Voice!

So, it’s been said that Wesleyan students are movers and shakers — founding projects, starting movements, speaking our minds, using our voices — you can see all around campus that students are fleshing out the real meaning of the word ‘creation’. But not only do Wes students build from the ground up, we build from the ground in too. Wesleyan’s student initiated, founded and run farm is called Long Lane Farm, a totally organic project. Long Lane blossomed from a club created in 2004 for students to come together and learn about food security issues every Monday night at 7 pm, to a full acre piece of land chock full of vegetables and flowers, which also operates as a farmstand, a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) accessible on a sliding scale, and the site of an educational internship program for high school students.

This time of year, Long Lane is overflowing with baskets of tomatoes, swiss chard, eggplant, pumpkins, carrots, beets, and more…it’s warm from the cobb stove baking pizza with fresh veggies on top, buzzing with the bees making honey, and full of students from all years biking, walking, jogging out to the farm for Saturday workdays. The Long Lane Farm project has community gardens around town as well. During my freshman spring, I took a student-led forum on sustainability during which I brought a class of students from a local elementary school to the Washinton Street community garden, some of whom had no idea where their vegetables at dinner came from and definietely no idea that they could in fact eat that which they themselves planted! That day I helped them plant a plot with lettuce, carrots and flowers, and then met them back at the garden a few months later to see the progress and harvest their crops.

Long Lane has worked to develop a relationship with the Middletown community through events at the farm such as Harvest Festivals and May Day celebrations in the fall and spring with lots of kids and families, student bands, a may day pole, apple pies, pumpkin painting and harvesting. It’s donated food to the St. Vincent De Paul Place Soup Kitchen, sold veggies to Its Only Natural Market in town, and generally worked to explore and embody the spirit of local, organic foods, sustainability, community-orientation and fun. The best part of it all is that the farm continues to be powered by student energy, commitment, digging, tilling and planting. Students involved with Long Lane still meet weekly to talk about farm planning and issues around food security, but now also have regular potlucks and make jam, pickles and tomato sauce. The farm is always open, with a chalkboard on the side of the shed listing all of the tasks for the week….so, anytime you’re on campus feel free to put on your overalls, grab a hoe and get in the dirt, or simply lie on the hammock and take a breather. Hope to see you out there!

Grace Lesser ‘08
Senior Interviewer

Wesleyan has an absolutely amazing, cutting-edge arts scene. Many students get involved through the arts departments, which are housed in the beautiful Center for the Arts. The CFA is my favorite part of campus, a beautiful and unique complex of minimalist, limestone buildings from the 1970s. The architect designed the compelx so as to cut down as few trees as possible, and uses almost exlusively straight, rectilinear lines. All the departments are fabulous and deserve their own blog entry, but I wanted to highlight instead the wealth, diversity, and innovation in art-making that is spearheaded by students alone. Two examples you can find here in the blogosphere are our arts publications and our music scene of student bands.

Ostranenie is an alternative arts magazine edited and published by a board of students. They accept poetry and any sort of 2-D works you can imagine. Rather than reading me gush about the quality of the work in here, just open up the pdf they have available of their first issue. Wesleyan also has several other arts magazines, ranging from more traditional literary magazines to the radio station’s music-centered WESU magazine. The diversity of Wesleyan’s alternative publications speaks to the wide range of artistic approaches found here, to say nothing of the impressive initiative and independence required to get these beautiful publications out. And if you’re not satisfied that any of the current outlets gels with your own artistic vision, you can always start a new one! Both WESU Magazine and Ostranenie were both just started last year, but I predict a bright future for both of them.

Wesleyan has also historically been a home for independent music, in and out of the Music Department. Perhaps music professors like Alvin Lucier and Anthony Braxton, both leading lights in the world of avant-garde music, serve as inspiration to students, who adapt the department’s spirit of experimentation to their own music. Among the lauded, succesful pop and rock musicians who went to Wes in the 1980s and 90s include the Dresden Dolls, Adam and his Package and Dar Williams. Recent Wesleyan grads and current students follow in their footsteps, making fiercely independent and consistently interesting tunes. Here’s a recent grad’s blog, where you can find an entire mix containing exclusively Wesleyan bands from the last couple of years. One band of 2005 graduates, MGMT (say “Management) have recently been signed to Columbia records, and their album Oracular Spectacular is getting rave reviews.

