Happy Summer!
Summertime on campus is quiet in many respects. There are students and faculty around doing research in labs and libraries, and there are many staff members busy preparing for the academic year to come. Summer intensive classes are underway, often online, and in Olin Library you can hear both music and the hum of brains working very hard. But we may actually be hearing the many construction projects going on all over campus. And we are moving into the new science building!
There are also athletes about. After a spectacular season, the men’s crew team is sending some oarsmen to row at the Henley Regatta in England. And speaking of spectacular seasons, the awards for Women’s Lacrosse keep coming. Their coaching staff was recognized as best in our region, and two of our students—Izzy Weintraub ’26 at goalie and Lindsey Diomede ’26 at midfielder—were recognized as the best players at their positions in the country! And this trophy arrived in my office last week for the NATIONAL CHAMPION Women’s Tennis team!
And two frosh on the team, Agnes Guggenheim ’29 and Lara Afolayanka ’29, were named All-Americans!
Next week we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and all over the country students from Wesleyan and hundreds of schools are working for candidates preparing for the fall election campaigns. We called this Democracy Summer, part of an ongoing Democracy 250 project. We are working with schools and civic organizations across the country to inspire participation in the elections this year, and to plant the seeds for a broad-based civic education in the years to come. To commemorate the anniversary of its signing, we are distributing copies of the Declaration of Independence to every student and will have programming about its implications for orientation and throughout the year. We will defend democracy by participating in it!
But let’s not forget it’s summer. Hiking, swimming, listening to music…for me all are on the agenda. And Lola reminds us, to jump on in. The water is fine!
