This Week: Voter Registration in Middletown's North End

Starting tomorrow afternoon, Wesleyan students will have the opportunity to spend three days registering voters in the North End, "Middletown's last truly urban residential neighborhood" right across Washington Street. The effort will be a partnership between two local grassroots organizations, Middletown's North End Action Team (NEAT) and Wesleyan's chapter of the non-partisan student organization Democracy Matters. This event gives Wesleyan students the opportunity to become engaged as community partners to North End residents, as well as an opportunity to work with and get to know local Middletown High School students.

Interested students should meet up with the NEAT organizers who will operate tables in Usdan 3-5pm on the afternoons of Tuesday-Thursday, October 14-16. There you will be given voter registration materials, instructions, and walking directions to certain locations in the North End, which is only a few minutes off campus. We will be canvassing several bus stop locations in the North End alongside the members of the Teen Dreams Society, a group of Middletown High School students interested in community engagement.

Thanks to this event and the efforts of the Teen Dreams Society, North End residents will have the opportunity to participate in the most important election of our lifetimes. All Wes students looking to get engaged in the community are encouraged to attend, even if just for a few hours. Go individually or in groups!

What: Register North End Residents to Vote
Who: Wes Students, Democracy Matters, NEAT, Teen Dreams Society
Where: Get started in Usdan
When: Any time between 3pm-5pm, Tuesday-Thursday, this week

Please contact Saul Carlin of Democracy Matters with questions by e-mailing scarlin at wes.

Lecture: Melanye Price on the 2008 Election

Gov Professor Melanye Price is giving a lecture about this year's election:

First Friday: Melanye Price- Election 2008: Race, Gender, Age & Media

The 2008 election has been a historic one for many reasons. There was both a female and African American candidate for a major political party for the first time in history, there is an opportunity to elect the oldest president ever, and the role of the internet and blogs plays a key role in the kinds of information the electorate has access to. Assistant Professor of Government Melanye Price leads an informal lecture about the role of race, gender age and media on the current election. (Please note: Professor Price recently gave this lecture at the Green Street Arts Center, it was such a success we invited her to kick off our First Friday Series.)

First Friday is a series sponsored by the Center for Community Partnerships and is dedicated to building community amongst those interested in service, activism and social change.

Date: Friday, October 3
Time: 4:15 pm
Place: Center for Community Partnerships, 167 High Street

Community Engagement Fair on Wednesday

The Center for Community Partnerships will be hosting a Community Engagement Fair on Wednesday. If you can't make the fair, the CCP will also be at the Student Activities Fair.

• Connect with the Middletown community
• Volunteer and work-study opportunities
• Local agencies and student groups will be there to share opportunities

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 17
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:15 PM
Location: Usdan courtyard (with rain, Beckham Hall)

Contact Cathy Lechowicz at clechowicz@wes with questions.

Hospitality

I understand that we have our share of sketchy people wandering around campus. The e-mail P-safe sent out about townies coming into dorms and stealing your shit doesn't help.

But a few days ago, my friend (who I won't name because ze has no idea I'm writing this) was riding hir bike on Foss Hill and fell, busting hir face open. Stunned and bleeding, ze walked to the nearest dorm--WestCo--and a boy by the door would not let hir into the building because he "didn't recognize hir." Ze ended up walking from Foss Hill to the Health Center, where they drove hir to the Middlesex Hospital.

This was in BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Now, I can sort of get not wanting to get blood on your car seats. And I get the paranoia about letting people you don't know into your building. But if someone's obviously hurt and bleeding because a chunk of their face was just scraped off, at least offer to call P-safe or help them to the Health Center! If you're so fucking paranoid that they're going to steal your hallmate's ipod, ask to see their student ID or even keep an eye on them down the hall to wherever they're going. Don't be a fucking jerk and turn an injured kid away just because you havn't ventured out of your little mini-Wes bubble of friends. And for christ's sake, don't assume that someone that's just been in an accident is going to have full grasp of the situation; They aren't going to be at their full getting-admitted-to-Wesleyan capabilities, and theyaren't going to be thinking about the blue box phones, or even their own cell phones.

Wesleyan Office of Public Safety
Emergency: (860) 685-3333 or x3333
Non-Emergency (860) 685-2345 or x2345