Author Archives: Sam

FEATURED
The MASH: Interviews with Good Morning CT, Bonanza, and Johnnie Gilmore ’18

The Mash at Wesleyan University, Sept. 9. (Photo by Caroline Kravitz)

As you probably know by now, there is a fun event coming up this weekend called The MASH. The MASH is a performance event that happens every year during the first week of classes. It provides spaces and resources for different bands, singers, and artists to share their talent. Shoutout to Harrison Nir ’19, the student intern who has done a ton of work to make this event happen this year, and also Hanna Orovec, the staff member in the CFA that oversees the event. Give Josh‘s post a read if you want to know more about how this all came together. All of the groups that perform are Wesleyan affiliated, whether it be alumni bands like the one Michael Roth ’78 is in, faculty artists, or new ensembles like Good Morning Connecticut (GMCT). Below are some short interviews of student bands, including the aforementioned group GMCT, and another called Bonanza. We’ve also got some words from bassist Johnnie Gilmore ’18.

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Unofficial Orientation Series 2017: Eating and Drinking at Wes

This post is an updated version of the Eating and Drinking installment of last year’s Orientation Series.

 

This is part of our 2017 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Eating and drinking is a necessity for all living beings, even during your hazy college days. While we all have to adjust our food standards from delicious home-cooked meals to university food, trust me, it could be worse. Wesleyan has many options for dining that you can enjoy regardless of your dietary orientation. Although we were only ranked #9 for Most Vegan-Friendly Colleges, we still have awesome vegan food and our friends at the Mongolian Grill are always willing to cook up a chicken tortilla topped with cheese if it’s protein that you want.

This is a part of the Unofficial Orientation Series 2016 to remind you to eat your veggies.

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Unofficial Orientation Series 2017: Queer Life

“Heteronormativity is killing this country”

Taken from the 2017 Showtunes Sideways performance. Showtunes Sideways is a musical cabaret that opens up a space for those to perform roles in songs from musicals which they wouldn’t traditionally be cast in. PC Maia Nelles Sager ’17

This is part of our 2017 Unofficial Orientation Series. A quick reminder that you can check out the welcome post here and past years’ series here.

Hello sweet sweet children! This post is here for all of my children of the rainbow to get a sense of what it is like to be a Queer identifying person on campus. This is a revamped version of the post I wrote last year (which you can find ~here~). Now that I’ve gotten a bit more experience under my belt at Wes (I’m going to be a Junior. Ik. I’m so old), I thought it was fair to update my general feeling on The Community™ at Wes. On top of my general experiences, this post will also contain some resources that are here for all LGBTQIA+ bbys.

Off the bat, I’m gonna let you in on a secret: It’s not easy being queer. Shocker, right? As a community we face hardships that many do not have to deal with, and that is no exception at Wesleyan. People can still be annoying af to deal with, but overall this is a community of care and support and people want to see you blossom into the beautiful and radiant Queen you are meant to be. As you read on, please be aware that these are my personal feelings and experiences, and I definitely am not trying to speak for a whole group of people through this post.

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EVENT
Senior Recital by Rachel Rosenman ’17

WESCFAThe CFA writes in:

A senior music recital by Rachel Rosenman ’17, “The Music of Mel Bonis.” As a Catholic woman writing music in late nineteenth-century France, Mel Bonis faced unique challenges that influenced her compositions. Despite the difficulties she faced, Ms. Bonis produced over 300 compositions throughout multiple genres. After her death, much of her music was unfortunately forgotten until the late 1990s, when the composer’s descendants began serious efforts to research her life and work. Ms. Bonis’ music is still not well known, especially outside of her native France. As part of thesis work by Rachel Rosenman in Music and French Studies, this recital presents chamber music by Mel Bonis that showcases her music style, revealing unique works by a lesser-known woman composer.

Date: Wednesday, April 5
UPDATED Time: 7PM **4:30 PM**
Place: Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (300 High St)

EVENT
Audition for The Laundry Room!

LaundryroomFrom Rachel Sobelsohn ’17:

Audition to be part of a staged reading of The Laundry Room, playwright Rachel Sobelsohn’s Senior Honors Playwriting Thesis, directed by Sam Morreale ’19!

The Laundry Room subverts the girl-meets-boy character convention to be a queer love story between two women with disabilities. This thesis aims to normalize disability onstage. It is a comedy, and the entire play takes place in a college laundry room.

To audition, we ask that you be a female-identifying actor. We are especially excited about working with actors who identify as having a disability, being that the goal is to normalize disability onstage. Disability can include, but is not limited to, mental illness, physical impairments, and even dietary restrictions like food allergies or celiac disease.

