Tag Archive for Class of 2016

Neuroscience Major Nakib ’16 a Slam Poet, Blogger, Sewing Expert

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A neuroscience major who is also pursuing the writing certificate, Rama Nakib ’16 comes to Wesleyan from Iraq. Around campus, she is a monitor in the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, performs slam poetry, writes for the student-run blog Wesleying, and is known for her sewing and tailoring skills, which she shares with other students. After graduation, Rama wants to pursue a medical career while remaining involved in activism for women’s rights in the Middle East.

Watch this video and more on Wesleyan’s Video @ Wesleyan site.

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Norman ’16 Photographs African Reefs through Summer Intern Program

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Photo by Hannah Norman '16.

Photo by Hannah Norman ’16.

Hannah Norman ’16 spent five weeks this summer participating in a Fiona Ayerst Underwater Photography internship in Guinjata Bay, Mozambique.

The internship program introduces aspiring wildlife photographers and videographers to the art of underwater photography.

As an intern, she received special training and career guidance on how to develop from an enthusiastic amateur level to a professional level, capable of producing professional work and making a paying career out of this niche.

She explored the Manta Reef, a popular diving destination, and tidal flats near Inhambane, Mozambique. She also attempted to photograph whales and dolphins on an ocean safari.

View Norman’s photos in this online gallery.

Norman also works for the Office of University Communications as a photography assistant.

Wesleyan Slam Poets Place 13th in National Competition

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Wesleyan’s WESlam team placed 13th out of 59 college teams from around the country in the 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational, held April 3-6 at Barnard College in New York City.

Five students, Evan Okun ’13, Lily Myers ’15 , Zachary Goldberg ’13, Cherkira Lashely ’15 and Markeisha Hill ’16 competed on the team and Emily Weitzman ’14 coached. Lily Myers won the award for best love poem.

“‘Most moving’ was the response Wesleyan got from community ,” Okun said. “We were complemented for our creative manner in which we resisted the typical ‘slam-poem-formula’ that is often over dramatic and exploitative of personal trauma.”

Watch Zachary Goldberg, Evan Okun and Lily Myers perform “We Made It:”

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3 Student-Athletes Participate in Soccer Night in Newtown

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From left, Jen Brewer '13, Madeline Keane '16 and Kaylin Berger '13 attended the Newtown Youth Academy Sports and Fitness Center for Soccer Night.

From left, Jen Brewer ’13, Madeline Keane ’16 and Kaylin Berger ’13 attended the Newtown Youth Academy Sports and Fitness Center for Soccer Night.

Three Wesleyan women’s soccer players, two of whom are graduates of Newtown (Conn.) High School, took part in  Soccer Night in Newtown Jan. 7 as Newtown continued to heal from the tragic incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14.

Team quad-captain Jen Brewer ’13 of Sandy Hook, Conn. and Madeline Keane ’16 of Newtown, Conn. were joined by Kaylin Berger ’13 of Farmington, Conn., at the Newtown Youth Academy Sports and Fitness Center for the festivities.

Nearly 50 major professional soccer players, including Major League Soccer (MLS) stars Landon Donovan and Kenny Cooper, women’s national team standouts Kristine Lilly, Christie Rampone and Mia Hamm, and former World Cup talent Alexi Lalas all made appearances with well over 1,000 Newtown youth benefiting from the opportunity. Soccer games, autographs galore and other soccer-oriented activity took place during the evening.

The night was the brainchild of Connecticut native Chris Canetti, president of Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo.He got five of his players to sign on and the number grew to about 50 in the professional soccer community, including MLS player Marcus Tracy of the San Jose Earthquakes, a native of Newtown. Newtown’s soccer community rallied around its sport to aid the town.

“Growing up in Newtown, most kids start playing soccer in kindergarten,” said Brewer, who attended Sandy Hook Elementary as a kindergartener and first-grader. “We all play in the Park and Rec leagues. Then travel teams in U-10 and above keep us active. Being a ball boy or ball girl at the high school game was a big deal, too. Our girls team (at Newtown High School) won the state title this year.” Wesleyan assistant coach Brian Matzke, who is part of the Connecticut Football Club that helped sponsor the event, recruited the three Wesleyan women’s soccer players to help out.

Brewer, Berger and Keane were assigned to help with the autograph lines. “We got to talk with a few of the players afterwards,” Brewer added. “All the parents and kids were so appreciative. They were happy to just get away from eveything that had been going on and have fun for a while.”

Read more about the event in this Hartford Courant article and SI.com article.

