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Roth on Wesleyan

Let’s Begin the Next Phase of Civic Engagement

November 9, 2020 by Michael S. Roth '78

It’s hard to digest all the news, but the elections are mostly behind us. The important question as to who will be president has been settled, but as the fog of that uncertainty has lifted, we must contend with all the other questions that remain. How will we find ways to come together to face the challenges ahead — epidemiological, environmental, social, political, economic? The list goes on and on, and if there is often strong disagreement as to how best to define these challenges, there is no disputing that we have our work to do. And that includes reckoning with our histories of injustice if we are to reinvigorate our aspirations for freedom, equality and justice.

Cynicism is easy, and sophisticated despair (often disguised with irony) is merely an admission of a lack of imagination and will. We need both imagination and will to work together to build a better future — for our campus, for our city, and for the country. There are already groups of students working with faculty and administrators on making Wesleyan a more equitable and inclusive place, and I am hopeful that we can build on that cooperation to  continue to make meaningful civic contributions well beyond the borders of the university.

Listening with an open heart and an open mind will lead us to better ways of thinking and acting. Now, the next phase of the work begins.

Categories Uncategorized Tags Civic Engagement, E2020, Wesleyan University
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Patience, Kindness, Especially Now
Acknowledging Our Veterans
Michael S. Roth

Michael S. Roth became Wesleyan University's 16th president on July 1, 2007.

We welcome comments from readers, but reserve the right not to publish certain comments, such as those that are anonymous or appear to be spam.

Follow @mroth78 on Twitter

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Michael S Roth 5 hours ago

Thanks! twitter.com/jpalfrey/statu…

Currently reading: "Safe Enough Spaces" by @mroth78 https://t.co/T0g8nB68fN

— John Palfrey (@jpalfrey) June 22, 2022
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Michael S Roth 5 hours ago

Congratulations from all Beanie’s friends & fans ⁦@wesleyan_u⁩ cnn.com/2022/06/23/ent…

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Michael S Roth 6 hours ago

Read @ekleinberg "Deconstruction Isn’t Dead" @chronicle @histandtheojrnl pllqt.it/ainJ1F

test Twitter Media - Read @ekleinberg  "Deconstruction Isn’t Dead" @chronicle @histandtheojrnl  https://t.co/I7GvZosCsV https://t.co/yDkflPplt9
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Michael S Roth 7 hours ago

Run, please, run!! twitter.com/MichelleObama/…

My thoughts on the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. pic.twitter.com/9ALSbapHDY

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 24, 2022
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Samantha Rose Hill 15 hours ago

"Never has our future been more unpredictable, never have we depended so much on political forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest—forces that look like sheer insanity." — Hannah Arendt Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Jenny Boylan 🫀 8 hours ago

"The question is not when a fetus becomes a person; the question is when the woman stops being one." --@jodipicoult Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Chris Murphy 8 hours ago

These guys are just politicians. The Constitution to them is just a fun tool to help them impose their political views on the entire country. The implausible inconsistency of the guns and abortion rulings is both sickening and revealing. Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Merve Emre 8 hours ago

"At the least, they will incur the cost of losing control of their lives." Retweeted by Michael S Roth

test Twitter Media - RT @mervatim: "At the least, they will incur the cost of losing control of their lives." https://t.co/qsE6uwYDpU
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Dr. Mikki Brock 1 day ago

As a 17th-century British historian, I would just like to say that this reasoning, totally decontextualized from the history it cites, is absolutely bananas. twitter.com/jaywillis/stat… Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Matthew Sitman 1 day ago

Thomas and Alito especially are clearly people who have nursed massive resentments most of their lives, and now have a chance to let it all out. The shoddiness of their work is itself an expression of their power Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Michael S Roth 19 hours ago

Thank you, Senator! twitter.com/chrismurphyct/…

Almost there.

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 24, 2022
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Brittney Yancy 1 day ago

Today is the day! My fellow curators and I will host a gallery talk on the new exhibition, 30 Americans, at the @NBMAA! From Carrie Mae Weems to @karawalker_art, the @RubellMiami has collected decades of Black art that answers the question: What does it mean to be American? twitter.com/WesCFA/status/… Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Merve Emre 1 day ago

The @92ndStreetY is, for me, a home away from home—an institution that cares deeply about expanding access to literary pedagogy, & that does so by bringing together enthusiastic readers & rewarding texts. Thank you for a magical month! (& credit to @zortizfuentes for the pic!) Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Michael S Roth 1 day ago

Some key historians have shown that there is a long tradition of common sense gun regulations dating back centuries. @jtuckerHistory @Everytown @JHU_CGVS @DukeFirearmsLaw t.ly/2eP4 pllqt.it/aFMy41

test Twitter Media - Some key historians have shown that there is a long tradition of common sense gun regulations dating back centuries. @jtuckerHistory @Everytown @JHU_CGVS  @DukeFirearmsLaw  https://t.co/Z7CnBtrSFj   https://t.co/4KnhZ7y1yB https://t.co/ijMKEHnIhr
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Jessica Winter 1 day ago

Excited to ride the subway with a well regulated Militia Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Philip Gourevitch 1 day ago

the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to end minority rule by SCOTUS by electing congressional majorities committed to expanding & otherwise reforming & checking the court to restore law-making by electoral democracy which current court majority holds in contempt Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Michael S Roth 2 days ago

Read ⁦@STurkle⁩ “renewed trust among neighbors could bring back more than discarded cities. We live in a time of increasing isolation..If we learn to save our towns, we will also be learning to save ourselves.” via ⁦@nytimesbooks⁩ nytimes.com/2022/06/21/boo…

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Michael S Roth 2 days ago

Read ⁦@jenszalai⁩ quote ⁦@edyong209⁩ “Perhaps people who experience the world in ways that are considered atypical…have an intuitive feeling for the limits of typicality.” via ⁦@nytimesbooks⁩ nytimes.com/2022/06/22/boo…

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omer bartov 2 days ago

Just delivered. Thank you to Yale University Press for the beautiful production! I could not be happier. Absolutely delighted to hold this in my hands. Let’s all raise a glass to Galicia, past and present. Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts 2 days ago

Thu. 6/23/22 at 5pm at New Britain Museum of American Art (@NBMAA), 56 Lexington St: gallery talk, reception w/curators of new exhibition "30 Americans" - @wesleyan_u's Nicole Stanton, Dr. Dann J. Broyld, Dr. Brittney Yancy (@Prof_yancy). #WesCreative #nbmaa #30Americans (1/2) Retweeted by Michael S Roth

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