Spring Break? What break??

by

It’s the middle of spring break, and there are plenty of Wesleyan students enjoying the respite from classes with friends and family. Many of our athletes are competing in warmer climes, though some are right here duking it out against tough opponents. As I write this, the men’s basketball team is preparing to play at home in the sweet 16 – our first appearance at this level. Theater kids are practicing their lines, and those who have recitals coming up are busy getting ready to perform.

[UPDATE: The basketball team won a nail-biter against Emory and is off to the FINAL FOUR in Indiana on Thursday!!! FIRST TIME IN WES HISTORY!!!]

And there are the senior theses writers hunkered down in a library or a bedroom somewhere…writing, revising, checking their data sets or fine tuning the plots of their creative writing projects. I remember vividly working on my own thesis back in the day, and it remains one of the most intense intellectual experiences of my life.

Each year I collect a small sampling of thesis topics from my colleagues. In the College of Letters I‘ve heard about a project that wrestles with disease and identity, fact, fiction and art (Maya Gray). Another that works through topics in animal studies, literature and performance (Malia Detar Cheung). Aristocratic women and the crusades is the subject of a medieval studies thesis (Beatrix Briggs), and one in religion looks at the alt-right, hate speech and violence (AJ Minzer).

A CSSer is looking at radio and propaganda in the Soviet Union (Czarina Yuffa). A study abroad trip in France has led a student to explore the symbolic status of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in the revolutionary period (Phoebe Robinson). Strangely topical is a project on a boundary dispute between Canada and Great Britain in the mid 1800s (Ben Sheriff). And straightforwardly relevant is a thesis on surveillance and technology (Jack Noble).

In Psych and Ed Studies, a student is writing on South Korean and US students’ educational experiences with an eye toward media, burnout, and mental health as common denominators in both cultures (Mika Zapf).  Speaking of Ed Studies, I’ve heard of two theses focused on curriculum development: one using Survivor as a game-based structure for an entire course (Jesse Herzog) and another using dance as a curricular framework (Cadence Rosenblum).

History theses include one on tourists in Thailand (Allie Pae) and on missionaries in Rwanda (Daniel Holt). Women’s clothing in Early Modern Europe (Greta Armbrust) and the peace process in Ireland (James Fitzpatrick) have attracted enterprising seniors, while others are working on University of California’s race-blind admissions (Aaron Finkelstein) and American theories of hysteria and neurasthenia (Katherine Petersdorf).

Good luck to everyone working through this break! Spring is here, soon your hearts will be dancing!

“The Winds of March that Make My Heart a Dancer…” or Spring Break (finally)

by

Although we are not quite halfway through the semester, this year it seems that our break couldn’t come fast enough. The national and international news has been especially disquieting, with each day seeming to demand some reaction. Of course, the practice of “institutional neutrality” would make things easier… See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. If only.

But let us take deep breaths in the cool March air, catch sight of the crocuses poking out of the soil, and generally find rejuvenation in this break from classes. Our athletes will be competing (men’s basketball hosting the NCAA tournament this weekend!), our theater folks will be rehearsing, and senior theses writers will be working away. We wish them all the very best, while we also gather resources that will propel us all through the rest of the semester.

Lola is ready!  

From:

To:

Stand With Ukraine!

by

Three years ago, Russia launched a brutal invasion of Ukraine. Many thought that the much smaller nation would be quickly overrun, but with extraordinary courage and resolve — and significant aid from the West — the Ukrainians have protected their country. Their struggle has deserved US support, and it has received it. But now with a Putin admirer in the White House, all bets are off.

Back in 2014, one of my Coursera students wrote: “what do we see now? It’s hard to believe that after everything that has been happening in my beloved Motherland during these 3 months, after all those people who were injured or died fighting for the freedom and democracy, Russia de facto declares a war against Ukraine. Please, wake me up, tell me it’s just a fucked up nightmare.”

