Month: September 2015

Dear Wes Frosh,
This Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4:30-6:00, Downey Lounge, the American Studies major and English major will be hosting a very special guest, Florian Sedlmeier, a young professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, Free University (Freie Universitat), Berlin, Germany. (Delicious treats will be served.) He is really eager to meet Wesleyan students and faculty. The “JFK” is the greatest American Studies center in Europe. I am going to have a dialogue with him about the kind of critical edge one can develop by doing American Studies and American literary studies outside (yes, outside) of the U.S.! This subject is close to my heart because my first full immersion in American Studies–my intellectual conversion–was when I did an M.A. in American Studies at the University of London. Several Europeans–Alexis de Tocqueville, Max Weber, D. H. Lawrence, Antonio Gramsci–have given us some of the most astute analyses of how America “ticks” as a power structure and culture (and popular culture, for instance, Francois Truffaut on Westerns). And many Americans–Gertrude Stein, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and others–went to Europe to bust out of the American bubble critically and artistically. Florian Sedlmeier and I want to spark a conversation–that we will open up to everyone once we raise some concerns and questions–about what’s at stake in thinking about this. American Studies became a big deal in Europe after World War II as part of America’s–the U.S. Information Agency’s–“free world” Cold War propaganda campaign. But European American Studies has had a way thinking critically about the U.S., partly because of its own radical traditions.
Florian will also tell us more about the famous “JFK.” This amazing institute is located in the gorgeous neighborhood of Dahlem, in Berlin, and ALL CLASSES–undergraduate and graduate–ARE IN ENGLISH. You might wish to consider being an exchange student at the “JFK” at some point. And if you consider doing graduate work in American Studies there–say, an M.A.–you should know that THE TUITION IS FREE (you just have to pay for your lodging and food). It was my privilege to be a visiting professor at the “JFK” in 2012 and I loved it. It’s very comprehensive. There are five departments within American Studies: Culture, Literature, History, Political Science, and Economics. The faculty–as you’ll see when you meet Florian–are brilliant, accomplished, and a lot of fun. The courses that each department offers are wide-ranging and fascinating. And Berlin is an absolute BLAST!
So please come and please bring any friends! You’ll learn some surprising stuff. Florian is really psyched about coming to Wes!
Cheers,
Professor Pfister, Chair, American Studies Department

Free Tickets for First-Year Students to the Navaratri Festival!

http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/events/navaratrifestivalevents-2015.html

The Navaratri Festival of Indian music and dance is a grand Wesleyan tradition, now in its 39th year. The Center for the Arts invites all first-year students to experience this important festival and is offering a free ticket to any performance during the festival, which runs from Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11, 2015. The ticketed events are as follows:

B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 8:00pm in Crowell Concert Hall. Vocalist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist K.V.S. Vinay.

Sri Rajesh Vaidya Sri Rajesh Vaidya on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 4:00pm in Crowell Concert Hall.

Sri Rajhesh Vaidya’s veena (plucked string instrument) playing will be accompanied by two mridangam players, plus tabla and gatam.

Alarmél Valli Alarmél Valli on Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3:00pm at Crowell Concert Hall.
Internationally acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer Alarmél Valli turns the traditional Bharatanatyam style into subtle, deeply internalized, personal dance poetry in her Connecticut debut.

For free tickets, visit the Wesleyan University Box Office in Usdan, Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-4:30pm.

Kyle Beaudette
Box Office Manager
Wesleyan University
860-685-3310

University Box Office:
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-4:30pm
860-685-3355
www.wesleyan.edu/boxoffice
www.wesleyan.edu/cfa

Hey Freshmen!

Family Weekend 2015 is fast approaching (November 6th-November 8th), and we need student employees! Aside from getting paid, you’ll also have the unique opportunity to help out with one of Wesleyan’s most important events, make lasting connections with alumni, and represent the student body to hundreds of visitors and guests. Potential jobs include working at the registration site, escorting guests around campus in shuttle vans, and much more!

To apply for a position, please fill out and submit the student employee application, available here. Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 16th at 5:00 PM, and we will notify you of your employment status no later than Tuesday, October 20th.

There will be a mandatory student employee meeting on Wednesday, November 4th in Exley Science Center 150, at 5:00 PM. If you are hired, you must attend this meeting to receive your work schedules, event staff T-shirt, and other important event information.

If you have any questions, please contact us at aprinterns@wesleyan.edu.

Thanks for your interest!

Best,
The Interns

Catherine Marquez ’16, and Avva Saniee ’17
Family Weekend and Homecoming 2015 Interns
Office of Alumni and Parent Relations
330 High Street
aprinterns@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-2802

Fair Trade Study Abroad Workshop

fairtradestudyabroad

Interested in a study abroad program that serves and empowers local communities by acting as a decolonizing force? Do you believe in the arts as a means of producing knowledge and creating community? Come find out more about Fair Trade Study Abroad and how the Rehearsing Change program in Ecuador embodies these goals.

