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wesleyan.argus

Wesleyan University's official student newspaper since 1868 and the oldest twice-weekly college paper in the country.

“The hottest punctuation mark today is the em dash

“The hottest punctuation mark today is the em dash,” copy editor Anne Cain ’29 writes. “From that of steadfast devotees, for whom it is a mark of erudition, to that of the less inclined, for whom it is only incidental to their copy-pastes from ChatGPT, the em dash, recently on the verge of archaism, now proliferates in the writing of our day. The em dash is the mark “—”, for those unaware. As a first-year copy editor at The Wesleyan Argus, having now proofread scores of articles from writers of all class years, I have become acutely aware of this trend. As much as there is to be said on the punctuation mark as a twofold indicator of intellectual vice and virtue, as I have indicated above, I have not come here with the mind of a sociologist or a contrarian. Rather, I am compelled by my duty as a copy editor to note and correct a more technically concerned error which has increasingly caused me distress: No one knows how to use an em dash!”

Read Cain’s full piece and more from our Opinion section at the link in our bio.

Story by Anne Cain, Contributing Writer
Photo illustration by Aarushi Bahadur

Lili Anolik’s joint biography “Didion & Babitz” fo

Lili Anolik’s joint biography “Didion & Babitz” follows the complicated relationship between two prolific Californian writers, Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. At least, that’s how the book is advertised.

Perhaps a better name for this book would be “Didion vs. Babitz,” because it’s closer to the truth of what Anolik does: She pits two female writers against each other for seemingly no reason other than to boost Babitz’s appeal at the expense of Didion’s. Instead of giving each writer her due, in the spirit of a true biography, “Didion & Babitz” instead attempts to uncover Joan Didion’s truth, dissecting her persona at a molecular level while fawning over Eve Babitz. (In fact, Anolik admits to taking Eve’s side in the book.)

Read the full review of Anolik’s book following her visit to Wesleyan, plus more from our Arts & Culture section, at the link in our bio.

Story by Julia Podgorski, Opinion Editor
Photo illustration by Aarushi Bahadur

“As the European soccer season and the NBA playoff

“As the European soccer season and the NBA playoffs approach their climaxes, I’ve had a nagging feeling that something’s wrong,” Lucas Chiorini ’29 writes. “These sports are designed around feats of remarkable athleticism paired with unfathomable technique and skill, yet as the two seasons rage on, I can’t help but feel that the former is missing from both. Sports are supposed to be displays of the strongest, fastest, most dynamic movers on the planet, but at the risk of sounding like your cranky uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, the games have gone soft. My solution: Legalize violence.”

Read Chiorini’s full piece and more from our Sports section at the link in our bio.

Story by Lucas Chiorini, Staff Writer
Photo by Neil Redmond / AP

Consider the range of responses that could be evok

Consider the range of responses that could be evoked by asking a simple question: “Do you use Chat?”

The discourse on artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent for many higher education institutions, including the University. As the accessibility of tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude expands, education is at the forefront of impacted fields.

Here in Middletown, amidst the confusing policies and ethical dilemmas surrounding AI’s impact, many students, faculty, and administrators are navigating how Wesleyan as a liberal arts institution, can move forward in an era ever-defined by AI.

Read about how AI is being used in courses around campus and more from our Features section at the link in our bio.

Story by Maggie Smith, Features Editor
Photo by Harry Campbell

Like last semester’s “Pericles,” William Shakespea

Like last semester’s “Pericles,” William Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is not one of his more performed plays. Nonetheless, Spike Tape continued its tradition of bringing underappreciated works to light in its premier production of “Richard III” from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 in WestCo Café.

Director Sophie Brusini ’26 decided to take on the material from an ingenious angle and reimagine this bombastic anti-hero as a 1980s glam-rock superstar. What that entailed, from a technical and creative standpoint, was no small feat. To understand her motivations and the extent of the work that went into this ambitious show, The Argus interviewed Brusini to talk about her artistic process, inspirations, and goals for this production.

Read about the production and more from our Arts & Culture section at the link in our bio.