Yes, the nightmare continues. It’s hard to believe, that after all the pain and suffering of the last three years of war, the American administration seems ready to betray Ukraine. Students led a demonstration three years ago to support the Ukrainians, and today there will be a vigil during the lunch hour. We can at least bear witness. I wrote with admiration about the work Professor Barry Chernoff and Katja Kolcio were doing to connect Ukrainian civil society with people here at Wesleyan. Katja told me that expressions of support and empathy were meaningful to her compatriots in Kiev. 

A feckless government will lose its allies, and a country that betrays its friends in favor of autocrats will eventually see its legitimacy disintegrate. Meanwhile, we can remind our friends in Ukraine that their many American admirers continue to support them, as we work together for a just, sustainable peace.

Wesleyan Giving Day

by

This Wednesday, February 12 is Wesleyan Giving Day and this year’s Giving Day theme is “We Are Wesleyan”—a theme that highlights the power of community among our students, families, staff, faculty, and alumni, on campus and beyond, wherever Wesleyans find themselves in the world.

Wesleyan is comprised of people with different views, different dreams, different concerns, and many kinds of hope. At Wesleyan we learn how to create solidarity among people who may not agree on everything – and to be energized by each other’s achievements.

This spirit is infused into every day on campus. I was recently invited by Maria-Christina Oliveras to attend the performance final for her musical theater course. I joined a group of spectators—including faculty from areas like Government and Economics and students who were friends of roommates’ friends. Together, we watched athletes, neuroscience majors, painters, and others on stage, performing songs ranging from spirituals to Broadway classics. It was wonderful and distinctly Wesleyan. Performers and spectators supporting one another, bound in community.

People ask me all the time if fundraising is the hardest part about being a university president. I tell them no, it’s the best part, because it’s all about supporting our amazing students.

In my 18 years in this role, I’ve seen our donors succeed in making Wesleyan more financially sustainable. I’ve seen them succeed in growing Wesleyan’s sense of community. But though our community has grown, so too have its financial needs. These are challenging times, and our students need our support more than ever.

Please show your pride in our community today by making a gift to celebrate that We Are Wesleyan.

Dynamic Pluralism in Chaotic Times

by

This morning I sent the following message to the campus community.

Dear friends,

It is so good to be back on campus with colleagues and students. I’ve met with my class a couple of times, and I still get a thrill teaching in the new Frank Center for Public Affairs. Early in the morning, Kari, Lola, and I see athletes heading to practice before dawn; there are art openings in the afternoon; and I’m told the libraries are abuzz late into the night. Wes is alive and well.

Yet looking around the world, we recognize these are anxious times. And sad times, too. Wednesday night’s plane accident in Washington, D.C., reminds us how suddenly an experience we take for granted can become a tragedy. In the chaos of this past week many of us have realized how much we, and our institutions, took for granted our dependence on the government. From Pell Grants and student loans to research support and so much more, universities across the country have relied on governmental support while maintaining their autonomy to teach and learn as they see fit. Freedom of expression—with respect to artistic practice or scholarly research—has long been compatible with government support. This has been good for the country, for our students and teachers—and for the wider world of learning.

Internationalization has also been good for learning. Each year Wesleyan welcomes hundreds of students from around the world, along with dozens of teachers, researchers, and artists. These visitors, along with immigrants to the United States, make an enormous contribution for which we are grateful.

If we hadn’t fully realized it before, we surely now recognize that elections have consequences. But that doesn’t mean that we should be silent in the face of intimidation, scapegoating, and violations of the rule of law. As I’ve said in the past, the University will do everything it can to protect the most vulnerable among us. We remain committed to principles of non-discrimination, including equal protection, regardless of gender, national origin, or citizenship. I am appalled by the attacks on trans people and immigrants. Defending the most vulnerable among us is a duty.

Our university has for decades worked to enhance the educational power of diversity, and we continue to do so. While powerful forces have demonized a caricature of DEI, we remain steadfast in our efforts to treat everyone in our community fairly while helping them feel they belong. These efforts are key to the dynamic pluralism that we seek to cultivate.

In the coming weeks and months, you may have questions about how you or how Wesleyan will be affected by changes in governmental policies. Please reach out to Human Resources or to Academic and Class Deans for help. My office stands at the ready to do what it can.

