Wesleyan in the News

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News The New York Times Magazine: I'm 20. I Have 32 Half Siblings. This Is My Family Portrait. Eli Baden-Lasar '22 always knew he was conceived using a sperm donor, but he didn't discover he had half siblings until he was 19. He went out searching for them and found more than 30 young men and women around the country. In this photo essay, he writes about the experience of meeting his half siblings. Photo portraits he took…

On May 8, the Office of Student Affairs hosted a reception honoring students who received academic or leadership prizes, fellowships, and scholarships in 2018–19. More than 315 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…)

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Wesleyan in the News 1. The Middletown Press: "Wesleyan Students Helping Former Prisoners to Gain Job Skills" Wesleyan Students for Ending Mass Incarceration (SEMI) is a group of students working to help formerly incarcerated individuals acclimate back into society by providing them with job skills. The goal, according to member Asiyah Herrero '22, is “making re-entry into the workforce a little bit easier. There are usually a lack of resources when people get out of prison, and starting to look for work,…

On March 4, not three, but four student-run ventures received $5,000 seed grants from the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship (PCSE). The unrestricted funding is accompanied with training, advising, mentoring, incubator workspace, and other resources from the Patricelli Center. On March 1, six finalists pitched for a panel of judges in Allbritton 311. "As always, the competition was steep, and the judges had a tough time selecting grantees," said Makaela Kingsley ’98, director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship. "In fact, this year they decided to make a special donation to the Patricelli Center so we could offer four grants instead…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News The New York Times: "Anthony Braxton Composes Together Past, Present and Future" Anthony Braxton, the John Spencer Camp Professor of Music, Emeritus, is profiled. Among other ongoing projects, Braxton has spent much of the past four years working on his newest opera, “Trillium L,” which, he says, “is a five-day opera”—if it is ever performed. 2. Los Angeles Review of Books: "That Bit of Philosophy in All of Us" Tushar Irani, associate professor of philosophy, associate professor of letters,…

Since his filmmaking debut at the age of 11, Ishan Modi '22 has directed more than 20 short films. And the prospective film and history major has yet to call his creative talent "a wrap." On Sept. 22, Modi's short film Just Stories (2017) was shown at the LA Film Festival's 2018 Future Filmmakers Showcase, a special screening of films made by talented high school students from across the globe. The film features a senior couple who—after a lively visit with their grandchildren—experience the isolation and uncertainty of old age. In addition to screening at the LA Film Festival, Just Stories also…

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New Student Orientation for the Class of 2022 concluded Aug. 31 with the annual Common Moment, an event where members of the incoming class are brought together through music and performance. This year, the students worked with choreographer Heidi Latsky to create her installation ON DISPLAY, a performance art investigation of the body and the gaze. In a large-scale, participatory version of Latsky’s touring work, the first-year students performed the roles of both seer and seen on Andrus Field and discussed their personal experiences of these roles. Students were challenged to commit to the exercise without judgment, to trust both…

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On Aug. 29, members of the Class of 2022 said farewell to their families at an emotional gathering and later gathered on Denison Terrace for a class photo. Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78; Vice President for Student Affairs Mike Whaley; and student orientation leaders taught the first-years the Wesleyan fight song and emphasized the song's "Go Wes!" ending. (Photos by Olivia Drake) Prior to the farewell, President Roth “A good liberal education empowers you to figure out what you love to do, learn how to do it better, and then how to share that talent with the rest of the world.”…

On Aug. 29, in temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, 810 new students from the Class of 2022 moved into their new residence halls on New Student Arrival Day. Wesleyan received a record-breaking 12,788 applications for a spot in the Class of 2022, of which 2,219 were admitted. Of those, 810 matriculated and another 44 students transferred into Wesleyan. After settling into their home-away-from-home and saying farewell to their families, the new students participated in an array of New Student Orientation social activities involving group sessions with orientation leaders, academic forums, autobiographical monologues written and presented by current students, a neon space party,…

Throughout high school, Naranchimeg Altai of Mongolia favored the subjects of math and physics and had dreams of becoming an engineer. “I was a science person,” she said. “But then I started doing some research on schools and discovered liberal arts … and Wesleyan seemed to be a good fit. I wanted a large community with small classes and many options. I like physics, but I also like English and education.” Altai applied, was accepted, and on Aug. 26, she took her first steps on American soil. She joins 116 other new international students at Wesleyan who come from locations…