On Friday, Oct. 24, families and alumni packed the University grounds to commemorate the start of Homecoming and Family Weekend. The campus bustled with programming over the weekend as University students and their families attended sports games, performances, lectures, and other social events.
Starting Friday morning, attendees checked in and picked up packets detailing the weekend’s activities from the Admissions Office. Parents had the opportunity to sit in on their children’s classes, getting an up-close look at their classroom experiences.
“My mom was excited to see a sliver of my life and experience the classes I look forward to every day,” Zoe McDougal ’29 said.
Visitors also had the opportunity to tour the campus, including the Gordon Career Center, the New Science Center, the Fries Arts Building, and the Olin Memorial Library, and the University’s unique collections from Special Collections & Archives, World Music Archives, Music Library, Archaeology & Anthropology Collections, East Asian Art & Archival Collections, and Joe Webb Peoples Natural History Collections. The open house ended with a Book Arts Lab activity, where families could create their own Victorian puzzle purses as souvenirs.
The first of many WESeminars also commenced on Friday, demonstrating the importance of a liberal arts education and collaboration among different aspects of student life. The seminars were diverse in topic, ranging from the screening of the film-in-progress “Searching for the Folk Philosopher,” directed by Mounir Salah and composed and produced by graduate student Ameen Mokdad MA ’26, to an information session on studying abroad, hosted by Office of Study Abroad staff and students.
Art exhibitions filled the afternoon and early evening. “Excavations” displayed the ceramics of Gary Red Oak O’Neil, which reflect the rich but overlooked history of Native American pottery from the Wangunk tribe in 17th-century Connecticut. The exhibition was curated by J. Kēhaulani Kauanui in partnership with Associate Director of Visual Arts Benjamin Chaffee ’00 and Program Manager Rosemary Lennox and co-sponsored by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the University’s Center for the Humanities.
“Seeing the exhibition was a really great part of Parents Weekend,” Olivia Daigneault ’27 said. “I enjoyed being able to show my family all the different parts of student life here; our athletics and our commitment to the arts.”
The theme of this weekend was Asian American and Pacific Islander Alumni Celebration; the Asian Pacific American Alumni Council hosted a welcome dinner, followed by a performance of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese music by the New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative.
At night, Prometheus Fire Arts, the University’s iconic fire arts group, performed on Foss Hill.
“Not only was it a new audience…but for many of us, myself included, it was our first time performing!” Prometheus member Ethan Nuñez ’29 said. “Heading into the performance, I was crazy nervous, but once I got up there and my prop was lit, it was like the world stopped.”
A weekend highlight was Wesleyan football’s game against Amherst on Saturday, where the Cardinals executed a stellar 31–21 victory. This marks the fourth straight year the Cardinals have defeated Amherst, a noteworthy win as they take on the last member of the Little Three at Williams on Saturday, Nov. 1.
Parents and alumni also got the special opportunity to view Saturn from the telescope in the Van Vleck Observatory on Saturday night.
Art exhibitions continued on Sunday, as well as the Stone A Cappella Concert. Sunday closed with a celebration of the life of the late University Professor Emerita of English Anne Greene, honoring her legacy during her 47 years at the University.
Students said goodbye to their families in the late afternoon.
“I really enjoyed being able to show my parents around and give them a first-hand look at my life here,” Molly Brown ’29 said. “I loved seeing everyone so excited to see their families again.”
Alessandra (Allie) Woo can be reached at aawoo@wesleyan.edu.
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