First Year Matters | issue 2.5 | 11.01.2007 First Year Matters

issue 2.5   |   11.01.2007   |   http://www.wesleyan.edu/deans/fym/

The First Year Matters newsletter is published by the Office of the Dean of the College and features information about academic and community life at Wesleyan; news about events and happenings on campus; and profiles of people and their work.

Academics

Pre-registration Planning

The pre-registration process for Spring 2008 will begin on Wednesday, November 7, 2007. Please take note of the following important dates:

The following should be used as a guide to understanding the pre-registration processes of Planning, Scheduling, and Adjustment, as many students expressed confusion during the Fall process.

Important items to remember:

For the Spring 2008 pre-registration process, three information sessions have been arranged for you to have questions answered. Two of the Class Deans and representatives from the Registrar’s Office will be present to assist in clarifying your understanding of this process. The schedule for these sessions is below:

Email Dean Garrett for more information or click here to view a detailed pre-registration schedule and tip sheet.

Peer Advisor Residential Drop-In Hours During Pre-registration Planning

Peer Advisors will be available during the Pre-Registation Planning period to assist students in planning courses for the spring semester. Peer Advisors will be holding drop-in hours and registration planning sessions in first-year residential areas at their regular hours (Clark, Fauver, Butterfield A, B, and C, Nicolson, 200 Church, and WestCo. Peer Advisors are also available to speak with any student at Olin Library and Sci Li. Click here for the most recently updated schedule.

Go blank when you get to the exam?

Not satisfied with your midterm grades? Come to Usdan 108 on November 5, 2007 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM to discover ways to improve your retention and grades for your exams. Peer advisors and representatives from the Dean’s Office will be available afterwards if you have more questions or want to review your study plans. All are welcome! You can also ask your peer advisor for an individual consultation or to meet with groups in your residential halls. Click here for workshop times.

Course Withdrawal Deadline

The last day to withdraw from full semester and 2nd quarter classes for the Fall 2007 semester is Thursday, November 15, at 5:00 p.m. If you are thinking about withdrawing from a course:

Events

Latino/a Awareness Month Convocation

Latino Awareness Month will be launched on Thursday, November 1, 2007, at 7:00 PM. The event will be held at La Casa de Albizu Campos located at 240 Washington Street. Introduction of the theme, Latino Transnational Experience, will kick off a month-long series of major events. Come join and support your fellow peers.



First Year matters Event Announcement:

Coal, Collaboration, and Community: Trans-Disciplinary Environmental Action

The Robert Schumann Lecture Series in The Environmental Studies Program is hosting guest speaker T. Allan Comp, Ph.D., Founder and Project Leader for AMD&ART the evening of Tuesday, N ovember 6, 2007.

Allan holds a Ph.D in history, worked for several years in cultural resources with the National Park Service, as a developer of historic properties and consultant to historic preservation projects, and then for a regional Heritage Area in western Pennsylvania where he invented AMD&ART. Always a volunteer for AMD&ART, his work attracted the attention of other watershed and community improvement projects in the Appalachian coal country and in the Western hard rock mining country. Winner of multiple awards in partnerships and planning, Allan now leads the OSM/VISTA Team and Brownfields Initiatives at the Office of Surface Mining in the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007, 7:30 - 8:45 PM at the Daniel Family Commons, in Usdan. A reception will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

Community

Homecoming and Family Weekend, November 2-4, 2007

Every year numerous alumni, friends and family of the Wesleyan community come to campus in the early fall to celebrate Homecoming/Family Weekend. Families are encouraged to attend classes, participate in various campus activities and explore both the history and future of the university. Alumni and faculty offer WESeminars, part of the Voices of Liberal Learning series. These popular programs, also held during Reunion and Commencement weekend, offer opportunities to hear about the scholarship and expertise existing in our communities.

This year, Homecoming/Family Weekend is especially exciting as it will also hold the Inauguration of President Michel Roth on Friday, November 2nd, in the Silloway Gymnasium at 3:00 PM. As the Class of 2011, you first heard him speak in this space and you are encouraged to attend this exciting event.




Thanksgiving Dinner at The Marketplace

A full, traditional Thanksgiving Dinner menu will be available on Thursday, November 15th, at The Marketplace in Usdan Center. Turkey, many different types of stuffing, and a variety of other side dishes will be served, with buffet tables set up in each of the dining rooms filled with holiday dessert selections.

