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Wesleyan’s Government Department gathered students to take in the results of the Nov. 5 election together, with games, snacks, and multiple news feeds. “I feel like today, and this time in particular, is very anxiety inducing,” said Adriana Begolli ’25, co-chair of the Government Majors Committee. “Everyone can't focus on their work because they're really nervous. So, we really just wanted to come up with a space that people can learn more about what's going on, but it doesn’t feel super anxious.” Professor of Government Mary Alice Haddad said she helped to create the event because this election night…

For many, the ideal of democracy lies in the concepts of government by the people and the rule of the majority. While this is a significant part of what makes a democracy work, or fail, the discourse surrounding elections plays a key role, too, said Xander Starobin ’27. In the weeks leading up to Election Day, Starobin and dozens of other Wesleyan students have taken action to strengthen democracy, canvassing in states that could define this year’s election, and the country, going forward. “To be able to go canvass—which is directly talking to people about what people are concerned about,…

From across the country, thousands of Wesleyan alumni and family members came together for a weekend of community, connection, and conversation during Homecoming and Family Weekend (HCFW) from Nov. 1 to Nov. 3. HCFW activities kicked off on Friday with numerous opportunities for alumni, families, and students to attend classes, open houses, exhibits, and WESeminars—presentations that allow Cardinals to revisit the classroom and experience the pragmatic liberal arts that is the essence of Wesleyan. For many, it was first and foremost an opportunity to reconnect. Sueann M. Papertsian P’28, from New York, was looking forward to reuniting with her son,…

To hear Nicholas Whittaker tell it, horror movies are greater than the sum of their terrifying, putrid parts. “[Horror] allows us to sit in that feeling that the world is something you could never fully understand—and that’s also the place where philosophy is born,” says Whittaker, assistant professor of philosophy. “Philosophy happens when you recognize that your ways of making sense of the world—whether with science, with history, with psychology—aren’t cutting it anymore. When it feels like there’s an excess of unintelligibility in the world, that’s [also] where horror thrives.” This semester, Whittaker is digging beneath the gore and the…

Images of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 are still shocking. What had historically been a ceremonial procedure turned riotous and deadly. The peaceful transfer of power between administrations was a point of national pride taught in history books, but today it is mired in uncertainty. Robert Cassidy, assistant professor of the practice in government, gathered four scholars with different perspectives on what may happen this election cycle at a panel on Oct. 17. Logan Dancey, associate professor of government, offered insight into political developments and election reforms passed since the 2020 election. David Aaron ’95, visiting professor of…

Guns are a pervasive, complex feature of modern life. All too often, however, the debate over firearms is reduced to simple, adversarial shouting matches. “If we just think of [the subject of guns] as a tug of war between two groups, that reinforces artificial binarism and both-sides-ism,” says Jennifer Tucker, professor of History and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Guns and Society. On Oct. 18 and 19, Wesleyan’s Center for the Study of Guns and Society (CSGS) will foster a broad, nuanced, and multidisciplinary discussion — encompassing both historical and contemporary perspectives on guns and…

On October 2, Saidiya Hartman ’83, Hon. ’19 joined Kaneza Schaal ’06 in a conversation about their collaborative process of creating the new performance work Litany for Grieving Sisters. Moderated by Kiara Benn ’20, the event was hosted by Wesleyan’s Center for the Arts and convened in the Shapiro Center for Creative Writing and Criticism. Based on Hartman’s essay of the same name, which was originally published in the journal Representations in 2022, the work explores themes of collective grief, love, and resilience. The three Wesleyan alumnae discussed the evolution of the project as they collaborate in a democratic process…

For three days in mid-September, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) embarked on an unusual trip. The university’s three chaplains—representing Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faith traditions—took a dozen students from Wesleyan’s Mega Interfaith Leadership Council (MILC) to Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, Mass. Over the course of the long weekend, the group engaged in interfaith conversation, introspection, and community. Between moments of silence, guided hikes, and presentations on topics like spirituality, leadership, and resilience, the spiritually diverse group connected with each other across what can seem like vast, even intractable, differences. “We’re at the beginning…

Joshua Cardenas ’19 had worked for five members of Congress but had never been involved in vetting and research before he took a job at the White House for Vice President Kamala Harris in 2022. “If you have opportunity to work in the White House, you take it. Whether it be pushing the snow, cutting the grass, anything to work there,” Cardenas said. As associate director of research and vetting in Harris’ office, he said he was tasked with ensuring events were focused on the people and issues the administration wanted to support. Cardenas always knew he wanted a career…

Patricia Beaman didn’t always know that she could be successful as a professional dancer. But after four decades, she’s made her mark reviving a lesser-known form of art: French Baroque dance. A University Professor of Dance at Wesleyan, Beaman has made a name for herself in the Baroque dance world, specializing in French dances from that era, which spans the years 1600 to 1750. In addition to dancing professionally for 40 years, she has also been teaching dance for more than three decades. “It's nice to have that balance,” Beaman says of working in academia and on creative projects. Commuting…

Daniel Coxson ’27 spent his summer in Olney, Maryland letter writing, phone banking, and encouraging people to register to vote, among other civic engagement activities. “I made yard signs and a political pumpkin,” he said of the large fruit he painted dark blue with white letters spelling the word v-o-t-e in all caps. “That was my favorite.” Coxson is one of 24 recipients of the 2023-2024 Student Political Engagement Fund grants, funding administered by the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life to support student engagement in the public sphere. With these grants of up to $5,000 during the…

The veteran community at Wesleyan now has a dedicated space to study, gather, and dine. Several community members—student-veterans, advisors, faculty, staff, and Public Safety officers, among others—did just that at the opening of the new Wesleyan Veterans Lounge in Hewitt Residence Hall on Sept. 12. “Support of veterans, or of any student for that matter, doesn’t end at admission. Retention, progression, and graduation—in short, their success—requires holistic support across campus, in academic, co-curricular, residential, and wellness spaces,” said Noble Jones, associate dean of admission and director of enrollment analytics. “We heard for several years that our student-veterans felt the need…

Gallery: Election Night Watch Party

Wesleyan Students Canvass Voters in Key Swing State

Celebrating Community at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2024

The Gory Details: Nicholas Whittaker on Philosophy and Black Horror Cinema

Peaceful Transfer of Power? Scholars Discuss the Possibilities

Center for the Study of Guns and Society to Host Annual Fall Conference

Democracy in Action: Three Alumnae Discuss Collaboration on New Performance Work

Bridging Differences Through Interfaith Community and Dialogue

Democracy in Action: Meet Joshua Cardenas ’19

Faculty Member Revives French Baroque Dance Style in New Choreography

Grants Empower Students to Strengthen Democracy

Wesleyan Veterans Lounge Creates Space for Community