of the first serve, the scoreboard registered the Cardinals’ lead: 5-0, a fitting start to a game that the No. 21 nationally ranked team ultimately won three sets to none. But it was also an accidental symbol: On the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments—the landmark civil rights law perhaps best known for expanding women’s opportunities to…

Emotions run high on Arrival Day at Wesleyan. Raw nerves live next to joy. Tears and laughs happen simultaneously. For the Class of 2026, the day is filled with hope, aspiration, and the promise a new year brings. “I’m feeling good. A little bit nervous. In the short term, I am excited to meet new people and make amazing new friends, but then I want to find my passion and explore different academic areas,” said William Liang ’26, whose sister Mia is a member of the Class of 2023. The 745 members of the Class of 2026, who arrived on…

Africana Research Collective Reflects on Summer Travel and Future Goals

First Generation Students Celebrate Accomplishments

Students Awarded Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Social Justice Award

Wesleyan Students Vote—Absentee, Early, Online, and In Person

Wesleyan to Partner With Service To School

Wesleyan Celebrates Homecoming and Family Weekend 2022

How Do You Love Yourself and Others?

Teaching Reproductive Rights

Celebrating Community Voices: The Route 9 Anthology

At Student Involvement Fair, More Emphasis on Civic Engagement

Fifty Years After Title IX, Wesleyan’s Women Student-Athletes Push Forward

Wesleyan Welcomes the Class of 2026