Come and enjoy a festive meal with friends, faculty and staff.


Going Home for the First Time

Will the Thanksgiving Break be your first time home since August? For many students and their families, the first trip home can be a contentious experience. As a student, you've become accustomed to maintaining your own schedule, not having a curfew, and eating, studying and playing whenever you want. Furthermore, while you may be looking forward to catching up with your friends from high school, you may not realize that the only quality time you've scheduled for your family is between the wee hours of 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Some of you may find that your parents have left your old bedroom completely intact as a shrine to your existence, others may discover that it was turned into a craft room the day after you left for college. Just remember that your transition to college has also been a transition for your family.

Here are some tips to make the first trip home go a bit smoother:


The Douglas Cannon

One of the most enduring and celebrated sagas in Wesleyan's history is the Douglas Cannon. In the late 1860s, a yearly contest, the "Cannon Scrap," began between the freshmen, whose mission it was to fire the cannon on February 22, and the sophomores, who were charged with foiling the effort.

Today, its empty gun mount sits near the flagpole, between South College and Memorial Chapel. In 1957, the tradition of stealing the cannon began in earnest. The cannon has traveled widely since that time: it has been hidden in dormitories, presented to the Russian Mission at the United Nations as a "symbol of peace, brotherhood, and friendship," appeared unexpectedly in the offices of the managing editor of Life magazine, presented to President Richard M. Nixon as a protest against the war in Vietnam (Nixon declined), and baked into Wesleyan's sesquicentennial birthday cake, among many other escapades. After resting again briefly on its pedestal in 1995, the cannon disappeared, and then briefly reappeared in December of 1997. Its present location is unknown.

For a more detailed history of the Douglas Cannon, click here.


Major Madness at the Career Resource Center - Monday, November 19, 4:30 PM

Major Madness! Don’t know what you want to major in? Already decided what you want to do but need to find out how to get there? Come hear first-hand from a panel of Wesleyan seniors who will talk about how they mapped out their paths.

DON’T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!!!
Monday, November 19th - 4:30pm – 5:30pm
276 High Street (Delta Kappa Epsilon)

New Face at the Career Resource Center

Caitlin Cincotta is a new edition to Wesleyan. Just this August she became the Assistant Director of the Career Resource Center. Caitlin is coming from Seton Hall University in New Jersey where she also worked in career counseling. So not only is she new to Wesleyan but to Connecticut as well! She has put a challenge out to the class of 2011 to check out the CRC early! Don’t be fooled by what you hear – the Career Resource Center is NOT just for seniors!

The Career Resource Center, located in Butterfield A, provides students support with career planning, job hunts and internship searches. The counseling staff can help you develop or polish a resume, find an internship, choose a job shadow opportunity during Winter Break and explore careers. Drop-in Hours are M, Th, and F from 11:00 AM - 4:30 PM, and T and W from 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM. More information is available at http://www.wesleyan.edu/crc/.

Health and Safety

Information about the HPV Vaccine

Gardasil, the vaccine which prevents 70 percent of cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV) and 90 percent of genital wart HPV is available through Health Services and is recommended for all females under 26. The vaccine is safe and effective for females 9-26 years old, regardless of their sexual history. It is most effective if given before the onset of sexual activity, but also protects against HPV even if the recipient is already infected with one or more strains. It does not treat active HPV infections nor prevent against all HPV infection. No Pap smear or screening is required prior to starting the vaccine.

The latest data obtained from a conference on Antimicrobial Agents in Chicago this fall indicates that this vaccine, Gardasil, partially prevents infection of 10 HPV strains in addition to the four previously targeted. In other words, the HPV Vaccine, Gardasil, may be even more effective in preventing HPV infection than previously believed. The manufacturer, Merck, is currently seeking FDA approval for males to receive the vaccine as well.

The vaccine requires three shots over six months. While the vaccine is expensive, costing $150 per shot (for a total of $450), it can be billed to your student account. Payment must be made at the time of appointment. Health Services can provide a bill to submit to your insurance provider. Please call 860-685-2470 to schedule an appointment or with any insurance-related questions.

For more information on receiving the HPV vaccine through Health Services, click here. To learn more about preventing HPV infection, click here.

First-Year 15

Most have heard of this college weight gain phenomenon that we call “First-Year 15”. However, many first-year students don’t realize the true depth of the weight gain cause. Studies show that the cause of weight gain is not isolated simply to increased food intake. For instance, think about your patterns as a new student here at Wesleyan, and compare them to your patterns before college.