Story by Louis Chiasson, Arts & Culture Editor
Photo by Daniel Gessel

Over 50 students and faculty members gathered in t

Over 50 students and faculty members gathered in the Frank Center for Public Affairs for a panel discussing the recent Hungarian elections on Monday, April 27. The panelists, who appeared via Zoom, answered questions from the audience and offered their insights on the success of Péter Magyar’s campaign and their takes on the fall of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year reign as prime minister.

Sponsored by the Adelphic Educational Fund and the Government Department, and organized by Cecilia Földessy-Stiegemeier ’26, the event was moderated by Colin and Nancy Campbell Professor in Global Issues and Democratic Thought and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies Peter Rutland.

The two panelists were Nora Schultz, a political analyst based in Budapest, Hungary, and Kim Lane Scheppele, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Read about the discussion and more from our News section at the link in our bio.

Story by Akari Ikeda, Assistant News Editor
Photo by Finn Feldman

“No fear. No hate. No ICE in our state!” This ch

“No fear. No hate. No ICE in our state!”

This chant most recently rang loud and clear outside of Usdan University Center on Monday, April 6, as a group of passionate students led a crowd of protesters in solidarity against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s recent deportations in Middletown. One of many demonstrations that have taken place this semester, this rally was in support of the two detainees: Keyla Vazquez-Zuniga, a Southern Connecticut State University nursing student, and a male Middletown resident. This team of activists has engaged the student body in demonstrations against ICE, which typically feature local political organizers, powerful personal narratives, and chanting “ICE OUT” as loud as possible.

The ICE Out Coalition is composed of a variety of smaller, specialized organizations, including Wesleyan Democrats (WesDems), Wesleyan Young Socialists, Sunrise Movement Wesleyan, Wesleyan American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Wesleyan Refugee Project, and the United Student Labor Action Coalition (USLAC).

Read about the coalition, its objectives, and more from our Features section at the link in our bio.

Story by Leah Ziskin, Assistant Features Editor
Photo by Finn Feldman

On Wednesday, Sep. 28, 1983, G. Gordon Liddy, a ke

On Wednesday, Sep. 28, 1983, G. Gordon Liddy, a key player in the Watergate scandal of 1972, came to speak at the University, hosted by the Student Events Committee (SEC). This, unsurprisingly, caused an uproar among the student body and faculty, which is now preserved in a myriad of Argus articles that commented on the controversy as it unfolded. In students’ and professors’ own words, these pieces track how a debate surrounding a guest speaker spiraled into unsettling questions about two of the University’s foundational values: free speech and ideological diversity.

For those unfamiliar with Liddy and why his presence on campus was met with backlash, Liddy was known to be the mastermind behind the Watergate break-in. He was responsible for planning the illegal wire-tapping, managing the burglars, and committing political espionage. Liddy was ultimately convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wire-tapping for his role in the infamous plot to secure former President Richard Nixon a successful reelection.

Liddy was originally sentenced to 20 years in prison, but former President Jimmy Carter commuted his sentence to eight years, and he ultimately got out in a little over four years on parole. After his release from prison, Liddy began speaking at universities, which ultimately led him to arrive in Middletown.

Read the full story of Liddy speaking at the University and more from our Features section at the link in our bio.

Story by Lara Anlar, Archivist
Photo by Paul Hosefros, The New York Times

When Dikshya Kuikel ’26 and Alanna Dwyer ’26 send

When Dikshya Kuikel ’26 and Alanna Dwyer ’26 send out meeting information to the Wesleyan Book Club, they always sign off their emails with a link to their Goodreads profiles. It’s a small detail that demonstrates the casual yet highly devoted culture of the club.

The Wesleyan Book Club was started by Alice Dauchez ’23, an English and math major. Kuikel met Dauchez their freshman year at the Involvement Fair and has carried on Dauchez’s project for the past four years.

Read about the Book Club and more from our Arts & Culture section at the link in our bio.

Story by Conrad Lewis & Mennatallah Antar, Arts & Culture Editor & Contributing Writer
Photo by Parker McCoog

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