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Course Open to First-Years!

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American Jewish History, 1492-2001

The two central questions is this course are these: How did American Jews begin, and continue, to develop a distinct identity from Jews elsewhere? And in turn, how has America been influenced by their presence?

While we begin with Christopher Columbus and discuss colonial episodes (for instance, George Washington’s significant letter to the Touro Synagogue), our primary focus will be the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries. Among issues to be explored are the successive waves of Jewish immigration, business and labor, political expression, the arts and popular culture, intergroup relations, and the impact on American Jews of European and Middle Eastern developments.

In addition to primary sources and historical scholarship, the class will look at fiction, poetry, music, and film.

The course will meet on Monday and Wednesday from 2:40-4pm. It is available as History 210 and as American Studies 223. Open to First-Years. Taught by Professor Ron Schatz

Wesleyan’s Unique COLLEGE of LETTERS (COL)!

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A three-year, interdisciplinary major combining Literature, History, Philosophy and Foreign Language Study. Applications due in the spring.

The College of Letters is a three-year, interdisciplinary major for the study of European literature, history, and philosophy, from antiquity to the present. During these three years, students participate as a cohort in a series of colloquia in which they read and discuss works together (in English), learn to think critically about texts in relation to their contexts and influences—both European and non-European—and in relation to the disciplines that shape and are shaped by those texts. Majors also become proficient in a foreign language and study abroad in order to deepen their knowledge of another culture. The COL, a unique college within the University, has its own library and workspace where students can attend lectures, study together, and meet informally with their professors, whose offices surround the library.

Please check the COL website or contact the director, Kari Weil with questions (kweil@wesleyan.edu)

Message about Fire Safety from Wesleyan Student Assembly Chair!

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Dear First-Years:

As we reach the end of bittersweet end of summer and start packing to return to Wes, I wanted to send you all a few tips and reminders to help you get through those Fire Safety checks in the fall. Unfortunately, many of these prohibited items carry heavy fines, and will be confiscated in almost all cases if they are found in your room during a Fire Safety check.

Fire Safety Inspections occur at any point during the semester. Inspectors will search through all visible places in your room (that does not include closed drawers).

If you do get fined and you believe it to be unfairly levied, you can appeal the fine at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/firesafety/fineappeals-form.html.

Below are a few of the most notable things not to bring to campus in September. Full details can be found at http://www.wesleyan.edu/firesafety/guidelines.htm.

Here we go:

• Candles and incense: don’t bring them.

• Cooking appliances: microwaves and coffee-makers/electrical water kettles can stay in your room, but anything else (including George Foreman grills or other devices with a heating plate) needs to find a home in the kitchen of your residence hall, apartment, or wood-frame house.

• Charcoal or gas grills: this one is for the upperclassmen. If you bring one of these, it must be stored outside. You cannot store it indoors, or even or your porch or balcony. Also don’t bring devices that use a combustible fuel (such as kerosene or propane lamps), or build bonfires or firepits (forbidden by the City of Middletown).

• Tapestries: cannot be larger than 35 sq. ft. Since inspectors will be estimating I would advise only bringing tapestries or wall-hangings significantly under that limit.

• Extension cords and plug adapters: If it has three prongs, it’s fine, if it only has two (or converts from 3 to 2), don’t pack it.

• Halogen lamps: no halogen lamps of any kind are allowed.

• Portable electric heaters/space heaters: Don’t bring your own. If your living conditions are unbearable, Physical Plant can provide you with one until your living space is made habitable.

• Vaporizers: anything that uses a heating element to vaporize fragrances, oils, or herbs is not allowed.

• Fog/smoke machines: Fog/smoke machines have a tendency to set off the smoke detector (after all, it is a smoke machine) and bring the Fire Department to your door. Don’t bring it.

• Mercury thermometers: alcohol based thermometers are cooler, so get one of those.

• Explosives/fireworks/ammunition/other incendiary devices: these carry a very heavy fine of $500 so definitely don’t bring them.

• Lethal weapons: obviously prohibited

Tips For When You’re on Campus:

• Don’t mess with the smoke detector in your room, big fines will ensue.

• Remember that Fire Safety Inspectors cannot open closed drawers, but they can see through clear containers and follow George Foreman grill cords to the grill hidden under the pile of clothes.

• Don’t hang anything from pipes or attach anything to the ceiling.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me at bmachiavelot@wesleyan.edu

Good luck packing and can’t wait to be chilling on Foss with you all in just a few weeks!

Best,

Bruno Machiavelo-Tinoco ‘16

Chair of Wesleyan Student Assembly’s Student Affairs Committee

Categories WSA

Bicycle Safety at Wesleyan!

