President Michael S. Roth announced today that Wesleyan University will be saying goodbye to the Wesleyan cardinal and hello to Wes Squirrel! Due to the overwhelming presence of squirrels on campus, and the decided lack of cardinals, the move just seemed to make sense. Plus, have you heard cardinals sing? “Conn College’s mascot is the camel. Middlebury is the panthers. Bates is the bobcats. Colby is the mules,” said Kate Mullen, Associate Director of Athletics and Head Women’s Basketball Coach. “No offense to the lovely red bird, but Wesleyan needs a more ferocious mascot. Like the squirrel.” Not everyone is…

Much has been written about the mysterious Douglas Cannon, a Wesleyan University tradition dating back to the 1860s. During this time, college was in term for the Fourth of July, and a student-led volley of cannon fire was often included in the celebrations. In 1859, Wesleyan’s calendar was altered so that the college was not in session during the Fourth, so the Douglas Cannon was added to the celebration of George Washington’s birthday on February 22, kicked off by a “cannon scrap.” Cannon scraps came about as an interclass rivalry between the freshman — in charge of firing the cannon…

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.