Wesleyan bands typically play shows in the Westco Cafe, at Eclectic and the other societies’ houses, and at the school’s many outdoor concert festivals. Then, after school is over, many of them move to Brooklyn, San Francisco and other arts meccas, while staying in touch with their wide networks of Wesleyan contacts in the arts and entertainment industries.

Wait, did you say “many outdoor concert festivals”???

Yes, throughout the sunny seasons, it seems there is practically a concert festival every weekend. Each of the various dorms usually put on a Saturday afternoon of free food, wild decorations, outdoor activities, and a mix of campus bands and outside bands brought in from New York or elsewhere. As soon as the next one happens (that should be Duke Day, an autumn tradition dating back to the 1970s put on by the WestCo community inspired by characters from the comic strip “Doonesbury”), I’ll be sure to post some pictures.

Adam Tinkle ‘08
Senior Interviewer

For those of you interested in radio, Wesleyan has its own radio station: WESU Middletown. This station is actually the second oldest station in the country. It was started in 1939, when students living in Clark Hall connected radio wires to the water pipes in the building. The station has progressed greatly since this time, eventually becoming a legitimate station and broadcasting further throughout Connecticut.

Today, the station broadcasts at 1500 watts, which means that it reaches about 2.1 million people around Connecticut. We broadcast 24 hours a day and you can hear it in most of Connecticut and even some parts of Massachusetts at 88.1FM. WESU also streams live online at www.wesufm.org. While the studio was originally located in the basement of Clark Hall, it was moved down to 45 Broad Street, right above Broad Street Books (our campus bookstore), when the dorm was renovated in the year 2000. The studio’s new location is larger and has more equipment.

Today’s WESU is unique in several ways:

-We are a freeform station, meaning that we allow people to do radio shows in whatever genre they desire. So we have shows focusing on rock music, hip-hop, political talk, alternative medicine, surf music, gospel, reggae, jazz, and many more areas.

-We are a student-community station. So while Wesleyan University owns our license, we allow anyone to become a DJ at the station. About 50% of the DJ’s are Wesleyan students, while the other 50% are community members from the Middletown and Hartford area. This gives us much greater diversity in programming, as well as creating a link between Wesleyan students and Middletown residents.

-We broadcast NPR during the day. In the year 2005, WESU began streaming NPR during the daytime hours. NPR plays from 5AM-3PM on weekdays, with a break from 12-1PM when Democracy Now! airs. This allows our listeners to hear news during the day before hearing music and other talk shows in the afternoon and evening.

In April 2007, I was elected President of WESU and am working to make the station more accessible and unique. I invite you all to check out WESU and listen whenever you get a chance and to get involved if you attend Wesleyan. You can see a program guide listing times and descriptions of all our shows at www.wesufm.org, where you can also stream the station live, from anywhere in the world. I hope you get a chance to listen.

Jeff Wong ‘08
Senior Interviewer

Ok, now for a very important topic. This is something you should all be thinking about as you are looking at different schools. I don’t think I’ll need to convince anyone that academics come first at each and every school. The quality of teachers, departments, courses, even classrooms is absolutely crucial. However, as you will realize once you get to college, you spend way more time in your housing than you do in your classes. Therefore, once you’ve established that a school has a good academic reputation, you should look at what kind of housing they offer and decide whether or not you will be comfortable there.

So, as for housing at Wes…basically, it is awesome. As you will have heard you if you have visited campus already, we at Wes have a philosophy of progressive independence that determines the housing options throughout your four years here. So here is a basic run down of the housing options:

Freshman year:

For freshman housing, the vast majority of students will be living in one or two room doubles. There are a few singles available to freshman with specific needs, but on the whole, singles go to upper classmen. A one room double is pretty much what it sounds like: two people share one room. The one room doubles are spacious and you will never be in the kind of room that requires the beds to be bunked in order to have enough room to walk around. Below are a couple pictures of one room doubles from the two exclusively freshman dorms: Clark and Fauver.