Wesleyan is almost 200 years old and has seen turbulent times before. We will navigate the current situation consistent with our mission to create “a diverse, energetic community of students, faculty, and staff who think critically and creatively and who value independence of mind and generosity of spirit.” It is so good to be in your company!

Sincerely,

Michael S. Roth
President

Welcome to the New Semester!

by


This message was sent to the Wesleyan campus community earlier this week.

Welcome back to campus! As we prepare for the spring semester, we are mindful of the challenges faced by so many—from wildfires to war. We are also cognizant of signs of hope, whether it is rebuilding neighborhoods or building peace. A commitment to education, I’ve long believed, is itself a sign of hope, a sign that together we can learn to enhance our own capacities while contributing to making the world a better place. It is with this commitment and these hopes that I welcome you back to Middletown. Have a great semester!


Moving Toward that Goal with MLK

by

Today we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. King never aspired to perfection, but he never let his personal trials, or the obstacles created by defenders of White supremacy, derail his efforts to live a life of practical idealism. That life and that idealism continue to inspire millions.   

King was deeply committed to pragmatic liberal education. He took for granted that students needed to acquire skills that others would find useful, but he also believed that students should be enhancing their capacity to participate in the political and intellectual culture of their time. Through thoughtful participation, we would learn to distinguish the lies told by the powerful from the path for genuine empowerment of all citizens. “To save man from the morass of propaganda,” he wrote while an undergraduate himself, “is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”

King also knew that a narrow education could do more harm than good. When we learn just to get things done, we may find ourselves efficiently destroying the welfare of others. “The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals,” he wrote in that same student essay. We know, as we say in our University’s strategic plan, that “education can reinforce privilege and divisions, or it can be a vehicle for social mobility and cohesion.”

Image of Martin Luther King, Jr. with Wesleyan students
In addition to King’s public lectures and sermons, the civil rights leader would also speak with smaller groups of students in more personal settings. Here he is speaking at a College of Social Sciences talk.

At liberal arts institutions, we believe wholeheartedly in holistic education – and we recognize there are many ways to deliver that form of learning to different kinds of students. Students and faculty put together a plan for the “education of the whole person” that should last a lifetime.  As we say in our Mission Statement: “The University seeks to build a diverse, energetic community of students, faculty, and staff who think critically and creatively and who value independence of mind and generosity of spirit.”

This year MLK Day falls just as the new semester begins at many universities. It also falls on the first day of a new administration in Washington. I wonder what King would make of those about to take charge of the most powerful governmental apparatus in the world. Perhaps he would use the same words with which he brought his student essay on education to a close: “Be careful, brethren!”

We should all “be careful” as the federal government moves to implement some of the promises made during last year’s campaign. Vigilance is necessary as we safeguard our commitments to freedom of inquiry and expression. Energy and creativity are necessary as we “strengthen our commitment to fostering a spirit of care and belonging while increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion.” When I wrote that phrase as part of Wesleyan’s strategic plan, it seemed uncontroversial. Who could be against learning from others different from oneself? Who could oppose fairness and belonging?  

Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at a Wesleyan Commencement
“Segregation is an immoral system and it is nothing but a new form of slavery covered up with certain niceties of complexity,” King said during his 1964 Baccalaureate Address.

These days the acronym DEI has plenty of detractors, and so we must remind people why increasing access to education, while trying to ensure that all those invited to campus feel welcome, is a basic principle of liberal learning in a democratic culture. We will continue to defend that principle and the freedoms that make it possible, but we should remain open to hearing perspectives quite different from our own. We will surely fail to convince some of our interlocutors, but we should try to learn from all these conversations.

Martin Luther King, Jr. came to know better than most that movements for social change experience frustrating setbacks. Still, he wrote later in “The Power of Non-Violence” that “we have a great opportunity in America to build here a great nation, a nation where all men live together as brothers and respect the dignity and worth of all human personality. We must keep moving toward that goal.” He always recognized that resilience and hope are essential in the attempt to build the nation to which we aspire. Resilience and hope are qualities that we should bring to the new semester and to this new year. Education is our way to keep “moving toward that goal” as Dr. King saw all those years ago.

