Congratulations to the class of 2008! The upcoming weekend will be a celebration of our newest graduates, as well as a gathering time for alumni of all ages. There will be two WESeminars–presentations open to all students, alumni, parents, and visitors–related to Wesleyan University history. One is “A History of Wesleyan Presidents,” a look back at Wesleyan’s leaders from Fisk to Roth, presented by Suzy Taraba and Valerie Gillispie. We’ll be sharing biographical information as well as some little-known facts. Did you know that not one but two Wesleyan presidents have been ousted by student petition? And did you know that President Shanklin’s inauguration in 1909 was attended by U.S. President Taft? The photo below shows the extent of the celebration on that exciting day.
After the presentation, we’ll give our audience a fun “Presidents Quiz” to test their mastery of the history of Wesleyan presidents! This presentation will take place on Thursday, May 22 at 3pm in the Kerr Lecture Hall (Shanklin 107).
The second WESeminar is “The Guardians of the ’92: The History of Second Stage.” Suzy Taraba and Jackie Chapman, class of 2008, will talk about the history of this unusual theatre group, now celebrating its 35th year. Jackie based her senior thesis on the Second Stage Records in the University Archives, and will talk about some of the fascinating information she uncovered. The talk will take place on Friday, May 23 at 1:30pm in the Patricelli ’92 Theatre.
The whole weekend’s itinerary is available here. Hope to see you!
have you updated any pictures yet? Thanks