Eclectic Event Hosting Ban Is Over

President Roth apparently lifted the Eclectic social event hosting ban last night.

The Eclectic society is on probation for the rest of the year and Reslife penalties will remain, but as far as we can tell the previously canceled shows once again have a venue and the Sound Co-op is back in action.

Good decision! More details as they come.

[EDIT: 11:14 pm]
President Roth posted a concise, characteristically level-headed explanation of the entire fiasco, as well as the terms of Eclectic's probation, on the Roth blog:

If you follow news of Wesleyan, you already know that there has recently been disciplinary action taken by the Student Judicial Board against Eclectic because of an incident at the house in December. The student board that heard the case found that the society had been guilty of violations of the party and noise policies and a failure to comply with requests from Public Safety. They thought a proper penalty for this would be to forbid Eclectic from hosting social/musical events at night through the end of April.

Many students have been very upset about this ruling because it doesn’t only affect Eclectic but the whole musical culture of Wesleyan. I understand the basis for this concern: the society does provide a vital function for the presentation of music in a distinctive setting. Much of the great musical culture we prize at Wesleyan passes through Eclectic. However, if the society can not present music in a way that is safe and that recognizes the rights of the neighborhood, then Eclectic won’t be able to play that role in the future.

I am confident that the SJB and Dean Backer acted in accordance with our procedures, and that their findings in regard to the events of December 8, 2008 were correct. However, based on communication with Eclectic since that time, and my belief that the society is committed to acting as responsible hosts for events, I have reconsidered and modified the sanction in this case.

I take seriously (and appreciate) Eclectic’s desire to host events in a way that works for the artists, is safe for those who attend, and respects the rights of neighbors. This is also my intention and the intention of Student Affairs. So, rather than ban events for the remainder of the semester, I have asked Marshall Ball, Eclectic’s President, and Dean Rick Culliton to work together on a written agreement that delineates Eclectic’s responsibilities for events going forward. If they can reach the agreement quickly, events can resume under the specific guidelines. As long as the events continue according to those guidelines, the ban will remain lifted.

At the end of the semester representatives of Eclectic and Student Affairs can discuss what went well, and where we need to pay more attention to run the kinds of events we all want. If we are unable to run events this term in accord with the principles with which we all agree, then we will not plan any social or musical events at 200 High Street going forward. Thus, this is a probationary period that should allow us to move to a better platform for events in the future.

I very much appreciate the difficult work that the Student Judicial Board did in sorting out the facts in this case. I also am grateful for the thoughtful responses from many in the Eclectic Society, and others who cherish the vibrant music scene on campus. I hope that by developing a framework for hosting events at 200 High Street we will continue to have interesting artists perform in a context that is exciting and safe for those who attend, and that is respectful of the community in which we live.

So Eclectic is on probation for the rest of the semester, and has to work on a detailed list of responsibilities for events with the Dean which they have to uphold. If all goes well at the end of the semester they should be good to go; if more things go wrong, no more Eclectic events next year.

Harsh. At least it resolves the issue for now - hopefully no more unfortunate incidents go down this semester to make that a possibility.

Eclectic Petition Now Closed

The "Overturn Eclectic Housing Restriction" online petition is now closed after having received 721 signatures. Here's a message from Eclectic:

Thank you so much for your support.

Unfortunately, due to spam, the petition is now closed. We strongly urge you to contact Assistant Director of Student Affairs Scott Backer (sbacker@wes) or President Michael Roth (mroth@wes) to vocalize your concerns.

We're taking the link down from the sidebar.

Sound Co-op cancels its events for the semester

This is its letter to the student body in full:

In light of the decisions made by Scott Backer and the SJB, and the subsequent appeal that was denied by Michael Roth (read here: wesleying.blogspot.com/2009/03/sjb-shuts-down-all-eclectic-events-for.html), I have decided that the Wesleyan Sound Cooperative will cease functioning as of Sunday March 29th until the Eclectic event-hosting ban is repealed or a satisfactory settlement is made between the school and the Society allowing for access to the venue. This means that all events currently scheduled are considered canceled until further notice. Shows this week (23rd – 28th) will still be happening, as there is obviously not enough time for organizers to plan around the shutdown. If you currently have a show planned later than this week, you will or already have received an email from a WSC member. Please do not contact me or any other co-op members regarding this decision, as there will be no special exceptions made and no questions to be answered except, ‘has the school overturned the decision?’ As soon as the answer to this question is ‘yes,’ the cooperative will run again as usual. We are still taking event requests on our website (wesleyan.edu/wsa/wsc) in the hopes that this situation is resolved quickly. If you are disappointed or concerned by the turn of events, I ask that you politely email either Scott Backer (sbacker01@wes) or Michael Roth (mroth@wes) to explain how the shutdown affects you and ask that they reconsider their actions so that an amplified and vibrant campus culture may continue at Wesleyan.

Members of the Eclectic Society founded the sound cooperative almost 20 years ago in order to facilitate musical events that would otherwise be impossible to fund using professional audio companies. The co-op allows anyone who is interested the opportunity to learn life long skills in technical audio production and event planning. As a result of its creation, and in spite of the fact that to this day Wesleyan refuses to create a viable administration-organized free event space, the Sound Co-op saves Wesleyan students somewhere on the order of $30,000 - 60,000 a year in professional audio service fees. This allows for many more events to be funded, which in turn means that the co-op runs slightly over one hundred shows every year. By this count, I have organized sound for over 300 shows during my time here at Wesleyan and am fortunate to have many talented people transitioning into control as I will be graduating this semester. The co-op has expanded during my tenure to include many events not related to live music, which I see as a great development.