We can cultivate those qualities together. They will help us be better students – and better citizens.

Thinking of Los Angeles

by

By now, most everyone who might encounter this blog will have heard about the horrific wildfires sweeping through the Los Angeles basin. As we see the heartbreaking images of destruction, it is difficult to imagine the immense loss, along with the fear, stress, and uncertainty.

Many of us have friends and family in Southern California and are trying to help. Those wanting to offer financial support to those affected by the fires and windstorms can visit www.redcross.org/. You can also help through your phone by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. The Los Angeles NBC affiliate also suggests the following: 

Donate to United Way of Greater Los Angeles

United Way focuses on longer-term recovery efforts to support members of the community, and the group said it is working with its community partners to assess the impact on the ground in the Los Angeles area. You can donate to support United Way’s efforts here.

Donate to Emergency Network Los Angeles

Emergency Network Los Angeles, Inc., provides assistance to people affected by disasters. ENLA is a legally registered 501(c)(3) funded by grants, member dues and donations. Find more information and how to donate here.

Give to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is working with government agencies, nonprofit and faith-based partners and others to respond to the fires throughout Los Angeles County. They are accepting food donations between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at its two distribution centers: 1734 East 41st Street, Los Angeles, California 90058, and 2300 Pellissier Place, Industry, California 90601.

The Food Bank is also accepting volunteers. If you’d like to volunteer, find more information here.

Give to World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen, founded by chef Jose Andres, provides fresh meals to communities in need worldwide.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in Southern California to support first responders and families impacted by wildfires. Find out more about the organization and how to donate here.

Donate to California Fire Foundation

The California Fire Foundation is working with local fire agencies and community-based organizations to provide direct financial support to impacted residents as details of the damage emerge. Learn more about the CFF Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund and how your donation supports victims here.

Donate to Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE)

CORE is a global humanitarian organization launched in 2010 to respond to the devastating Haiti earthquake. The group now works with local community organizations in areas hit by disasters worldwide to provide short- and long-term help and recovery, with a particular focus on underserved communities.

CORE is responding to the Southern California wildfires, and you can donate here.

Donate pet supplies to Pasadena Humane

Pasadena Humane posted on Facebook that it is looking for donations of food and water bowls, extra large crates and blankets for the more than 100 animals they have taken in for emergency boarding amid wildfire evacuations.

The group is also seeking people willing to foster animals, especially larger dogs, amid the emergency. Find more information on how to help here.

What to know about giving through GoFundMe

GoFundMe has centralized all fundraisers related to the wildfires.

The crowdfunding site has a California Wildfire Relief Fund that will be distributed to people seeking help through GoFundMe fundraisers and nonprofits providing relief, the company said.

The days to come will be especially challenging. Let’s all hope the recovery from this disaster can begin soon.

Happy Holidays!

by

At this time of year, I often reflect on how fortunate I am to have the wonderful colleagues, students and friends that I’ve met through Wesleyan. I am so grateful to part of this community of learning.

Winter is here, and the season will bring new challenges and opportunities. Together, we will face them with creativity, energy and resilience. 

Lola, too, is looking ahead:

Wishing all of you peace and joy during this holiday season. See you in the New Year!

 

Giving Tuesday!!

by

Today, December 3rd, is Giving Tuesday, a chance to support organizations around the world working with those in need. The needs seem greater than ever, and whether you are supporting education, healthcare, community organizations, peace efforts, or the environment, this Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a great day to find your generosity.  Over the years, thousands of alumni, parents, students, and friends have chosen to support their alma mater on this day. By giving to Wesleyan, donors have added millions of dollars to our  Financial Aid resources. This is the power of collective action. By joining others to help those with need, we all grow stronger.

Giving Tuesday is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve through collective generosity. Annually, Wesleyan alumni, parents, students, and friends make an incredible impact on a range of priorities at Wesleyan, from financial aid and first-generation student support to student life and athletic programs. 

Whether you choose to focus your generosity on Giving Tuesday, at calendar year-end, or on Wesleyan Giving Day this upcoming February during Engagement Month, I hope you will give to your favorite and most pressing causes this year, and I hope that Wesleyan will be among them.