Class of 2022 – Page 4

By Annie Roach '22 and Olivia Drake MALS '08 After the whirlwind of 2020, Wesleyan students—many of them first-time voters—were particularly eager to exercise their right to vote in the presidential election. While several students cast absentee ballots in their home states weeks ahead of time, others voted in person on Nov. 3. Marangela James '24 decided to vote in person in Connecticut, here on campus at Beckham Hall. She registered at Wesleyan earlier this semester, when some students had set up a voter registration table in front of Usdan. “It was a little bit hard navigating how to vote…

Led by the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships (JCCP), the University launched its new Engage 2020 (E2020) Initiative last fall to deepen Wesleyan’s commitment to civic engagement. To date, 33 students have already received funding to support the development of their civic literacy and their preparedness to engage in political life through hands-on experiences such as working to register voters, issues advocacy, and volunteering on political campaigns. E2020 encourages participation regardless of political affiliation or stances on specific issues. Since the initiative's inauguration, Wesleyan has joined forces with colleges and universities across the U.S. to reaffirm the University's collective responsibility…

Philosophers in the ancient world, in both the East and the West, typically viewed the practice of philosophy as an activity aimed at changing one's orientation to the world and, thus, how one lives one's life. Some of these thinkers developed views that still appear to have contemporary relevance, but many of them also held beliefs that we recognize today as not only outdated but also deeply misguided. Given these blind spots in their thinking, should ancient philosophy be "canceled"? That was the question up for consideration in a midterm debate held on Oct. 22 as part of PHIL 210:…

Hannah Docter-Loeb '22, a features editor at The Wesleyan Argus, participated in a public discussion about the intersection of D.C. statehood and racial justice Sept. 18. The "Panel on D.C. Statehood and Racial Justice" was hosted by Georgetown Students for D.C. Statehood and featured Docter-Loeb; Anthony Cook, professor of law at Georgetown University; Jamil Scott, assistant professor of government at Georgetown University; and Cosby Hunt, adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia and senior manager of social studies education at the Center for Inspired Learning. Docter-Loeb, a D.C. native, was invited to be a panelist after writing…

Although many amendments have been ratified since the first election in this country more than 230 years ago, the simple fact remains: Voting is a right and a privilege. With just 46 days (upon the publishing of this article on Sept. 18), remaining until Election Day 2020, Audrey McMahon ’22 of the Wesleyan women’s ice hockey team has set an ambitious goal: to get 100% of eligible student-athletes registered and pledged to vote. McMahon has taken on the role of Wesleyan’s resident ambassador for Voice in Sport (VIS), a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to supporting women student-athletes. In an initiative…

On Sept. 4, Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD) hosted a four-part series of Black Lives Matter-themed workshops celebrating the contributions of the Black community at Wesleyan.

Images depicting star collisions, atom movement in yeast ribosomes, and herbaceous plant root scans were the winning entries of the 2020 Wesleyan Scientific Imaging Contest. The Wesleyan Scientific Imaging Contest, held annually in August, recognizes student-submitted images—from experiments or simulations done with a Wesleyan faculty member—that are scientifically intriguing, as well as aesthetically pleasing. The contest is organized by the College of Integrative Sciences as part of the summer research program. The winners included Osama Elgabori '22, Carol Dalgarno '21, and Jolie Villegas '21. Elgabori's advisor is Brian Stewart, professor of physics; Dalgarno's advisor is Michael Weir, professor of biology;…

Last March, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to plague the United States, Dr. Amy Fogelman '97 became engrossed in the country's lack of understanding about the virus, and even more so in the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. "At certain hospitals in Massachusetts masks were required, but in others, physicians were told that they were not allowed to wear masks, even if they personally supplied them, because administrators were afraid that the masks would 'scare' the patients," Fogelman recalls. "I watched as my colleagues on social media shared their fears for their lives, and their patients’ lives,…

On June 30, Wesleyan hosted a virtual Summer 2020 Research Poster Session to celebrate the accomplishments of more than 150 student researchers. To emulate the excitement and camaraderie of the live poster session, students hosted their own individual presentations on Zoom and answered questions live. Examples of student research projects are below: Tyler Boone '21 shared his poster titled "Probing the Effects of YTA7 on Genetic Silencing in S. cerevisiae." Boone is double majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry and biology with a minor in chemistry. In order to better understand how the structure of chromatin, a complex of DNA…

Jake Kwon '21 and Jade Tate '22 are the recipients of the 2020 Shu Tokita Memorial Prize, which is awarded annually to a student of color majoring in literature or language with a focus on literature, who demonstrates financial need. The award, which comes with a $1,500 prize, was established 20 years ago by the friends and relatives of Shu Tokita '84, who passed away in 1989 from leukemia. He had received a BA in English literature from Wesleyan and an MA in Japanese literature from Tsukuba University. The prize seeks to reflect Tokita’s interest in literature and is focused…

Wesleyan in the News 1. The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Beware the Doyens of Disruption" In this op-ed, President Michael Roth '78 responds to predictions that COVID-19 is going to "change everything" in higher education with a reminder that "the desire of bright young people from all over the world for an on-campus education remains strong." He writes, "It’s because the connectivity among people and practices that takes place in person intensifies the learning experience." 2. HxA Podcast: "Michael Roth, Safe Enough Spaces" President Michael Roth '78 is interviewed on the Heterodox Academy's podcast about his book, Safe Enough Spaces:…

On May 22, the Office of Student Affairs announced the names of students who received academic or leadership prizes, fellowships, and scholarships in 2019–20. More than 300 students and recent alumni received one of the University's 180 prizes. (View the list below or on the Student Affairs website.) Scholarships, fellowships, and leadership prizes are granted to students and student organizations based on criteria established for each prize or award. Certain University prizes are administered by the Student Affairs/Deans’ Office, while others are administered by the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD). (more…)

Students Reflect on Presidential Election Voting Experience

E2020 Experiences Shape Students’ Views of the Election

Philosophical Debate Serves as Living a Good Life Course’s Midterm

Docter-Loeb ’22 Serves as Panelist on D.C. Statehood, Racial Justice Discussion

A Call to Action: McMahon ‘22 Pushes for Student-Athlete Voter Registration

Black Lives Matter Events Celebrate History, Navigate Race Conversations

3 Students Win Scientific Imaging Contest

Wesleyan Alumni, Students Take Action during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Students Present Research Projects during Virtual Summer Poster Session

2 Students of Color Receive Tokita Prize for Literature

Wesleyan in the News

Students Honored with 2019–20 Prizes, Fellowships, Scholarships