This double is in Clark, an exclusively freshman dorm. All the rooms in Clark are one room doubles. Below the picture of the bedroom are some images of common spaces in Clark. These images are all from the Residential Life website. Feel free to go to the site and see other images or more information.

These images are from Fauver, the newest all-freshman dorm. First there is a bedroom and then images of the lounges and courtyard.

The other option I mentioned is a two room double. A two room double is, again, pretty self explanatory. There are two rooms that are connected by a door, but only one of those rooms have access to the hall.

So basically, your freshman year you live in a pretty typical college set-up. You have a roommate, people living next door and down the hall. Living in a dorm is a fantastic way to meet new people and settle into college life. However, for those of you who don’t like the idea of living in a dorm for too long…

Sophomore Year:

For sophomores (and juniors) Wesleyan has something called a program house. Program houses are actual houses, with a kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc. There are a couple program houses that have been moved into halls on a dorm, but these halls have been converted to include a private kitchen and common space. A program house is intended to unite students based on some theme, ranging from activities to languages and religions. For example, there is a community service house, a sign language house, a French house, a German house, a Buddhist house, a Jewish house (for more information on the Jewish house, see the entry on Jewish life on campus posted below), and an International house. This is a small sprinkling of what is available; there are about 30 program houses on campus. The program houses are again, a great way to get to know people who have common interests. The houses also host events (or programs, hence the name) for the whole community. These range from religious service to camping trips and conversation hours. These events keep the houses involved with the whole Wesleyan community and give other students the chance to learn about something new. An important detail about program houses: they are not limited to people who have a pre-existing interest in the theme of the house. If you are open and willing to learn and participate, you can be a member of any program house. The sophomores that don’t live in program houses will typically live in the dorms for a second year. The vast majority of them will get singles.

Junior Year:

The majority of juniors will be living in apartments, but a couple will be in dorms or program houses again. The apartments are built for 2, 4, or 5 people, depending on the complex. All of them have a common space, a bathroom, a kitchen, and single rooms. The apartments are awesome! While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that they are architecturally pleasing, they are very comfortable. Having a kitchen is really nice, because I can guarantee that, as good as it is, after two years of campus food you will be ready for a change. But, as good as junior housing is, it doesn’t even compare to senior housing!

Senior Year:

Seniors get houses! 85% of the senior class live in woodframe houses, which are just regular houses, on a street, in a neighborhood. The houses are usually older houses, so they are all different and each one has its own character. Below are some pictures of the woodframe houses.

The houses fit 2-6 people, and each one offers single bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom. Some of them have front/back yards, porches, balconies, dining rooms, etc. In all honesty, these houses are probably nicer than anything you will live in for many years after you graduate from college. Another perk: Wesleyan is your land lord, which means that the university will mow your lawn, plow your driveway, fix your toilet if it breaks, take care of an ant problem, or any of the thousands of other things that can go wrong in a house. Its probably one of the cushiest housing situations you will ever be in!

So that is housing at Wes. Back to the philosophy of progressive independence, as you can see, throughout the four years at Wesleyan, you live in housing situations that become increasingly independent. By the time you are a senior you have to keep a whole house clean, learn the trash and recycling schedule, and you are probably doing some cooking for yourself. The idea is that by the time you graduate, you have all the skills you need to live on your own successfully. The progressive independence also means that your housing gets better and better each year!

As I said before, housing is really important to your college experience. Take it seriously and feel free to ask any questions!

Hannah Junkerman ‘08
Senior Interviewer

Transitioning to college can be scary at times, but holding on to traditions can be one of the best ways to bring a piece of home to school. When I came to Wesleyan I was unsure what would be familiar and what would be foreign and new. One simple way that I found continuity between the two was with the Jewish community at Wesleyan. Although people often assume religious life at Wesleyan isn’t a big part of campus life, many students find religion to a play an important role in their experience here.