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On behalf of the Office of Public Safety I would like to welcome you to the Wesleyan community. We are looking forward to your arrival on campus!

College campuses across the country are generally safe places for students attending them and our campus is no different. In many instances though this leads to a relaxed attitude toward personal safety and security measures and students tend to let their guard down. A majority of the crimes that occur on campus are crimes of opportunity. One area we typically see this is in bicycle thefts. Bicycle thefts have become a growing problem on college campuses and Wesleyan is no exception. If you are bringing a bike to campus please keep the following tips in mind:

-Always secure your bike with a heavy duty U lock. Cable locks are easily cut.
-Use indoor bike racks when possible as opposed to outdoor racks.
-Secure the bike by locking the front tire and frame to the rack. While not foolproof this will discourage someone looking for a quick steal.
-Use a cable lock in addition to a U lock to further thwart the theft of your bike.
– Register your bike on campus so your serial number is recorded.
The Office of Public Safety will be conducting bike registration sessions in early September so please look for further information once you arrive on campus. Our “Lock It or Lose It “campaign will be in full swing during the fall semester to help raise awareness. We encourage you to visit our website at www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety for more information on bicycle safety as well as other safety related information.
See you soon!
Capt. Paul Verrillo, Office of Public Safety

Audition Notice: Open to all Wesleyan Students and Community

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Calling all Actors, Singers, Dancers and Musicians!

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the Theater and Music departments’ production of In The Heights since it rocked the Broadway world in 2008. In The Heights started right here on campus, in a Second Stage production at the Patricelli ‘92 Theater!

Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 and book by playwriting faculty Quiara Alegría Hudes, this award-winning musical about life in New York City’s Washington Heights asks for a diverse cast and various performing expertise.

***Please note: students performing in this faculty production will receive a full course credit***

We are looking for actors, singers, dancers, rappers, musicians, and more. Want to work backstage? Please contact Stage Manager Miranda Haymon at mhaymon@wesleyan.edu as soon as possible!

Sign up for an audition on the call board in the Theater Department foyer:
Vocal Auditions – Thursday 9/4, Friday 9/5 – 5 to 10pm, Saturday 9/6 – 12 to 5pm
Dance auditions – Sunday 9/7 – 1:30 to 4:30pm
Call backs (as necessary) – Thursday 9/11 and Friday 9/12 – 5 to 10pm

Piano accompanist available on Wednesday 9/3 from 5:30-7:30pm to practice one song, one time through per student auditoner. Email Aileen Lambert at ajlambert@wesleyan.edu for location and to reserve a spot.

Vocal Auditions to be held in the CFA Theater and/or Theater Studio (TST 001). Dance Auditions to be held in Fayerweather 106/108.

For audition instructions, character list, sides/vocal parts: www.wesleyan.edu/theater, click on side bar link.
Questions? Email Stage Manager Miranda Haymon (‘16) – mhaymon@wesleyan.edu

Pit Orchestra Auditions are being held for the following positions:
Please note: Interested individuals must IMMEDIATELY contact Nadya Potemkina (npotemkina@wesleyan.edu) to schedule an audition

Reed (requires proficiency in all of the following: flute/piccolo, clarinet, SATB saxophone), Trumpet (B-flat, flugel, piccolo), Trombone, Keyboard/rehearsal accompanist (paid student-worker position, requires solid sight-reading skills; prior accompanying experience is a plus), Guitar, Bass, Drums/percussion

Mindfulness Class at Wesleyan this Fall!

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A 6-week course on Mondays, 6:00-8:00 pm, beginning on 11/3/14.
During this non-credit course, students will be introduced to various techniques of mindfulness practice and spiritual awareness, including sitting meditation and yoga. These modalities are designed to aid in stress and anxiety reduction, and when practiced diligently, may also offer opportunities for greater self-awareness and personal development. The goal is to give students a spiritual toolbox that is portable, replicable, and sustainable. Students will gain an understanding of the roles these practices can play in leading a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life.

The class will be taught by:
Amy Tate, PHD
Scott Kessel, Wesleyan ’87 MALS ’92
David Leipziger Teva, Director – Office of Religious and Spiritual Life

There is a limited amount of space in the class, and admissions are on a rolling basis.
For more information, please contact David Lepiziger Teva (dleipziger@wesleyan.edu).

