Alumni and Parent Relations

hcfw@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685-2116

Welcome + Giving Center
Hours: 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Office of Admission, Stewart M. Reid House
All weekend attendees should check in to pick up your meal tickets and weekend packets.

All weekend events and activities are open to all attendees unless noted "by invitation only". Please note the schedule is subject to change, check back for the latest updates. 

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    Attend a Class

    9 a.m.–4 p.m.
    Various locations throughout campus More on attend a class

    Students must arrange in advance with their professors for parents to visit classes. Please plan to arrive on time and to stay for the duration of the class. 

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    Gordon Career Center Open House

    10 a.m.–noon
    Gordon Career Center, Boger Hall

    More on the Career Center open house

    Drop by the Gordon Career Center to meet the team and explore the wide range of resources available to help students discover career paths and pursue meaningful job, volunteer and grad school opportunities. Just getting started or planning your next steps, all are welcome to attend!

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    Campus Tour

    11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
    Office of Admission, Stewart M. Reid House
    Meet in the lobby

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    Athletics Advisory Council Meeting

    11 a.m.–5 p.m.
    55 High Street
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    WESeminar: Teacher, Banker, Doctor, Artist

    12–1 p.m.
    Boger Hall, Room 112

    More on Teacher, Banker, Doctor, Artist
    Sharon Belden Castonguay, Executive Director of the Gordon Career Center, will discuss why a liberal arts education is critical preparation for navigating careers in the 21st century. Hear about the Center’s innovative approach to career education, which encourages students to design their own careers by exploring the intersection of their interests, the skills they have and wish to acquire, and market demand. Learn about the career services and resources available to Wesleyan students throughout their undergraduate years and beyond.
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    Zilkha Main Gallery Exhibition: Dark Forest Theory

    12–5 p.m.
    Ezra and Cecila Zilkha Main Gallery

    More on the Dark Forest Theory Exhibit
    “Dark Forest Theory” (DFT) states that civilizations hide in an effort to preserve themselves. If they were to come out of hiding, they’d risk falling into conflict and being destroyed by another civilization. The theory is an offshoot of the Fermi paradox, which points to the distance between our lack of evidence of alien life and the (high) likelihood of its existence. Rather than applying the theory to the extraterrestrial, DFT is used here as speculative social theory, as a vehicle to explore contemporary human interaction.

    The group exhibition DFT 2025 incorporates artworks by artists in a variety of media including sculpture, painting, video, installation, performance, and sound. The artworks on view and the exhibition’s curatorial strategies toy with core themes of DFT: concealment, elusiveness, and both accessibility and its opposite. The exhibition includes an expansive list of artists and artworks that map a web of relations that extend offsite. Thus the exhibition itself functions as the temporary nucleus of a network, the nodes of which emit multi-frequency transmissions on a spectrum between legibility, hiding in plain sight, and complete concealment.

    The exhibition explores how individuals, particularly Black people, may gain agency through concealment. How might a practice of hiding, abstraction (as a tool and strategy), evasion, a refusal of visibility and insistence on privacy, and opting out, facilitate freedom? The artworks and artists included in the exhibition engage with these questions, at once both accessible and clandestine.

    Co-curated by Associate Director of Visual Arts Benjamin Chaffee ’00 and Sullivan Fellow in Art Salim Green ’20.
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    Zilkha Reading Room Exhibition: Gary Red Oak O’Neil: Excavations

    12–5 p.m.
    Zilkha South Gallery

    More on Gary Red Oak O’Neil: Excavations
    Excavations, Gary Red Oak O’Neil’s solo exhibition in the South Gallery Reading Room of the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, features the artist’s ceramic practice, which draws on his deep connection to the land and the materiality of the soil itself. The works include a range of styles reflecting O’Neil’s enduring career spanning nearly 60 years, along with newer pieces inspired by the current archaeological dig taking place at the Lt. John Hollister (1650–1715) site in Glastonbury, Connecticut which has uncovered Native American pottery and other belongings that offer a glimpse of the Wangunk tribe’s interactions with early 17th-century English settlers. To excavate is to ascertain, to determine, to discover that which has been hidden or lost. O’Neil’s pots and trays are vessels that carry the weight of fragmented history like the beveled edges of broken shards. As such, the exhibit speaks to layers of newfound evidence that have been submerged and recovered. 
     
    Curated by J. Kēhaulani Kauanui in partnership with Associate Director of Visual Art Benjamin Chaffee ’00 and Exhibitions Manager Rosemary Lennox. 
     
    Exhibition co-sponsored by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Wesleyan’s Center for the Humanities. 
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    Davison Art Collection Exhibit: Squalor City: William Hogarth's London

    12:30–4:30 p.m.
    Pruzan Art Center, Goldrach Gallery
    Located between Olin Memorial Library and Frank Center for Public Affairs

    More on Squalor City: William Hogarth's London

    A peerless storyteller with great satirical flourish, William Hogarth (1697–1764) brings spectators into the raucous streets and parlors of Georgian London, at once the center of a mighty empire and, in the artist’s view, a den of grifters, social climbers, cynics, and fools. Though his images teem with references to actual personalities and places of 18th-century London, Hogarth’s concerns were more universal than specific. With a balance of humor and sincerity, his art contends with the quandaries of how to hew to a moral path within a competitive, market-driven society; how to build social institutions that serve their communities faithfully; and fundamentally, what kind of society the people of a given time and place ought to build—all questions that demand our attention in the present. This exhibition draws from the Davison Art Collection’s deep holdings of Hogarth’s prints. It features several complete series by Hogarth, including The Harlot’s Progress, The Rake’s Progress, Marriage à la Mode, and The Four Stages of Cruelty, along with many of his other works.

