The College Celebrates a Very Wellesley Weekend
This weekend, the College will celebrate A Very Wellesley Weekend, bringing four important fall events to campus all at once. “By combining Friends and Family Weekend and Homecoming, the Alumnae Achievement Awards, the Alumnae Leadership Council, and the Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, we can enhance the programming and overall experience available to all of our guests, ” said Tara Henrichon, director of Parent and Family Programs. “That means four times the opportunity to experience all that makes Wellesley, Wellesley. Plus, this is a beautiful time to enjoy the campus in all of its autumnal splendor.”
Activities begin on Friday, October 14, with open classes from 8 am to 4 pm, open houses at the Book Arts Lab and Special Collections from 10 am to noon, and campus tours from 1 pm to 2 pm. A few hours later, Wellesley will present the Alumnae Achievement Awards, which recognize alumnae for outstanding achievements that honor themselves and the College, as well as the Blue Nation Athlete Dinner, where Wellesley’s National Rowing Championship crew team (NCAA DIII) will be honored with the unveiling of its new banner. A jazz and a cappella concert in Jewett Auditorium, featuring eight groups, will end the evening.
Saturday’s lineup starts with the President’s Community Breakfast, hosted by President Paula Johnson. Later, there will be six faculty lectures, on the following topics: the Calderwood Seminars in Public Writing, which teach students to write for broad audiences; Cuba: yesterday, today and tomorrow; climate change; easy ways to boost student success in math; building community through intellectual challenge at the Suzy Newhouse Center; and making decisions in college.
“We want parents to get a taste of what their daughters experience as students, and we want alumnae to experience once again the rich, varied activities that make the Wellesley experience so special,” said Henrichon.
At 11 am on Saturday, the whole community is invited to attend the dedication of three new stained-glass windows that have been installed in Houghton Chapel and that celebrate the transformational experience of being a student at Wellesley College. A panel discussion called “Transforming Light: Exploring Art and Spirituality” will feature the stained-glass artists and Wellesley faculty members.
Attendees are also welcome to visit the Davis Museum, which recently reopened after a reinstallation project that doubled the number of works on view, from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The Athletics Hall of Fame reception, dinner, and induction of the Class of 2016 honorees will be held from 5:30 to 9 pm on Saturday. (Tickets are no longer available for this event, but the ceremony will be streamed live.)
Sunday’s activities will include a Hindu Puja (prayer ritual) and brunch, the alumnae softball game, the Seven Sisters cross-country race, open access at the Butler boathouse on Lake Waban, and a two-hour concert by the Guild of Carilloneurs that at will be heard all over campus. Visitors can even ascend the tower to see the students play.
Throughout the weekend, Wellesley athletic teams will hold contests, and members of the Alumnae Leadership Council will convene with key alumnae volunteers to help them strengthen their connection to the College and each other, provide training for specific volunteer leadership positions, and promote the mission of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association.
“We are so looking forward to welcoming our Wellesley families, alumnae, and friends to campus to celebrate a wonderful weekend!” said Henrichon. “It’s exciting that so many members of the College community will come ‘home’ at once.”
Prospective students will have the chance to see if Wellesley feels like home to them when Discover Wellesley, the College’s largest open house program for high schoolers, begins on Sunday. The two-day program often convinces students to apply and ultimately to enroll.
A full list of Very Wellesley Weekend activities is available through Guidebook.
