Welcome + Giving Center
Hours: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Office of Admission, Stewart M. Reid House
All weekend attendees should check in to pick up your meal tickets and 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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College Row Classes Continental Breakfast
8–9 a.m.
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Room 101Members of the classes of 1975 and earlier (post 50th reunion) are invited to gather informally to kick off a special day of connection and programming. A continental breakfast will be provided.
More on College Row ClassesDesigned for alumni beyond their 50th reunion, the College Row Classes program offers a variety of ways to stay engaged—through on-campus events, webinars, virtual happy hours, and special programming during key weekends. It’s a chance to celebrate your shared experiences and continue your lifelong connection with Wesleyan and your fellow alumni. -
Emerging from Erasure: Indigenous and Settler Colonial Histories of the Wangunk People — a Symposium
8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Russell HouseRefreshments will be available all day. Free and open to the public
More on the symposiumThis history symposium will focus on the Wangunk, the Indigenous people of central Connecticut. The symposium is the first of its kind, given the settler colonial erasure of the Wangunk people and the dearth of historical work on the tribe. The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of the Wangunk story – as one of the numerous Algonquian tribes – especially their place in the Native Northeast and in relation to the Connecticut colony and the state of Connecticut. The event will feature scholarly works by members of a new initiative called the Wangunk Studies Working Group (WSWG) – founded in July 2024 and composed of over a dozen members (academics, archaeologists, genealogists, community historians, as well as other independent scholars). The event includes new research presented by: Paul Grant Costa, Sarah Sportman, Timothy Ives, Alice King, Thomas Wickman, Vicki Welch, Lucianne Lavin, Jim Sarbaugh, Katherine Hermes, and Alexandra Maravel. Panels will be chaired and moderated by Wesleyan faculty: Jeffers Lennox, Khalil Johnson, and Jesse Nasta.
The event is open to the Wesleyan community and general public, and held during Homecoming + Family Weekend (October 24–26, 2025).
The symposium is hosted by Wesleyan’s Center for the Humanities and co-sponsored by the Middlesex County Historical Society, with support from: the Wintman Family Endowed Lecture Series; the Deans of the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences; American Studies; Anthropology; and the Indigenous Studies Research Network.
Notably, the event will also be held in conjunction with an exhibit titled “Excavations” of ceramic works by Gary Red Oak O’Neil that will be held at the South Gallery, Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery (curated by J. Kēhaulani Kauanui, founding convenor of the Wangunk Studies Working Group). -
Tailgating + Parking
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
More on Tailgating
Celebrate game day! Wesleyan Athletics teams will coordinate team tailgates and parking. Parking is $5 per space. Visitors are permitted to tailgate beginning at 9 a.m.Wesleyan Football vs. Amherst College starts at 1 p.m. The game can also be watched live on NSN Sports.
Open Container Policy: University policy and NESCAC regulations state that alcohol is not allowed at any sporting event with the exception of the tailgate area on Andrus Field. Open containers are not allowed near the football field. -
Softball Alumnae, Parents & Friends Game
9 a.m.
Softball Field, Long LaneCheer on (or join!) the Cardinals in the annual alumnae game, reconnecting with teammates and friends on the field.
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Wrestling Alumni, Parents, and Friends Breakfast
9–11:30 a.m.
Biddiscombe Wrestling Room, Freeman Athletic Center More on the Wrestling Alumni, Parents, and Friends BreakfastEnjoy coffee and a light breakfast while watching the team practice. Meet the wrestlers, with introductions following practice, before heading to Corwin Stadium for the football tailgate and Wesleyan vs. Amherst game. -
WESeminar - Wesleyan Alumni and Family Academy
9–9:50 a.m.
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Room 100The Liberal Arts Toolbox: Critical Listening, Looking and Comparing to Navigate a Complex World
More on the Wesleyan Alumni and Family AcademyThe art of critical listening, looking, and comparing has never been more essential. Rooted in the philosophy of pragmatic liberal arts education, Wesleyan Alumni and Family Academy will explore how critical listening, looking, and comparing can be transferred beyond the classroom to strengthen thoughtful engagement in everyday life. This course aims to cultivate strong, independent minds and develop communication strategies across disciplines.
Join Roger Grant, Deputy Provost and Dean of the Arts and Humanities, for this first of three sessions of Wesleyan Alumni & Family Academy, a free, no-credit (and homework optional!) hybrid course.
The Wesleyan Alumni and Family Academy is in its second of a three-year pilot program aiming to provide Wesleyan alumni and families with the opportunity to engage with Wesleyan faculty in a classroom-type setting, while highlighting Wesleyan’s commitment to access, launch, and activate possibilities in a way that resonates on campus, across distance, and through generations.