    Curated by Miya Tokumitsu, Donald T. Fallati and Ruth E. Pachman Curator of the Davison Art Collection.

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    Muslim Friday Service

    12:30 p.m.
    Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, 169 High Street More on the Muslim Friday Service
    The weekly Jumuah includes a short sermon and prayer, followed by lunch. All are welcome to attend. If you’re not Muslim but would like to learn more about Muslim life on campus, you are warmly invited to join us.  
    Jumuah begins shortly after 12:30 pm at the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, 169 High Street (the green building at the corner of Church and High, 2nd floor above the Resource Center). Come meet Shaykh Jamir, the Muslim University Chaplain, and connect with Wesleyan’s Muslim community.
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    WESeminar: Wesleyan Abroad: Everything Your Student Might Forget to Mention

    1–2 p.m.
    Ring Family Performing Arts Hall

    More on Wesleyan Abroad: Everything Your Student Might Forget to Mention
    Wesleyan Abroad: Everything Your Student Might Forget to Mention

    Join the Office of Study Abroad staff and students to discuss what families need to know about study abroad for Wesleyan students. Topics will include affordability and financial aid, sites and kinds of programs, credit transfer, health and safety, and the benefits of spending a semester or year studying in another country. Please come with questions.

    Presenters: Emily Gorlewski, Ed.D., Director, Office of Study Abroad at the Fries Center for Global Studies and student Study Abroad Ambassadors.
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    WESeminar: Bridging Cultures: Liberal Arts Education and the Transformation of US-China Relations, 1850-1970

    1–2 p.m.
    Usdan University Center, Room 110 More on Bridging Cultures: Liberal Arts Education and the Transformation of US-China Relations, 1850-1970

    During the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, graduates from the liberal arts colleges across Northeastern United States and the Midwest played vital roles in maintaining people-to-people cultural exchange and promoted mutual understanding between the United States and China.

    Join Lei Ying (Amherst), Hong Zhang (Colby), Ying Wang (Mount Holyoke), Jessica Moyer (Smith), Yu-chi Chang (Vassar), and Nancy Li '28 as they share their findings about the lives of these cultural emissaries.

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    Summer Grants Showcase

    1:30–2:30 p.m.
    Gordon Career Center, Boger Hall More on the Summer Grants Showcase
    Hear firsthand from 2025 Wesleyan Summer Grant recipients as they reflect on their summer experiences. These students pursued career-building opportunities—such as internships, research, and volunteer work—made possible through the Summer Grant Program. Stop by to get inspired!
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    Campus Tour

    1–2:30 p.m.
    Office of Admission, Stewart M. Reid House

    Meet in the lobby

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    Labyrinths, secrets, and rabbit holes: A Unique Collections open house

    1–4 p.m.
    Olin Memorial Library More on Labyrinths, secrets, and rabbit holes: A Unique Collections open house
    Tumble down the rabbit hole with Wesleyan’s unique collections! Peek into the secret lives of campus spaces—Allbritton, ‘92 Theater, Judd Hall, Japanese meditation garden—and eavesdrop on whispers of secret societies like Skull & Serpent and the Mystical 7. Wander through rare books full of mazes, mysterious gardens, and concealed compartments. Marvel at forgotten finds from Exley’s penthouse and the natural history treasures once stored in the campus tunnels. Immerse yourself in the resonant sounds of hidden spaces, late-night radio transmissions, and musical arcana.

    Explore these and other gems from:
    • Special Collections & Archives
    • World Music Archives & Music Library
    • Archaeology & Anthropology Collections
    • East Asian Art & Archival Collections
    • Joe Webb Peoples Natural History Collections
    Then try your hand at the Book Arts Lab activity—create your own Victorian puzzle purse to hide your secrets and take home as a memento of your journey.
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    WESeminar: Sixteen Years of the Center for Prison Education

    2–3 p.m.
    Boger Hall, Room 114 More on Sixteen Years of the Center for Prison Education

    Since 2009, the Center for Prison Education has brought the liberal arts into Connecticut’s prisons, enabling transformative educational experiences, facilitating the contribution of incarcerated students to the dynamically diverse Wesleyan community, and advancing the University’s leadership as a creative force for expanding access to bold and rigorous liberal learning. The longest-running college-in-prison program in our state, the CPE has offered over 225 courses and awarded some 80 degrees, negotiating and renegotiating the access required to create high-caliber college experiences in prison. Join us to learn about the program's history, development, and current priorities from students on campus who partner with staff, faculty, and incarcerated learners to make the CPE world go around — including one former CPE student who has transitioned home and is now enrolled and at work to complete his degree here on campus. 