Fall Semester Payment Reminder

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Deadline: Thursday, August 7

• Log into the Student Account Center via Student Portfolio to view the current balance due

If you would like guests to have access to your financial information, make payments on your behalf, enroll in an optional semester monthly payment plan and be able to speak freely with our staff about your account, please be sure to grant them access to the Student Account Center. It’s quick and easy once you are logged into Student Account Center:

• On the right-hand side select “Manage Account Access”
• Click on the green +Add button
• Fill in the required name and email address, check the box and then hit “Send”

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Student Accounts Office if you have any questions:
(860) 685-2800 or student-accounts@wesleyan.edu

Deadline is Approaching: July 25! Submit Your Photo for WESCARD!

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The deadlines are rapidly approaching for uploading your photograph for your WesCard ID card and for selecting the meal plan that you want.

Prior to 7/25/14
Upload a 2” X 2” photograph in your EPortfolio under New Student Programs

Prior to 8/1/14
Select your meal plan in your EPortfolio under Meal Plan Selection

You can log into your EPortfolio by clicking on the link below

https://wesep.wesleyan.edu/cgi-perl/session.cgi

Any questions, contact Ms. Cathy Rizza, crizza@wesleyan.edu

First-Year Seminar: Music and Downtown, New York, 1950-1970

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Music and Downtown, New York, 1950-1970

This course will explore the history, interconnections, and simultaneous flourishing of four distinct music communities that inhabited and shaped downtown New York during two particularly rich decades in American culture: Euro-American experimentalists; African American jazz-based avant-garde; blues and folk revivalists; and Lower East Side rock groups. Much of the course will be devoted to understanding their points of convergence and divergence, especially in conversation with broader currents of the time (e.g., the Civil Rights Movement and related notions of freedom, shifting youth subcultures, and avant-garde aesthetics). We will read about and listen to recordings of a wide variety of musicians, identify aesthetic and cultural trends, and study the local industry that supported them. Student research, interpretation, and writing will be stressed throughout the semester.

https://iasext.wesleyan.edu/regprod/!wesmaps_page.html?crse=011500&term=1139

First-Year Seminar Program (FYS)

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Dear Class of 2018,

 

As you have no doubt deduced, my name is Andrew Curran. I’m Dean of Arts and Humanities and the Director of Curricular Initiatives at Wesleyan. Welcome to Wesleyan !

 

I’m writing today to let you know about the First-Year Seminar Program (FYS), which has been designed with you in mind.

 

Here is the description of the program.

 

First-year seminars (FYS) will introduce students to a variety of topics ranging from Greek myth to neuroscience. Some of these classes treat a specific thinker (e.g., Kafka); others provide a sweeping introduction into an interdisciplinary area of study that may be new to first-year students (e.g., animal studies). All of these classes, however, will emphasize the importance of writing at the university level. Students in first year seminars will become familiar with the methods used to collect, interpret, analyze, and present evidence as part of a scholarly argument. Faculty teaching these classes will also highlight the type of writing associated with their respective disciplines, and help students develop, compose, organize, and revise their writing. All first-year seminars will have a series of written assignments, and will feature oral or written feedback on student writing; many will also employ peer-mentoring and writing tutors. FYSs are limited to 15 students.

 

No matter what your major or interests are, the ability to write well is absolutely key to your success here. From Dance to Physics, expressing yourself clearly, concisely, and eloquently is something best mastered early, as opposed to in your senior year.

 

I asked several students about what the FYS has done for them. Here is the best quote I got from a student:

 

“In the spring of my freshman year, I took an FYS on ‘Platonism, Pragmatism, and Existentialism.’  It was my first exposure to philosophy—and the first time I’d been expected to write weekly response papers. It was a great and ultimately satisfying experience to engage fully and critically with a text and not simply fall back on my ability to craft a sentence. The course forced me to write meaningfully—not simply well.”

 

And this same student told me to remind you of something else: 

 

“the first year at Wesleyan should be a time for exploration, for learning to live away from home and adapting to a new environment. My FYS helped me transition into college writing and the world of university academics. In a year that included many large introductory courses, my FYS provided me with a unique opportunity to take a small course with a professor who gave me personalized attention and improved my writing. This later allowed me to dive into any subject, course, major, program with confidence.”

 

Great advice.

 

You will see that there are many different types of FYS classes. The list of available classes is here on WESMAPS.

 

At Wesleyan, as you know, you are not required to take any specific class, but I would urge you all to take one of these FYS classes. As the students I have talked to put it, a little work now will pay off for years to come.

 

All the best to you,

 

Dean Andrew Curran

 

P.S. If you have any questions about registering for these classes, please discuss them with your Faculty Advisor, whom you will meet in the fall. The important thing now is to claim your class !!!

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Andrew Curran

Dean of the Arts and Humanities

Director of Curricular Initiatives

Professor of French

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT 06459

860-685-2706

http://acurran.faculty.wesleyan.edu/

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