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Psi Upsilon Fraternity Alumni Chapter Meeting + Football Tailgate
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Xi of Psi Upsilon, 242 High Street + Andrus Field9:30 a.m. Coffee and Breakfast
10 a.m. Chapter Meeting
11 a.m. Beverages and mingling at the Chapter House
12 p.m. Annual Xi Tailgate Led by Brother Chip Nottingham '88 on Andrus Field -
Celebrating Patricelli Center for Entrepreneurship Relaunch
9:30–11 a.m.
Albritton Center9:30 a.m. Rededication of the new Patricelli Center
10 a.m. Following a toast and formal ribbon-cutting, distinguished Wesleyan alumni Trustee Emeritus Bob Patricelli ’61, P’88 ’90; Sasha Chanoff ’94, founder and CEO of RefugePoint; and Phoebe Boyer ’89, P’19, ’23, President and CEO of Children’s Aid Society and Chair of Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees, will join moderator Patricelli Center Director Ahmed Badr ’20 for a dynamic fireside chat. Space is limited; please register for this special event. -
Panel Discussion with the Class Deans for the Classes of 2027, 2028, and 2029
10–10:50 a.m.
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Room 001 More on the Panel DiscussionHear from the class deans and learn how our class deans help students develop educational goals and complete graduation requirements. Each will briefly present information about milestones for the class and then we will break out into small groups by class. The deans will share information about resources available through Student Affairs (Student Academic Resources, Counseling and Psychological Services, WesWell, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, Public Safety and Residential Life.
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Admission WAAV Volunteer Open House
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Usdan University Center, Room 110 More on the WAAV Open HouseCome learn about how you can get involved in the Wesleyan community through Wesleyan Alumni Admission Volunteers (WAAV) in collaboration with the Office of Admission! Alumni volunteers are critical to ensuring students have the opportunity to learn about all things Wes, through one-on-one virtual conversations with prospective students, small in-person gatherings with students at local public venues, and serving as panelists to share their Wesleyan experiences with potential applicants. -
Labyrinths, secrets, and rabbit holes: A Unique Collections open house
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Olin Memorial Library More on Labyrinths, secrets, and rabbit holes: A Unique Collections open houseTumble 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
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Fries Arts Building Tour
10 a.m.
Fries Arts Buidling, 56 Hamlin Street More on the tourTour the new multi-disciplinary art spaces at 56 Hamlin Street, which comprises the Integrative Arts Lab. This 17,500 square-foot building gives students the opportunity to connect visual, performing, and studio arts together through its lab spaces and common areas. The building will also offer students space for artistic collaboration and conversation across disciplines. Please note Limited parking is available at 44 Hamlin Street. Additional street parking is available as well as at the University owned parking lots behind 37 and 45 Broad Street. The tour will be a leisurely 30-40 minutes. -
33rd Annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium: Upholding Values and Building Community: The AAPI Experience in a Time of Change
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
More on the 33rd Annual Dwight L. Greene Symposium
Memorial ChapelJoin John Yang ’80, anchor of PBS News Weekend, and Daniel HoSang ’93, Professor of American Studies at Yale University, for a conversation exploring how to uphold our core values in the face of division, including offering practical ideas to foster resilience, community, and most importantly hope. Moderated by Saeyun Lee ’93 and hosted by the Asian American and Pacific Islander Alumni Celebration.
Now entering its 33rd year, the Dwight L. Greene Symposium honors Dwight L. Greene ’70 as a memorial and tribute to his life and work as a professor of law, mentor and friend. Each year, presenters are selected from among Wesleyan's alumni, faculty, and friends who have distinguished themselves in their professions, to share on topics of importance for Black alumni, alumni of color, and the Wesleyan community at large.
This symposium provides an opportunity to hear from a diverse set of voices while facilitating networking and reconnecting with members of the Wesleyan community with each other and ensures that diversity remains an important part of the Wesleyan experience.
Historically sponsored by the Black Alumni Council and Alumni of Color Council, the symposium serves as a long-standing campus tradition and a time to reflect on where we were, where we are, and most importantly…where we are headed. This event will be livestreamed and recorded. Access the livestream below with the passcode: 185265 -
Homecoming Day Lunch
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Usdan University, Marketplace, 2nd floor More on the Homecoming Day LunchParents, families, friends, and guests are invited to join students for lunch at Usdan University Center. 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 and you do not need to specify your meal preference in advance.
Tickets: $20/adults. (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 (2nd floor).