    Speakers: Darlene De La Cruz ’25, Isabella Tan ’26, Isa Cino ’26, and Shakur Collins ’26 

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    Parent and Families Assembly and Reception

    4–6 p.m.
    Fayerweather, Beckham Hall

    More on the Parent and Families Assembly and Reception

    President Michael S. Roth ’78 will provide remarks to families from 4–5 p.m. Immediately following the program please join us for a casual reception. This event will be livestreamed and recorded, you can access it below using the passcode: 859227

    VIEW THE LIVESTREAM

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    Artist Talk: Gary Red Oak O’Neil with J. Kēhaulani Kauanui

    4:30–6 p.m.
    Ring Family Performing Arts Hall More on the Artist Talk
    Artist Gary Red Oak O’Neil will discuss his exhibition Excavations with curator J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, reflecting on his practice in relation to the history of the Wangunk (the Indigenous people of central Connecticut) and the power of art in cultivating belonging.

    Prior to the talk, there will be a screening of the senior thesis short film Piece by Piece by Eiley Doyle ’25, a work centered on O’Neil.

    A reception will follow in the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery’s South Gallery Reading Room.

    Held in conjunction with the exhibition, a Wangunk History Symposium, “Emerging from Erasure: Indigenous and Settler Colonial Histories of the Wangunk People,” will take place on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25, 2025.
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    Homecoming + Family Weekend Marketplace Dinner

    5–8 p.m.
    Marketplace, Usdan University Center, 2nd floor More on the Homecoming + Family Weekend Marketplace Dinner
    Sample a variety of fresh, local, and made-to-order options from Bon Appetit, Wesleyan’s on-campus dining service. Enjoy salad bars, carving stations, hot entrees, numerous side dishes, beverages, and desserts. Vegetarian, vegan, and Kosher-style options are available.

    $20 per adult. Wesleyan students use their meal plans (no ticket purchase).

    Purchase tickets when you register. A limited number of meals may be available on-site at the Marketplace cashier during dinner if space is available.

    Note: A select menu of a la carte food and beverages will also be available for purchase on-site at the Usdan Café, or you can visit one of the many restaurants in downtown Middletown.
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    Asian American and Pacific Islander Alumni and Student Welcome Dinner

    5:30–7:30 p.m.
    Frank Center for Public Affairs, The Forum

    Join the Asian Pacific American Alumni Council and current students for a dinner, great conversation, and community building. Be sure to register for this dinner within the Homecoming + Family Weekend registration form. Space is limited. 

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    Swimming + Diving Intrasquad Meet

    6 p.m.
    Webster Family Natatorium
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    Shabbat Services

    6–7 p.m.
    The Bayit, 157 Church Street

    Join the Wesleyan Jewish community for Shabbat services. All are welcome. No reservations necessary.

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    New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative

    7 p.m.
    Crowell Concert Hall

    Established in 2023, the New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative will perform a concert of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese music. This event is free.

    More on the New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative (NHCCC)
    The New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative (NHCCC) is a non-profit Chinese music ensemble dedicated to fostering cultural awareness in communities across Connecticut. Co-founded in 2023 by Dr. Chia-Yu Joy Lu, ethnomusicologist and director of Wesleyan’s Chinese Music Ensemble, the group comprises members from diverse backgrounds and ages, all sharing a passion for expressing their voices, expertise, and stories through the performance of traditional Chinese and Taiwanese music. Since its establishment, NHCCC has performed and presented at numerous events, organizations, and schools, with unique programming that integrates traditional music and culture of China and Taiwan.

    To celebrate the season of fall, which is often associated with nostalgia and home in the traditional Chinese culture, NHCCC is sharing a pastoral folk suite from Taiwan, a bi-lingual poetry recitation about nostalgia, a group of small ensemble pieces featuring various sections (bowed strings, plucked strings, and percussion), and additional musical works that hold personal significance to various members of the group. NHCCC members will act as your guides, with their personal stories and interesting facts about their instruments, making their sounds and music accessible for all to enjoy. To quote one of its fans, “NHCCC is at its heart—the bond between art, people, and [their] connection to one another.”
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    Shabbat Dinner

    7:30–9 p.m.
    Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center

     

    More on the Shabbat Dinner
    A limited number of tickets may be available for purchase at the Welcome + Giving Center on Friday.

    All are welcome. Together with students, faculty, and staff, we will welcome Shabbat with song, food, and our special joyful Ruach. We invite you to be a part of a memorable celebration of the Wesleyan Jewish family.

    Tickets are $20 and available within online registration. A limited number of tickets may be available for purchase at the Welcome + Giving Center.
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    Prometheus Performance

    8-8:45 p.m.
    Base of Foss Hill

    Wesleyan’s fire arts and performance group, Prometheus, will share the art of fire performance through practice and teaching.

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    Movie Screening: 28 Years Later

    8 p.m.
    Goldsmith Family Cinema, The Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies

    The Wesleyan Film Series presents a screening of 28 Years Later, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland's nearly 28 years in the making sequel to their zombie classic, 28 Days Later. 
    115 minute running time, Rated R