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This winter, members of Wesleyan’s Squirrels On-Campus Knitting Society (SOCKS) made blankets and booties for the more than 600 new pinkies born at Wesleyan over the last several months. The club was founded two years ago by Chip Sciurus ’18, an eastern grey squirrel from Hoboken, New Jersey. “I started the club as a way to get Wes Squirrels involved in campus life, give back to the community, and connect with other campus carolinensis,” says Sciurus. So far, more than 50 Wes Squirrels have joined the organization’s efforts to make a difference at Wesleyan. According to Stella Hudsonicus ’19, a…

Tonight at The Buttonwood Tree, Wesleyan is celebrating National Poetry Month with its first-ever Squaiku (squirrel haiku) Poetry Slam. The Office for Equity and Inclusion and the Office of University Communications have been working their tails off organizing this event. “At Wesleyan we live our mission statement, which says, ‘The university seeks to build a diverse, energetic, high-climbing community of students, squirrels, faculty, and staff who think critically and creatively and who value independence of mind, generosity of spirit, and a belly full of nuts,” said Key Nuttall, Wesleyan’s chief communications officer. “We’re excited and honored to be hosting our…

Chip Sciurus ’18 hails from Hoboken, New Jersey. The eastern grey squirrel is one of the first sciuridae admitted under Wesleyan’s new SOS (Scurry of Squirrels) program. What’s it like being part of Wesleyan’s inaugural scurry of squirrels? The transition from canopy to campus has been pretty easy. Everyone here’s been really accepting. Sure, some students think moving squirrels from the canopy to the classroom means Wes is lowering its standards. But I can tell you from personal experience that Wesleyan is just as selective with its squirrels as it is with its students. What made you choose Wesleyan? In…

This summer, Wesleyan’s Center for Global Studies will launch its new Squirrel Study Abroad and Exchange Program in three different countries. Fifteen Wesleyan squirrels have already registered for the program. With the exception of Australia, more than 200 species of squirrels live in trees or burrows worldwide. “Some of Wesleyan’s eastern gray squirrels and fox squirrels have never experienced life outside of Middletown, let alone the boundaries of campus,” said Emily Gorlewski, associate director of Wesleyan’s Office of Study Abroad. “We’d love to see our squirrels travel to other countries and participate in a meaningful cross-cultural experience.” In June, Wesleyan…

Happy April Fools Day! We do love our squirrels here at Wesleyan, but the cardinal is here to stay.

During the 2017 College of East Asian Studies Student Conference, held March 30 in Beckham Hall, four panelists discussed "Inside/Outside: The Changing Boundaries of Asia and Asian America in a Divided/Globalized World." Photos of the conference are below: (more…)

Participating in Kennesaw State University’s “Year of Russia” program, Assistant Professor of History Victoria Smoklin presented on the current state of US-Russia relations. KSU’s “Year of Russia” invites academics, artists and dignitaries “to promote a deeper appreciation for and understanding of Russia and its people.” During her presentation Smoklin discussed ideological struggle over national identity in contemporary Russia. She noted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement in this struggle. His strategic engagement with his country’s history he has led to an unprecedented gain approval ratings. In particular, she cited Putin’s construction of a 54 foot tall statue of the 10th century…

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Ron Jenkins, professor of theater, is collaborating with a team of Indonesian artists on the creation of a new play: "Islands: The Treaty that changed the World." It will include original gamelan music by Wesleyan Artist-in-Residence I.M. Harjito and original choral music by John Spencer Camp Professor of Music Neely Bruce. The cast will Wesleyan students from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and China who will be joined by Indonesian guest artists Novirela Minangsari, Dinny Aletheiani and Nyoman Catra. The play commemorates the 350th anniversary of the 1667 Treaty of Breda in which the Dutch ceded control of Manhattan to the English…

On April 12, the Hunger and Homelessness student group in the Office of Community Service will once again host the Wesleyan Hunger Banquet, an interactive simulation of global poverty rates. Attendees are placed into an income bracket at random and then provided a seating arrangement and meal indicative of that income level. The event will take place in Woodhead Lounge from 5-7 p.m. Anthony Hatch, assistant professor of sociology, assistant professor of science in society, assistant professor of African American studies, will serve as MC, and Ron Krom of St. Vincent de Paul will speak at the event. "The Wesleyan Hunger…

Chabad at Wesleyan hosted their sixth annual Wesleyan Matzah Bakery March 31 in Huss Courtyard. Matzah, also spelled matzo, is an unleavened bread made from flour and water and takes about 15 minutes to bake. It's traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday. Chabad at Wesleyan, led by Rabbi Levi Schectman, is one of Wesleyan’s Jewish organizations, offers social, educational, recreational and religious programming for students and faculty. The Chabad student group hosted the event. (Photos by Matt Rentetzky '18) (more…)

Men in the U.S. today increasingly believe themselves to be victims of gender discrimination, and there are a record number of recent lawsuits claiming anti-male bias. In a study published in March in Psychology of Men and Masculinity, Assistant Professor of Psychology Clara Wilkins and her co-authors assess the consequences of these perceptions of anti-male bias. Are men who perceive discrimination more likely to discriminate against women? How do beliefs about societal order affect men's evaluations of men and women? The article is co-authored by former post-doctoral fellow Joseph Wellman, now an assistant professor at California State University–San Bernardino, Erika Flavin '14, and…

Knit One, Squirrel Two: Students Go Nuts for Squirrels Who Knit

Celebrating National Poetry Month with Squaiku Poetry Slam

Meet a Wes Squirrel: Tailgating with Chip Sciurus ’18

Accepting Applications for Squirrel Study Abroad and Exchange Program

Beyond April 1

College of East Asian Studies Hosts Conference on Changing Boundaries of Asia and Asian America

Smoklin Contributes to “Year of Russia” at KSU

Szegedy-Maszak’s Photography Collection Displayed at Davison Art Center

Play by Jenkins Commemorates 350th Anniversary of Treaty of Breda

Wesleyan Hunger Banquet to Be Held April 12

Students Learn about Jewish Culture at Outdoor Matzah Bakery

Wilkins, Alumni Author Paper on Consequences of Perceived Anti-Male Bias