Note: A select menu of a la carte food and beverages will also be available for purchase on-site at the Usdan Café, some athletic teams may be selling concessions on Andrus Field, or you can visit one of the many restaurants in downtown Middletown. -
College of East Asian Studies Open House Events
11–3 p.m.
College of East Asian Studies, Mansfield Freeman Center View the full schedule11–11:45 a.m. Teaching the Past in the Present: An Exploration of the CEAS Archival Collections Come learn from Collections Manager and Repatriation Coordinator Dr. Wendi Field Murray, and get a first-hand look at some of the historical and archival items used by CEAS faculty in teaching about East Asia!
12–12:45 p.m. Please join us for Sushi
12:30–12:45 p.m. Asian Musical Performance
1–1:45 p.m. Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Garden Tour with Curator Stephen Morrell
1–3 p.m. CEAS Gallery Exhibition: Forgotten But Once Known: Signs of Women’s Labor in Japan -
New Science Building Tour
11:30 a.m.
Meet at the FIP trailer off Church Street More on the tourTour the 197,000-square-foot new Science Building which is set to be completed in Spring 2026 and ready for use in Fall 2026. The building will be home to 39 research and support labs, nine teaching labs, seven classrooms, a vivarium, a greenhouse, faculty and department offices, and conference spaces. The tour group size is limited to 30 people and is first-come, first-served. There will be another tour offered at 3:30 p.m. -
Alumni Family Photo
11:45 a.m.
North College steps More on the Alumni Family PhotoAlumni parents and grandparents and their current students are invited for a group photo taken at Noon sharp. -
Fries Arts Building Tour
12 p.m.
Fries Arts Buidling, 56 Hamlin Street More on the tourTour the new multi-disciplinary art spaces at 56 Hamlin Street, which comprises the Integrative Arts Lab. This 17,500 square-foot building gives students the opportunity to connect visual, performing, and studio arts together through its lab spaces and common areas. The building will also offer students space for artistic collaboration and conversation across disciplines. Please note Limited parking is available at 44 Hamlin Street. Additional street parking is available as well as at the University owned parking lots behind 37 and 45 Broad Street. The tour will be a leisurely 30-40 minutes. -
President’s Reception Honoring Leadership Donors
12–1:30 p.m.
Fayerweather, Beckham Hall
By invitation only More on the President's Reception Honoring Leadership DonorsPlease join President Michael S. Roth ’78 at a reception celebrating members of the Wesleyan Leadership Societies. Wesleyan Leadership Societies recognize the extraordinary commitment and support of Wesleyan leadership donors. By invitation only. -
Student Academic Resources and Accessibility Services Open Office Hours
12–2 p.m.
North College, various offices (see listing below)An opportunity for parents to have brief informal meetings with Student Academic Resources staff:
Laura Patey, Dean for Academic Advancement, North College, Room 218
Crystal Rose Hill-Farrell, Director of Student Academic Resources, North College , Room 024
Khai Tran, Academic Support Coordinator, North College, Room 023 -
Zilkha Gallery Exhibitions Open
12–5 p.m.
Ezra and Cecila Zilkha Gallery More on the exhibitsZilkha Main Gallery: Dark Forest Theory
“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.
Zilkha Reading Room: 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. -
Davison Art Collection Exhibit: Squalor City: William Hogarth's London
12:30–4:30 p.m.
More on the Davison Art Collection Exhibit: Squalor City: William Hogarth's London
Pruzan Art Center, Goldrach Gallery
Located between Olin Memorial Library and Frank Center for Public AffairsA 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. -
College Row Classes Football Watch Party
1–4 p.m.
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Room 101 More on the watch partyAlumni in the classes of 1975 and earlier (post 50th reunion) are invited to to view together the Wesleyan v Amherst football game from inside or just outside the Frank Center for Public Affairs. Complimentary beer, wine, and snacks will be provided.
Designed for alumni beyond their 50th reunion, the College Row Classes program offers a variety of ways to stay engaged—through on-campus events, webinars, virtual happy hours, and special programming during key weekends. It’s a chance to celebrate your shared experiences and continue your lifelong connection with Wesleyan and your fellow alumni. -
Alumni of Color Football Watch Party
1:30–3:30 pm
Daniel Family Commons Lounge, Usdan University Center More on the Watch PartyJoin us for a relaxing gathering with complimentary beer, wine, and snacks. Visit with friends and enjoy a great view of the game from the balcony. -
WESeminar: Panel on Jewish Student Life
2–3 p.m.
