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TO: Members of the Class of 2019

FROM: Khachig Tölölyan, Director, College of Letters

The College of Letters cordially invites you to attend the College of Letters Open House reception, which will be held this year on Monday, October 12, 2015 at 4:15 PM, in the College of Letters Library (41 Wyllys Ave, third floor.) I will speak briefly about the Program and a number of COL students and faculty will also be on hand to answer questions.

The College of Letters is an interdisciplinary major in Literature, Philosophy, and History, with a required area of foreign language concentration, and a semester in residence abroad (usually in France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain). To learn more about the COL, study abroad possibilities, and the application process please visit the COL website at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/col/

The major begins, unlike most majors, in the fall of the sophomore year, which is why application for it must be made in the spring of your first year.

This year the deadline for applications is Monday, March 21, 2016 the first day after the Spring vacation.

Recovery@ networking lunch!

Friday, October 9th 12-1pm

RSVP to recovery@wesleyan.edu for location.

An informal lunch meeting where members of the Wesleyan community who are either in or seeking recovery can come together and share their experience, strength, and hope in order to support one another.
This is a closed lunch, only for those in or seeking recovery from alcohol and other drugs.

Storytelling for Life, Business, & Politics: A Writing Symposium at Wesleyan

We are thrilled to offer a first-of-its-kind, free, full-day writing event for civilian and veteran writers looking to engage in thoughtful conversation and sharpen their writing skills. The Words After War: Storytelling for Life, Business, and Politics symposium will take place Saturday, October 10, 2015 at Wesleyan University.

The symposium will feature panel discussions and breakout workshops with talented authors and academic instructors. Participants can expect to walk away having learned valuable and practical writing techniques, along with a newfound sense of empowerment and inspiration in producing art that builds community, makes an impact, and reaches a wider audience.

This event is free, and meals will be provided throughout the day. Please register here. Space is limited.

Location: Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT
When: Saturday, October 10, 2015 from 8am to 5pm
Event Schedule:

8:00am Registration & Breakfast
9:15am Art of the Interview Panel Discussion
10:30am Elements of Craft Panel Discussion
11:45am Lunch
1pm Breakout Workshops: Writing Your War (Memoir and Creative Nonfiction) and Blogging, Social Media, PR, and the Business of Writing
2:30pm Breakout Workshops: Writing in the Academy and Journalism, Politics, and National Security
4pm Closing Remarks and Reception
Our instructors:
Adrian Bonenberger, author of war memoir Afghan Post.
Matt Gallagher, author of the Iraq memoir Kaboom and the forthcoming novel Youngblood.
Vanessa Gezari, managing editor of Columbia Journalism Review, professor at Columbia Journalism School, and author of The Tender Soldier.
Thomas M. Gibbons-Neff, writer at The Washington Post.
Anne Greene, Professor in English, founder and co-director of Wesleyan’s Writing Certificate program, and director of the Wesleyan Writers Conference.
Lauren Katzenberg, managing editor of Task & Purpose.
Peter Molin, author of Time Now blog and writing instructor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
Maxwell Neely-Cohen, author of the novel Echo of the Boom.
Sara Nović, author of the novel Girl at War.
William R. Pinch, Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan and associate editor of the journal History & Theory.
Kristen L. Rouse, writer and founding director of the NYC Veterans Alliance.
Brandon Willitts, Executive Director and Co-founder of Words After War.

Please learn more about the event and register via Eventbrite.

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