When most people think of Bat or Bar Mitzvahs, they picture long Torah portions, bad buffets, and pre-teen dance parties. But the 12 students in the Adult B’Nei Mitzvah Project at the University are taking a new approach to coming of age within the Jewish faith.
Perhaps the most recognizable hug giver on campus, Wendy Norton rouses smiles from the otherwise exhausted and harried students in line to swipe their cards at the Usdan Marketplace. After working at the University for over 12 years, Norton has made countless student friends, but has also endured unimaginable hardships.
Last semester, the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Intern position was created after an impassioned Wespeak (“Wesleyan Community Demands Staff Position Dedicated to Sexual Violence,” May 4, 2010 — VOL. CXLVI, NO. 45) written by Liz Krushnic ’10, Arielle Tolman ’10, Sarah Abbott ’10, Camara Awkward-Rich ’11 and Monica Vitti ’12, and signed by hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, staff and parents, brought the issue of sexual assault on campus to the forefront of campus dialogue.
Ben Seretan ’10 wrote his senior thesis on an influential cellist who is involved in everything from Indian classical music to disco.
A senior Community Adviser and Ebony Singers soloist, Dan Bloom ’10 is also a two-time University wrestling captain. Oh, and he dabbles in dance, as well.
Nick Davenport ’10 is a self-declared radical leftist. He has devoted his senior year to exploring the history of the University’s radical past, recently finishing his thesis on the activist climate on campus during the 1930s.
Homosexuality in Jordan, Sufism as a cover-up for the Moroccan monarchy, and HIV/AIDS in Nepal—these were just three of the topics covered at the first Junior Dinner where students presented research projects done while studying abroad.
For the past six years, a group of devoted students has grown food at Long Lane Farm to feed the hungry and to connect to the food they eat.
Students in search of poetry no longer have to trek to Russell House to hear a reading, leaf through lengthy chat books, or devour infrequent publications.
Hailing from a campus known for PETA approved vegetarian cuisine, Andrew Dermont ’09 and Derek Silverman ’09 broke the mold when they threw their first beefsteak.
Over the course of his career, retired Foreign Service Officer Robert Dry has worked in Washington, D.C., France, the Sultanate of Oman, China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam.
Despite the University’s growing reputation as the “epicenter of surrealist Brooklyn pop,” students and visiting bands regularly encounter a series of obstacles when securing performances.
Merton Champagne, the man who runs the pizza station in the Usdan Marketplace, has worked at the University for 13 years.
Suppose you come home late at night after you have been at Olin studying for a major midterm you have the following day to find a sign on your door saying, “Come back later, please!” Your roommate’s boyfriend/girlfriend is staying in your room for the night; your bed is unavailable. What do you do?
Professor Khachig Tölölyan immigrated to the US with his entire family from Beirut, Lebanon when he was 16 years old. A member of the Armenian Diaspora, Tölölyan is connected with communities throughout the world, one of them being the community at Wesleyan, where Tölölyan has worked for 34 years since finishing graduate school in 1974. Tölölyan’s tenure at the University has given him a panoramic view of the University and of the way it has changed over time.
Marco’s Deli, which sits on the corner of Williams Street and Hamlin Court, has stood since the early 1950s. It has weathered three different owners, and it has been witness to the changing atmosphere at the University over the years.
“Through dance, we present archaic landscapes, eons older than the world we occupy, in which we, humans, can rediscover our essential selves.” So reads the entrance page to the website of Eiko and Koma Otake, a dance partnership that has performed across the globe and is known for pushing the limits of their bodies by posing in snow and freezing water.
Christian Castaneda, affectionately dubbed the “Omelet Master” by his faithful fans, can be found invigorating hungover Usdan diners with his blend of taste and theatre on any given Saturday or Sunday morning. Just look for the longest line in the Usdan cafeteria and you can find him at the head of it, bantering with students and flipping omelets for his customers’ viewing and eating pleasure. But there’s more to Castaneda than his deftness with a frying pan.
When Elizabeth Spergel ’12 decided to pursue the University Major, she knew it would provide her with the opportunity to design a program that caters to her specific interests and abilities. She knew it has been completed by some of the campus’ best-known figures, including President Michael Roth. She also knew, however, that the process of approval for a student’s program remains one of the most difficult courses of study to pursue.
For the first time in University history, a new lounge is being built based entirely off of student suggestions. In response to feedback regarding the already existing study spaces on campus, a new lounge is projected to open in Exley Science Center as early as this December.
One of the biggest challenges of being a college freshman is getting involved in the campus community. Despite orientation programs designed to spark student interest and raise comfort levels, it can be especially nerve-wracking to break into pre-established groups when one first arrives on campus.