The Great Wall
In the fall, a little-discussed plan to define the perimeter between LoRise and the public housing community Traverse Square came under controversy. Opponents claimed the University was trying to build a “wall” between Wesleyan and its neighbors, while administrators maintained it was a safety “railing.” In the end, the barrier was never built.
That’s bats
In September, residents of a senior woodframe house on Home Avenue awakened to find an unexpected guest in their home—a bat. In April, several bats were spotted in WestCo. Although captured bats did not test positive for rabies, several residents elected to get shots as a precaution.
Out of gas
Four-term Middletown Mayor Domenique Thornton was pulled over in September for erratic driving, and was arrested for driving while intoxicated. A breath test determined Thornton had a blood alcohol content of .018 percent. Though Thornton, a Democrat, maintained that the arrest was wrongful and politically motivated, she was defeated by Seb Giuliano, a Republican, in the November election.
New digs
Over the summer of 2005, ground was broken for the Usdan University Center. Expected to open in the fall of 2007, the building will centralize campus dining and provide meeting space for student groups.
Pedestrians hit
In September, Rachel Soriano ’06 was seriously injured after being struck by a car while attempting to cross Church Street behind the Davenport Campus Center. In April, Janice “Faith” Serrano ’07 was struck by a pickup truck while crossing at the intersection of Church and Hotchkiss streets. As a result, Pedestrian crossing signs were posted along Church Street and the University pledged to continue evaluating traffic crossings around campus.
World Wide Web
In October, social networking website Facebook took documentation (and stalking potential) to the next level by adding a photo posting feature. Around the same time, the “Wesleyan Anonymous Confession Board,” a post on the Wesleyan online Livejournal community, began. Users posted thousands of anonymous confessions, secrets, and opinions that ranged from mundane to malicious.
Class selection
The new logarithm-based class registration system debuted in April. It replaced the race-against-the-clock click system, which required students to click bookmarked links for classes during scheduled computer lab times. Under the new system, 86 percent of participating students received their first class choice.
Evicted
The University announced that Film House and Buddhist House, both on Washington Street, would be sold as part of a plan to bring residences closer to the center of campus.
Club closed
Club Liquors, located at the corner of Cross and Vine streets, closed after the University decided to not renew its lease. The University plans to redevelop the corner as a dining location in the future.
Meth madness
In February, it was discovered that a man identified only as “Timothy” was storing his belongings under the porch of 96 Lawn Ave. Among those items were some of the ingredients and paraphernalia used to make methamphetamine. A month later, the man was arrested at the Wesley Inn and Suites on Washington Street for attempting to operate a box meth lab in his motel room.
Endowment
The Board of Trustees announced a plan to reduce the amount that the University takes from the endowment annually to 5.5 percent over the next five years. In the past, percentages have been about eight percent. The move caused a one-year delay of some parts of the strategic plan, such as aims to improve financial aid, raise the Office of Admissions budget, and increase the size of the social science faculty.
Abuse
After a concerted effort by the janitors along with several Wesleyan students, the University’s janitorial contractor, American Building Management, retracted a hostile and allegedly illegal memorandum that outlined methods for resolving complaints in the workplace.
Forgotten vault
During a renovation, a locked vault was found in the basement of 285 Court St. Inside, workers found two rooms filled with hundreds of forgotten architectural plans and University documents dating back to the early1900s.
New housing
After a year of construction that transformed grassy Fauver Field into a noisy worksite, the first students moved into the new Fauver residences.
Disaster relief
During Spring Break, over 70 Wesleyan students traveled to the Ninth Ward of New Orleans to assist relief efforts in the community most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
ResLife in the doghouse
A clause banning all pets in student housing was included in the 2006-2007 Housing Contract. The policy change came under sharp criticism from pet owners who complained that ResLife had not sought student input and did not properly publicize the change. ResLife later added a grandfather clause for pet-owning upperclassmen.
Protest
In May, students and staff members linked arms to create a human chain around the Campus Center to protest HR 4437, the controversial immigration bill passed by the House.
Resignation
On the steps of North College before a crowd of 500, President Doug Bennet announced May 4 that he would retire after the 2006-2007 academic year. A search for a replacement is currently underway.
Faculty compensation
At the close of the academic year, faculty voiced frustration with the University’s 2006-2007 budget, which allows for a 3.5 percent pay raise for faculty. Faculty argued that the raise did not keep up with inflation, and complained that the move is part of a trend at the University to neglect compensation and benefit packages.
Bling fling
Talib Kweli headlined Spring Fling in May, although Andrew W.K. arguably stole the show. Wesleyan band Red Wire Black Wire opened. Kweli was a last-minute replacement for Cam’ron, who Public Safety and the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development vetoed over concerns that the rapper would draw an unmanageably large crowd.
Graduation
Historian John Hope Franklin gave the keynote address at Wesleyan’s 174th Commencement on May 28. Franklin was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree.
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