Miranda Becker, who hails from Prince William, Va., is the authentic version of the smiling, calm, and creative Wesleyan student that the University Admissions Office tries to project. With less then a month left on campus, Becker sat down with The Argus to discuss the dazzle of dusk on campus, the time ze almost transferred, and ze’s complicated relationship with mangos.

A: So you’ve just handed in your thesis and classes are almost done. How do you feel now that you’re about to graduate?

MB: It feels like I suddenly realized how many minutes there are in a day, how many days there are in a week, and how fast four weeks can go. Even if I saw my friends once a week that would still only be four more times. And a day passes in a blink of an eye. That’s very alarming. Otherwise, I’m great.

 

A: Why did you choose Wesleyan in the first place?

MB: First, I wanted to get out of Virginia. Second, I wanted the most leftist place I could find. At first I thought it would be UC Berkeley. From the time I was 13 to seventeen I really thought UC Berkeley was the place to be. But then I read a Berkeley student describing the typical Saturday and it was like we smoke, and then maybe protest, and I thought, you don’t just protest as a pastime on a Saturday! So I bought this big book, and sifting through it I read a quote about Wesleyan that I’ll never forget. “If we didn’t have good vegetarian options at Wesleyan we’d protest because that’s what we do.” I wanted as leftist combined with as rigorous as you could find. I was probably wrong in thinking this was Wesleyan, but that’s why I came here.

 

A: So you don’t think that is Wesleyan?

MB: In no way. In no way shape or form. And it’s not just senior nostalgia. I look at the Hermes and The Argus archives and talk to my friends who graduated and I can see obvious distinct changes in the student body. It was better in the past in my sense of standards.

 

A: That said, what is your favorite part about Wesleyan?

MB: I’m sure everyone says the sense of community, but that really is what makes Wesleyan special. You can’t find the same mix of people abroad or anywhere else. This pre-packaged assortment of groups and communities is something special.

 

A: What do you think is your biggest accomplishment at Wesleyan?

MB: I’d say taking a step back from myself, learning to see myself more critically, and being willing to force myself forward even when I know I want to leave. That was very abstract. For instance, my first year I had a great first semester and my second semester was awful and emotionally traumatizing. I hated Wesleyan. I had to physically restrain myself from opening the door and jumping out on the road my ride up from Virginia beginning of sophomore year. But forcing myself to be cruel to myself is actually beneficial. That’s such a strange thing to say, but I really believe it’s best not to treat yourself like you are always right and everything is rosy. I think it’s phenomenally important.

 

A: With which student groups are you involved? Are there any groups with which you wish you had gotten more involved?

MB: Vespers, Food not Bombs, and I was involved with responsible investing and then my thesis happened. In the past I was part of Trans/gender group and Sewi. I wish I had gotten involved with WesStand. I’ve been on their [email group] for three years and never been to one of their meetings. Another would be clinic escorting, which I only did a few times. There are so many interesting groups that I wish I had done more with on campus that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

 

A: So you’re a CSS major. Do you like it?

MB: It’s the sole reason I stayed on campus. I would have transferred without it. I love the tiny class sizes. I love the attention from the tutors. I love the sense of community. I love the weekly routine. And I really love the rigor and structure, because I’m really bad at keeping my own structure and being motivated by grades. I love multi-disciplinary anything and that’s what I’m doing for my masters.

 

A: What are your favorite and least favorite places on campus?

MB: [My favorite place is] the graveyard. Well that’s not really on campus. Next to that, I like looking out the CSS library window at dusk when everything becomes gently blue and purple, the street lights shine and bits of twilight coming through. It always looks like a dream. Every day at dusk is great. The Nics, Butts and Westco are, in my opinion, repulsive. I hate Usdan.

 

A: What’s your favorite fruit?

MB: My nickname used to be mango, but I actually don’t like mangoes because I think I hate mangos because of this. I’d have to say blueberries, because in the summer time my mother will buy huge cartoons of blueberries and devour them and then ask, “why did you eat all the blueberries?” And I say, “I didn’t, you did!” And that’s why I love them.

 

A: What will you be doing next year?

MB: I’m going to grad school for a Masters of Philosophy in Development studies. I’m choosing between two places. Cambridge and Oxford.

 

A: What do you think makes you a WesCeleb?

MB: I don’t think I should be actually. There are really amazing kids on campus who have founded things and stood up to unbelievable odds and really made their presence known and have been really unique and different. Off course everyone is unique in their own way, but I like being average.