Special Collections & Archives

We are testing an online repository for the theses and dissertations of Wesleyan students. You can browse the uploaded theses here. Why are we putting these online?

-Students’ work will be available around the world 24/7, not only at Wesleyan. Currently, paper copies of honors theses are only available in Special Collections & Archives during reading room hours.

-It will allow Wesleyan’s great scholarship to be distributed more widely. We already know that Wesleyan students do amazing research in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences and math. Let’s show the rest of the world, too!

-Students will easily be able to show their theses to future employers, graduate schools, etc. Online theses make it so easy to demonstrate the work done at Wesleyan.

As of now, it appears the project will go forward and become an additional way that theses and dissertations will be submitted. It’s an exciting time to be here!

Today is Spring Fling at Wesleyan, an annual event held after the end of regular classes. It appears to date back to 1975, when Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express and the John Payne Quartet played for crowds gathered on Foss Hill on a sunny day at the beginning of reading week. In the Argus on May 14, 1975, Mark Ellison wrote:

The experience of Monday afternoon’s concert on Foss Hill bears repeating at future dates. The music was of respectable quality, yet the source of the good time did not come from the stage. It emanated from the crowd itself, focussing on the absoluted contentedness of all those who lounged out on the Hill, taking advantage of the Sun King and music to partake in a lazy party like atmosphere with their friends.

Since at least 1977 this day of fun and sun has been called Spring Fling. Happy 30th birthday, Spring Fling!