Voice!

Whether you’re in the fifth grade or twelfth, you’re probably anxious about your first year of college. Don’t try to play it cool; everyone has his worries, and a lot of them are about academics. One of the questions that prospective students ask most often is, “what special courses does Wesleyan offer the first year students?” Well, as first years you will have the opportunity to pre-register for a couple of classes. On WesMaps, our online course catalogue, there is a long list of courses that the registrar has deemed appropriate for first year students.

Some of these are First Year Initiative (FYI) courses. The FYI is a special breed of Wes-course and is one that we take great pride in. To put it simply, these courses are Wesleyan’s answer to the freshman seminar. We cap the courses at 20 first year students (and only first year students), so you’ll be able to have an intimate class right off the bat. Furthermore, departments assign their cream-of-the-crop faculty to teach these courses, which tend to be outside the standard curriculum. Wesleyan is a core curriculum-free zone, so there isn’t any sort of freshmen writing seminar. Therefore, one of the main goals of FYI courses is to make sure that every student has a proper introduction to writing at the college level. Many FYI courses have their own writing tutors who are there to read students’ work (before it’s handed in) and help them through writing their first college essay. Most students sign-up for at least one FYI, but they are not required. I actually took four, because I found the topics so intriguing.

My favorite was “Culture and Cuisine,” taught by Professor of Government John Finn. It was a sociological look at food, and Professor Finn has been to culinary school, so of course he cooked for us! “Culture and Cuisine” was very reading and writing intensive, but the topic was so interesting that it never felt tedious. And that’s just the nature of FYIs! So head over to WesMaps Search and click the box next to “First Year Initiatives.” A lot of them sound really neat! I wish seniors could take them.

Justin Holzwarth ‘08
Senior Interviewer

First, a thank you – we’ve had a steady flow of fantastic questions coming in lately, and we’re keeping busy formulating responses! Today, I’ve decided to start with a pretty hot topic: our new President!

From the moment it was announced that Michael S. Roth ’78 would be taking the reins on July 1st, everyone has been abuzz with excitement. Of course there was a lot of debate that went into the selection of our new leader – a Presidential Search Committee was formed from a wide range of people, including students, faculty, trustees and parents. The students on the committee were simply amazing about ensuring that each and every student had a voice in the process.

Since his appointment, the Wesleyan community has been simply thrilled. The only negative feedback I’ve heard concerns, not Roth himself, but Wesleyan’s history – Wesleyan is yet to have a woman and/or a minority as President. Yet, that disappointment has quickly dissipated as we have had the opportunity to learn more and more about Michael Roth – and he certainly seems to have satisfied every other qualification we could have hoped for. There’s a lot riding on President Roth’s ability to lead, and everyone is watching in anticipation as he starts his term as our 16th President. The Wesleyan Student Assembly (or WSA , our student governing body), has a great page about President Roth, with tons of information on the student body’s reaction. The Argus had an opinion piece out that captures the mood as well, not to mention their interview with Michael Roth.

Personally, I’ve met President Roth a few times now, and have nothing but good things to say. He is personable and friendly, and is clearly going to be very involved with the student body. Both President Roth and his wife, Professor Kari Weil, plan to teach courses at Wesleyan while here, an intention that has been met with overwhelming support from the student body and faculty alike. In fact, Professor Weil will be teaching in my major, the College of Letters! On a more personal note, while an undergrad, President Roth joined Alpha Delta Phi, a Co-Educational Literary Society that I am also a member of. At Alpha Delt, President Roth was involved with a number of things, but most notably served as… you’ll never guess…President! Here’s a dashing photo of him from back in the day:

Speaking of fantastic pictures, you should check out the article in Wesleyan Magazine on the new President and his family called “Passion for Ideas” with some spectacular photos, as well as a great article on Alpha Delt called “The Spirit of True Fraternity” (granted, I’m biased on that one). Additionally, there are quite a few photos from when President Roth came to visit campus back in April, as well as a video of the speech he gave – check it out here .

It really is a thrilling time to be at Wesleyan, what with the new University Center, a new dining service provider, and now new leadership – expect loads of updates on all three as we enjoy our last year at Wes, and Michael Roth navigates his first year as President!

Jacqueline Chapman ‘08
Senior Interviewer