As the New Year begins ( this past Wednesday evening and Thursday was the beginning of the Jewish New Year — Rosh Hashonah), I have started to reflect back to what I had anticipated religious life in college would be like for me. Even though I grew up in a Jewish home, I never assumed the being involved in Judiasm would be something important to me in college. But, as I entered a whirlwind of new experiences at Wesleyan, I found that holding on to the past and creating new traditions became something I really valued. While Wesleyan doesn’t have a ‘Hillel’ ( a Jewish student organization found on many larger college campuses), Wesleyan has an exteremely active Jewish student group and Jewish student program house, affectionately known as ‘the bayit’ (Hebrew for house). This house is the center of Jewish life at Wesleyan, and is the home to many religious and cultural programs

Here is just a sampling of a few of the things I have been involved in with the Jewish community since coming to Wesleyan :

-I helped plan a B’not Mitzvah party ( a celebration commemerating the Jewish rite of passage into adulthood) for the entire campus

-witnessed Yom Kippur afternoon discussions with participants ranging from the deeplying observant to to the intensely questioning

-eaten more home baked challah than I ever imagined possible

-attended feminist Shabbats, orthodox Shabbats, yoga infused Shabbats, meditative Shabbats, Reconstructionist Shabbats, Conservative Shabbats, and Reform Shabbats ( to give just a few examples)

-learned new prayers and songs — as well as new ways to conceptualize prayer and religion altogether

So, no matter what your religious tradition currently is, Wesleyan is a terrrific place to become more spiritual. Or, if personal religion is not something you see yourself pursuing, Wesleyan is a great place to learn more about other people’s religions, and meet some great people along the way. While religion can often be a taboo subject in America, at Wesleyan there is really something for everyone, and an open community that will discuss both deeply held religious beliefs and the questions that inevitably arise along the path of any religious tradition.

In the Jewish community, at Rosh Hashonah, it is custom to wish others a sweet and happy new year. I’d like to extend this to all of you going through the college application process. May you have a sweet time looking at schools, and find whatever will make you happy.

Emily Einhorn ‘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

One of the questions that you will inevitably ask at every college you visit (and if you haven’t thus far, you definitely should start) is “How is the food?”  Here in Admissions we hear it on a daily basis and decided to give you a brief overview and describe some first hand experiences with our new food service provider, Bon Appétit.

This fall our new food service provider, Bon Appétit, will be taking the reins and we’re all super excited about it. 
Bon Appétit’s commitment to providing fresh, organic, and – whenever possible – locally grown food has everyone buzzing and excited for next fall. In addition to their claim of providing delicious and nutritious food, their socially responsible policies are something that all Wesleyan students, faculty and administration can definitely appreciate.

Providing us with fresh, organic food isn’t all that has us excited for Bon Appétit’s arrival in the fall. In the new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Campus Center, Bon Appétit will offer a great and varied selection of food options.  Some examples of the types of food stations that will be available to students in the fall are:

• an organic pizza and pasta station
• a grill
• a deli
• vegan, vegetarian, and Kosher options
• soups, chowders, and salads

Not only will we have all these choices, but with the completion of our new Suzanne Lemberg Usdan Center, students can grab food from whichever station they’d like and meet up with friends in one of the many dining areas.  It’s the best of both worlds: delicious, fresh food (many with international flair!) and great company.

All of this delicious, fresh, and international food is what Bon Appétit is describing and hopefully they’ll deliver.  It looks promising based on my own first hand experience with their food last week.  Bon Appétit has opened up Pi Café, our on campus fair-trade, organic coffee shop for the summer and my first taste of their food, a Thai Peanut Sauce wrap with tomatoes, lots of greens, cilantro and a spicy peanut sauce, was absolutely delicious.  A few of the other Senior Interviewers have tried the food and their turkey sandwiches were equally delicious.  If a visit to campus is in your near future, Pi Café is open Monday through Friday from 9am-1pm.  Definitely drop by and have some coffee, a croissant, or try a sandwich to get a feel for what food will be like this fall.

To find out more about Bon Appétit, check out their website, and to find out more about Bon Appétit at Wesleyan check out their Wesleyan dining site or ours.

Petra Groeneveldt ‘08
Senior Interviewer

If you’ve visited campus recently, you may have noticed a little construction project across the street from the Office of Admission. Well, that’s an understatement: it’s a HUGE construction project. Slated to open this fall, Wesleyan’s brand spakin’ new Usdan University Center will refocus campus life and bring together many student services all in one 1/2 new, 1/2 historic complex.

Pretty, yes, but what’s inside? Here’s the official list:

Information Desk