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Class of 2016 Participates in the Common Moment

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The Center for the Arts hosted the annual Common Moment for first-year students on Aug. 31. The event is part of Wesleyan's Feet to the Fire initiative, which examines critical environmental issues from science to art. As part of the Common Moment showcase, the Class of 2016 divided into groups to learn traditional folk dances from around the world. One group of students performed a folk dance from North India, which was taught by visiting artist Rachna Agrawal.

The Center for the Arts hosted the annual Common Moment for first-year students on Aug. 31. The event is part of Wesleyan’s Feet to the Fire initiative, which examines critical environmental issues from science to art. As part of the Common Moment showcase, the Class of 2016 divided into groups to learn traditional folk dances from around the world. One group of students performed a folk dance from North India, which was taught by visiting artist Rachna Agrawal.

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756 Students Join the Class of 2016 on Arrival Day

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(NEW! Arrival Day video!)
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Savannah Benis '16 of San Diego, Calif. unloads her belongings during New Student Arrival Day Aug. 29. Benis, who is planning to major in film studies, is living in Clark Hall. "I'm so excited, but nervous," she says.

Savannah Benis ’16 of San Diego, Calif. unloads her belongings during New Student Arrival Day Aug. 29. Benis, who is planning to major in film studies, is living in Clark Hall. “I’m so excited, but nervous,” she says.

At 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 29, Lorin Ferris ’16 of Bellevue, Wash. arrived on Wesleyan’s campus in a rented Jeep, packed with her West Coast belongings.

Susan Fife-Ferris and Frank Ferris of Bellevue, Wa. helped their daughter, Lorin Ferris '16 move into her Butterfield Residences. "I really like my room. It's a lot bigger than I though it would be," Lorin says.

Susan Fife-Ferris and Frank Ferris of Bellevue, Wa. helped their daughter, Lorin Ferris ’16 move into her Butterfield Residences. “I really like my room. It’s a lot bigger than I though it would be,” Lorin says.

“I brought my entire closet,” she says, standing among disheveled heaps of half-unpacked suitcases and boxes in her Butterfield Residence room. “Most of this stuff is clothes and jackets … also bedding, sheets and towels. I did some shopping here (in Connecticut), but I brought a lot with me, too.”

“You couldn’t have brought anything more,” says her father, Frank.

Lorin, who plans to major in mathematics, was one of 756 students who joined the Class of 2016 on New Student Arrival Day. Of these, 64 students are from international countries. An additional 58 transfer students moved into Wesleyan residences on Arrival Day and participated in New Student Orientation.

While students decorated their new home-away-from-home and mingled with their new hall-mates, parents participated in question-and-answer workshops presented by the Dean of Students and Dean for the Class of 2016.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth delivers the President’s Remarks for Families.

Wesleyan President Michael Roth and other university administrators welcomed parents and new students during the President’s Remarks for Families.

New Student Orientation, ongoing through Sept. 2, includes information sessions on community standards and responsibilities, resident hall community standards, computer set-ups, money management, studying abroad, working with faculty advisors, course selection and major requirements, health and wellness, Wesleyan libraries, spiritual life, student activism and more.

Savannah Benis ’16 of San Diego, Calif. came to Wesleyan for its superb film program and academic reputation. Her parents, Cherri and Rick, helped move Savannah (and her six suitcases) into her Clark Hall room on Arrival Day.

“It’s going to be hard seeing her leave, but I’m really glad she chose Wesleyan,” Rick Benis says. “All the alumni we’ve spoken to, and everyone else that knows about Wesleyan really loves it, and this is just the type of atmosphere and (student body) size that Savannah wanted.”

Max Atkinson ’16 of Dunnellon, Fla. received Arrival Day help from his parents Mia  and David. The family drove to Connecticut in three days and unloaded Max’s belongings in his West College residence.

His grandfather, John W. Atkinson, was a member of the Class of 1947. “I’m sure if he were alive, he’d recommend Wesleyan to me,” Max says.

More photos of Arrival Day are below and in this Wesleyan Facebook photo gallery.

Max Atkinson ’16 of Dunnellon, Fla. received Arrival Day help from his parents Mia (pictured) and David.

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Wesleyan Welcomes 64 International Students

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Sixty-four international students hailing from Algeria to Zimbabwe joined the Class of 2016. International Student Orientation began Aug. 26. The program is designed to introduce international students to campus life at Wesleyan and ease their transition to the United States. Students took campus tours, went shopping, learned about writing programs, health matters, counseling and psychological services, performed a skit, and attended a workshop on managing U.S. academic and Wesleyan culture. The international students transitioned into New Student Orientation on Aug. 30.

Photos of International Student Orientation are below:

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