Tuesday, September 29
4:30pm, Usdan 108
Workshop by Daniel Bryan
Executive Director, Pachaysana Institute
http://www.pachaysana.org/#!rehearsing-change/c1ylq

Dear Wes Frosh,
This Wednesday, Sept. 30, 4:30-6:00, Downey Lounge, the American Studies major and English major will be hosting a very special guest, Florian Sedlmeier, a young professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, Free University (Freie Universitat), Berlin, Germany. (Delicious treats will be served.) He is really eager to meet Wesleyan students and faculty.

The “JFK” is the greatest American Studies center in Europe. Several Europeans–Alexis de Tocqueville, Max Weber, D. H. Lawrence, Antonio Gramsci–have given us some of the most astute analyses of how America “ticks” as a power structure and culture (and popular culture, for instance, Francois Truffaut on Westerns). And many Americans–Gertrude Stein, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and others–went to Europe to bust out of the American bubble critically and artistically. Florian Sedlmeier and I want to spark a conversation–that we will open up to everyone once we raise some concerns and questions–about what’s at stake in thinking about this. American Studies became a big deal in Europe after World War II as part of America’s–the U.S. Information Agency’s–“free world” Cold War propaganda campaign. But European American Studies has had a way thinking critically about the U.S., partly because of its own radical traditions.

Florian will also tell us more about the famous “JFK.” This amazing institute is located in the gorgeous neighborhood of Dahlem, in Berlin, and ALL CLASSES–undergraduate and graduate–ARE IN ENGLISH. You might wish to consider being an exchange student at the “JFK” at some point. And if you consider doing graduate work in American Studies there–say, an M.A.–you should know that THE TUITION IS FREE (you just have to pay for your lodging and food). It was my privilege to be a visiting professor at the “JFK” in 2012 and I loved it. It’s very comprehensive. There are five departments within American Studies: Culture, Literature, History, Political Science, and Economics. The faculty–as you’ll see when you meet Florian–are brilliant, accomplished, and a lot of fun. The courses that each department offers are wide-ranging and fascinating. And Berlin is an absolute BLAST!
So please come and please bring any friends! You’ll learn some surprising stuff. Florian is really psyched about coming to Wes!
Cheers,
Professor Pfister, Chair, American Studies Department

Be a responsible bystander: Speak out against violence!
The Peer Health Advocates (PHA) are the student voice of WesWELL’s health education outreach efforts and integral to the development and implementation of those efforts.
Involvement in the group is intended to impact your own understanding and behaviors around health as well as educate and promote health to the entire Wesleyan community.
We welcome students with interest in all health topics who wish to have a positive impact on the well-being of Wesleyan to apply to be a PHA.
Please visit the WesWell website for more information and to apply.

At the Writing Workshop a staff of trained peer tutors is available to meet with you at every stage of the writing process. You can meet with a tutor to discuss ideas for an upcoming assignment, edit a rough draft of a paper, or review a professor’s comments on completed work. Tutors meet with first-year students, senior thesis writers, and even faculty members. Everyone is welcome and all services are free.

Here is this semester’s schedule:
Sunday:
Drop-in – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 77 – Rachel Earnhardt – HIST/ENVS
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Olin 106 – Isabel Fattal – COL/RELI
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 266 – Justin Greene – ENGL/ANTH
Monday:
Appointment – 1:45-4 pm – Downey 104 – Sophia Franchi – FELLOW/ENGL/FRST
Drop-in – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 77 – Alison Denzer-King – PSYC/CSED
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Olin 106 – Leah Bakely – HIST/HISP
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 266 – Giordana Martino – PSYC
Tuesday:
Drop-in – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 77 – Gabriel Borelli – CSS
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Olin 106 – Jenna Shapiro – HIST
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 266 – Penny Snyder – ENGL
Wednesday:
Appointment – 1:45-4 pm – Downey 103 – Elana Rosenthal – FELLOW/COL/FRST/WRCT
Drop-in – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 77 – Rebecca Brand – ARHA/ARST
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Olin 106 – Hein Jeong – PHIL/GRST
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 266 – Aryeh Lieber – ENGL
Thursday:
Drop-in – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 77 – Alexandra Ricks – HIST/LAST
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Olin 106 – Sarah Mininsohn – SOC/DANC
Appointment – 7-11 pm – Sci Li 266 – Jeremy Crimm – CSS

And here is the link to our page with all of the above information, if that’s simpler to share:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/workshop/index.html

Dear ’19,
I hope you enjoyed your first week of classes as part of the Wesleyan community. We are delighted you are here.

Over the summer we contacted you to request that you send your SAT or ACT scores and we still have not received them. Although we did not require you to submit scores for admission to Wesleyan, in order to adequately research this transition and conduct effective advising, our policy requires you to send us your standardized test scores now.

We will accept unofficial scores so you can send us a screenshot of your scores, your own personal copy or a copy from your high school. Otherwise, please send us official scores (SAT, ACT and/or SAT II) through the testing agency as soon as you can.

If you do not provide your scores, it may impact your Spring semester enrollment as we will be forced to put an administrative HOLD on your registration. If you have questions, please contact me at dcrescimanno@wesleyan.edu or 860-685-3000.

Best wishes and welcome to Wesleyan,

Diane Crescimanno
Admission Office Coordinator

Wesleyan University
70 Wyllys Avenue
Middletown, CT 06459