Ask yourself:

  • Are you eating regular meals?
  • Do you start the day off with breakfast?
  • When you get stressed do you snack more?
  • Are you eating proper portion sizes for your bodies needs?
  • Do you get enough sleep?
  • Do you eat while you study?
  • Are you getting 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week?

A change in environment can cause stress, but it doesn’t have to affect your health. Bon Appétit offers free Dietitian services to students at Wesleyan. To contact you’re campus Dietitian, Missy Davis, click here. If you feel you want to do some research on your own, check out the Bon Appétit website. Click on the Well Being tab at the top of the page, and explore the information that is offered to you as a student. Also, keep a watchful eye out for Monthly Nutritional Hot Topic Lectures in Usdan offered by Dietitian Missy Davis.

If you have an organization on campus concerned with any health and wellness topic feel free to contact Missy for group lecture opportunities.

People

Mathilde - The Inaugural Dog

Mathilde – the Inaugural Dog – arrived on campus in September with her humans, Kari, Michael and Sophie, as well as the Class of 2011. Mathilde is named for Mathilde de la Mole, a rebellious gothic female character in the novel, Le Rouge et Le Noir by 19th century author, Stendhal. Mathilde is a true red and black Wesleyan Cardinal. As a first year dog, she is keen on exploring the many wonders of the Wesleyan campus. Some of her favorite places on campus are the athletic fields and bleachers, where she rallies up the game crowds by barking the Wesleyan Fight Song, hoping food will fall. You will find her frequently emulating the Superhero Underdog by attempting to fly off the grassy Denison Terrace – step by step.

The best part about her first year here, so far, has been meeting many new forms of wildlife: skunk, bat, and fox and the domesticated dogs – the corgies, labs, and border collies. Her transition to Wesleyan has been fairly smooth. Even though she is no longer running along side the horses at dude ranches, she has made sure to include her favorite exercises (swimming, running and fetch) and her favorite alone time activities (opening kitchen cabinets, and cleaning up the gifts left by her humans on the counters – like the Lyman Orchards apple pie).

Mathilde’s advice to first year students is to recycle the plastic, throw away chicken bones and tin foil in the trash but leave lots of crumbs.

Jessica Rosario, '09

Jessica Rosario, Class of 2009, is a junior studying psychology and in the Science in Society Program here at Wesleyan. Jessica notes that she went to a high school where continuing onto Higher Education wasn’t emphasized and, as such, she found the transition to Wesleyan difficult. “I had to constantly take extra time out to fully try to understand everything that I was reading because I was really behind in a lot of things. Balancing work and academics was also something that I had to learn how to do because not working was not really an option for me.” These lessons, however, have helped Jessica to thrive in multiple roles on campus. She is the co-chair of Ajua Campos, a student manager at the Usdan Center, a member of the Health Professions Partnership Initiative (HPPI) and a tutor at Traverse Square. Her advice to new students falls right along these lines: learn to manage your time and stop procrastinating. “There are going to be times where it’s going to seem that there is never any time, but once you lay everything out, there is plenty of time for everything.”

Joanne Rafferty - Associate Director of Operations for the Usdan Center

Joanne Rafferty came to Wesleyan in April as the Associate Director of Operations for the Usdan Center. In this capacity, she is responsible for managing the overall day-to-day operations of both the Usdan and Fayerweather buildings. This includes the maintenance and cleaning of the building, the hiring and supervision of professional facility managers and student staff, as well as the process of how events are scheduled and executed in the buildings. She came to Wesleyan specifically because of the community building opportunities surrounding a new university center. “The campus center is the one place on campus that truly is for everyone. Although the facilities are still taking shape, I think we’ll see over time that the Usdan Center is more than just a building.” But as most on campus know, opening a new building comes with many challenges. “I think the biggest one is the misconceptions members of our community have about the Usdan Center. There are still so many things scheduled to take place in the building such as artwork, and places for students to post flyers,” Joanne says. “We ask for everyone’s patience and cooperation, and in time this will be an amazing place! Our hope is that folks will want to be here for reasons other than eating a meal or checking their mail.” In the meantime, Joanne advises new students to get involved on campus, noting they have as much to give this community as they can gain from it. “All the research shows that those students who have made a connection to their campus are far more successful during and after college than their peers who did not.”