Frank Center for Public Affairs, Room 100 More on the Panel on Jewish Student LifeJoin Wesleyan faculty for a conversation on Jewish culture and life at Wesleyan. Together, they will share how the university provides a supportive environment for Jewish students, highlighting collaboration across student life, academics, and cultural programming that deepen community connections. -
WESeminar: Contributions to Asian and Asian American Literature
2–3 p.m.
More on Contributions to Asian and Asian American Literature
Boger Hall, Room 112
Hosted by AAPIACJoin the Asian American and Pacific Island Alumni Council at Contributions to Asian American Literature. This panel looks at how Asian and Asian American writers use storytelling to explore identity, memory, and belonging. The conversation will touch on themes of diaspora, language, and place, and consider the cultural and personal impact of writing across borders and experiences.
Speakers: Hirsh Sawhney, Indira Karamcheti, Alexander Chee '89 -
Joe Webb Peoples Museum Open House
2–4 p.m.
Exley Science Center, 4th floor More on Joe Webb People's Museum Open HouseThe Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History (4th floor, Exley) invites you to share our amazing collections of fossils and minerals, including many specimens from Connecticut. Our student curators have developed exhibits, restored specimens, worked on teaching activities with children, made posters and brochures, and digitized our collections (including photography). They will inform you about our museum, its natural history collections and the work they do. -
Freeman Asian Scholars Reception
3–4:30 p.m.
Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, Seminar Room More on the ReceptionJoin Freeman Asian Scholars along with faculty and administrators at a reception honoring the Freeman Asian Scholars Program. -
The Welcome Table sponsored by the Alumni of Color Council
3–5 p.m.
More on The Welcome Table
Vanguard Lounge, Center for African American StudiesAn opportunity for students and alumni of color to connect, reflect, share stories, and create community. The Welcome Table is a series of ongoing gatherings offered in collaboration with the Latino Alumni Network, Asian American Pacific Islander Alumni Network, Black Alumni Council, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion and is open to any interested students. Please register for this special event here. -
WESeminar: Gamelan Workshop
3–4 p.m.
More on the Gamelan Workshop
World Music HallDominated by colorful, bronze percussion instruments, the Gamelan ensemble features gongs, bronze and wooden xylophones, two-headed drums, a female soloist and a male chorus. Some of the instruments date back to the 12th century in Java, an Indonesian island located between Sumatra and Bali. Get some real experience playing the Gamelan in this lively, hands-on workshop.
Presenters: Professor Sumarsam
Please note: Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. This session often reaches capacity.
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New Science Center Building Tour
3:30 p.m.
Meet at the FIP trailer off Church street More on the New Science Center Building tourTour the 197,000-square-foot new Science Building which is set to be completed in Spring 2026 and ready for use in Fall 2026. The building will be home to 39 research and support labs, nine teaching labs, seven classrooms, a vivarium, a greenhouse, faculty and department offices, and conference spaces. Tour provided by Michael Rosalie, Senior Project Manager (Construction Services). The tour group size is limited to 30 people and is first-come, first-served. There is an earlier tour offered at 11:30 a.m. -
THUNDERBOLTS* feature film screening
4 p.m.
Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, Goldsmith Family Cinema More on THUNDERBOLTS* feature film screening2025. USA. Dir: Jake Schreier. With Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan. 127 min.
Pugh and Stan lead a team of Marvel’s misfits, who must overcome their petty squabbles and traumatic pasts to defeat The Void, a shadowy force threatening to swallow NYC. Director Jake Schreier will be on hand later this evening for a Q&A plus a screening of his music videos. -
Class of 1976 50th Reunion Meet and Greet
4–5 p.m.
Usdan University, Room 110Members of the class of 1976 are invited to meet Siobhan LaGro, Sr. Associate Director of Special Events and 50th reunion class liaison. Drop in anytime during the hour to say hello and learn about the ways you can be involved in your 50th reunion milestone year!
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Alumni Celebration Networking Reception
4–5:45 p.m.
Boger Hall, Gordon Career CenterAn opportunity for students to connect with alumni professionals through one-on-one conversations about career paths, professional growth, and how to build lasting networks. All are welcome.
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Jake Schreier: Music Videos & Conversation
8 p.m.
Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies, Goldsmith Family Cinema More on Jake Schreier: Music Videos & ConversationDDC Productions and the Wesleyan Film Series welcome filmmaker Jake Schreier, director of Marvel's Thunderbolts* as well as an enormous portfolio of music videos featuring artists like Kendrick Lamar, Selena Gomez, Baby Keem, Haim, and more. Come see a selection of videos on the big screen and hear Schreier discuss his work and career.
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Places to Stay
Several hotel accomodations are located convenient to campus.
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Check out Middletown
While you're here, check out the Middletown area.
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Questions?
Visit the helpful information page or email us.