We are also looking for actors of color because disability is conventionally figured as white, and we wish to push against this stereotype through visible representation onstage. Even if you don’t identify as having a disability (or you do, and identify as white), we would still love to see you at auditions! We want to further a conversation about disability, and if you’re excited about that, then we’re excited about you!

The two-character play will only run about an hour. We will rehearse for two to three hours for the first two weeks, and four to five hours the second two weeks. We will present the staged reading on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at 8pm!

No need to prepare anything as we will provide sides to read. We welcome both new and experienced actors.

Please sign up to audition here. Walk ins are more than welcome! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Sam (smorreale[at]wesleyan[dot]edu) or Rachel (rsobelsohn[at]wesleyan[dot]edu).

Date: Wednesday and Thursday, March 29-30th
Time: 4:30-6:30 and 5:30-7:30pm respectively
Place: Theater Studios, East Room
Signup: Here

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In Depth: Synapse

A poster advertising the first Synapse meeting.

A poster advertising the first Synapse meeting.

Hello! Welcome to another installation of Wesleying’s In Depth series, where we go in depth (get it?) about some of the many, many student groups on this campus. For this installation we interviewed Paige Hutton ‘18 about the new group she helped to establish, Synapse. Paige is an advocate for greater mental health awareness, and hopes that the creation of this group will provide another space for those dealing with or concerned about mental health to gather and express their concerns and needs. Please read after the jump to learn more about the group:

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EVENT
Screening of “Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and the NRA”

making a killingFrom the Center for Film Studies:

Making a Killing: Guns, Greed, and the NRA examines how guns, and the billions of dollars made from them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It exposes the ways powerful gun companies and the NRA are resisting responsible legislation for the sake of profit. Producer Tara Vajra ’10 will host a Q&A after the screening.

Date: Tomorrow – Tuesday, March 7th
Time: 8pm
Place: The Center for Film Studies

EVENT
Seniors – Apply to be the Ford Fellow!

sdadadasFrom Gabriel Borelli ’16:

Hey, seniors! Has the job panic set in yet? There’s an excellent opportunity right here at Wesleyan for any graduate interested in writing and invested in writers.

Do you have excellent editing and interpersonal skills? Are you interested in the fields of teaching or publishing/editing? Would you like to begin your post-graduate career with a prestigious fellowship? If so, apply to be a Ford Fellow in the Writing Programs for the 2017-2018 academic year!

In an administrative role, the Ford Fellow assists in running the university’s Writing Workshop and supporting the First Year Seminar program. The Fellow’s teaching responsibilities include helping to train the university’s student writing tutors, designing and leading the seminar for veteran tutors, developing workshops and tutoring services for first-year students and other campus communities, and serving as the university’s senior writing tutor. The Ford Fellow will be instrumental in designing and updating the web page of writing resources for the entire Wesleyan community.

The Fellowship also includes a generous stipend, and the Fellow has graduate student status and is eligible to take two courses.

Please email the following application materials to Professor Meg Weisberg, Interim Director of Academic Writing (mweisberg[at]wesleyan[dot]edu)

  • A letter of interest explaining your academic experience and future plans
  • A transcript
  • A resume
  • Two academic papers, preferably with grades and the instructors’ comments
  • The names of two faculty members who can serve as references. Your references will be contacted if you are a finalist.

Applications are due MARCH 13, 2017 by 4:30 p.m. and interviews scheduled thereafter.

Deadline: Monday, March 13th at 4:30pm

More information here.

EVENT
Reading by Author Pankaj Mishra

1212CvrStry-PankajMishraQuinn Frenzel ’16 writes in:

The Wesleyan University Writing Programs is hosting a reading by Jacob Julien visiting writer Pankaj Mishra. Pankaj Mishra is the author of a novel, The Romantics, winner of the Los Angeles Time’s Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and several works of nonfiction. He is a regular contributor to Bloomberg View, The New York Review of Books, The Guardian, and The New Yorker. In 2014, he was awarded the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize in Nonfiction. His most recent books include From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia and Age of Anger: A History of The Present.

Date: Wednesday, March 1st
Time: 8-10pm
Place: Russell House

EVENT
Urban Bush Women -“Walking with ‘Trane”

trane_eventFrom the CFA:

Urban Bush Women returns to Wesleyan with the Connecticut premiere of “Walking with ‘Trane” (2015), an ethereal investigation conjuring the essence of John Coltrane. Inspired by the musical life and spiritual journey of the famed jazz saxophonist, the work is choreographed by founder and Artistic Director Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Associate Artistic Director Samantha Speis, and Dramaturg Talvin Wilks in collaboration with the company, and set to live music by composers George Caldwell and Philip White, inspired by Mr. Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and other works.

There will be a pre-performance discussion at 7:15pm facilitated by Wesleyan DanceLink Fellowship recipient Luisa Donovan ’18.

Date: Friday, March 3rd
Time: 8pm
Place: CFA Theater