Unfortunately, the decision rendered by Scott Backer and the SJB aims to discriminate between where and what type of event is allowable on campus, thus dictating the realms of campus culture. I personally find this detestable and am of the opinion that the full ramifications of the punishment levied have not been thoroughly considered. The shutdown of the co-op aims to help rectify this oversight.

I am basing my decision around the argument that if the Wesleyan administration wants to define campus culture and what is or is not allowable based on how ‘problematic’ or how much of a ‘liability’ they perceive an event to be for them then it is folly to have a student-run and student-funded business continue to facilitate a culture we ourselves are not in control of. The ethos of the co-op is one of absolute indiscrimination, as long as we have the equipment and someone signs up to work, we will work an event. Despite the fact that the shutdown will result in lost wages for co-op workers including myself, I feel that this is the only acceptably principled response to an unprincipled and poorly considered punishment.

Historically, the administration has been happy to allow students to organize and pay for their own shows and events because student-run and student-funded events increase Wesleyan’s social capital at essentially no cost to the school. Utilizing the WSA, SBC, and SALD for assistance allows for an incredible number of student-run events to take place every week. However, with the Eclectic shutdown, the administration is asserting that they do indeed have a say in how student funds are to be distributed and thus what events may or may not take place on campus. Eclectic is the only free student-run venue on campus that has a seating capacity of over 100. Therefore, unless the SBC has the funds to pay for pro audio services at other venues, I will consider the school to be the party responsible for funding and organizing sound services for student events. I do not report to any school administrator, I help run a club funded by the SBC in order to make campus life more exciting and vibrant. The co-op works in direct service to the student body but will not be coerced into accepting fluxuating social ethics determined ad hoc by the administration.

I’m sure you can surmise that the school has neither the resources nor the desire to take up the slack left over by the co-op (except perhaps regarding WesFest), so I will preemptively make the assertion that it is now YOUR job to organize and fund sound services for events you would like to have or plan to have on campus. Again, please understand that I am not doing this to punish the student body, but instead to force those who utilize the co-op and those that directly benefit from it’s existence to make their displeasure known to the administration. I know this decision will be incredibly unpopular but I ask that you fully reflect on the historical and ongoing relationship the co-op has to events held at Eclectic and consider this a sign of solidarity and not a dismissal of individual student groups or events. Regardless of your personal opinions concerning the Eclectic Society or the events held there, I urge you to consider that the series of decisions made by the administration are of a discriminatory nature regarding what types of events the school implicitly condones. The fact that the administration is now trying to dictate how students should spend their own money is nothing short of insulting. The more you make your displeasure known to administrators, the faster we can move on from this terrible decision and get back to having great amplified events across campus.

Sincerely,
Yale Yng-Wong ’09, President of the Wesleyan Sound Cooperative,
Amanda Contrada ‘10, Co-President of the Wesleyan Sound Cooperative, and Max Krafft '09, Ben Bernstein ‘10, Tom Brewer ‘12, Adam Gunther ‘11, Bill Kirstein ‘10, Sam Long ‘12, Mary Longley ‘10, Sam Lyons ‘12, Dana Matthiessen ‘09, Howe Pearson ‘12, Jeff Rovinelli ‘10, Fareed Sajan ‘09, and Harrison Schaaf ‘11

More LIFE Photos: Roth's Dapper Predecessor

Also in the LIFE photo archive: photos of Wesleyan students and professors volunteering at the Connecticut Valley Hospital for the mentally ill in 1965:

And a series of 1968 photos of Wesleyan's then-president, the dapper alumnus Edwin D. Etherington, at home with his family:Etherington was the president of the American Stock Exchange before taking over at Wesleyan, and was a staunch civil rights advocate who got Wes to admit women and increase minority student enrollment. Plus he's got a serious Don Draper thing going on:

Sorry, Roth's got nothing on this guy.

Musical Madness at Crowell Concert Hall

Musical Madness, the inter-class musical competition, is tonight at Crowell. President Roth opens on the harmonica, which is reason enough to go, but your classmates and deans will also be performing. Come show your support, and kick off your weekend with some great music!

Opening act Lou and the Blues and Michael Roth, followed by:

• Banish the Rabbit
• Skye LoGuidice
• Toan Tran
• The Walrus Hunters
• Molly Baum
• Elizabeth Gauvey-Kern
• Off Constantly
• Alex King
• Phineas Gage & the Nothingheads
• Calipigious
• Mike Kuhn
• First Aid Kit
• Sweat Factory//Party Patrol

- Presented by the Office of Student Affairs/Dean's Office

Date: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 7 pm
Place: Crowell Concert Hall

Wes on Obama's Inauguration

In our post-inauguration excitement last month, we somehow managed to overlook every major piece of Wesleyan-related news about the inauguration in our inbox. Here's a brief recap of what would have been timely a month ago, various Wes people's perspectives on the inauguration in various media sources:

• Eleanor Celeste '10 (center) was featured in an NY Times article about how her family, which was politically divided during the campaign trail, came to embrace Barack Obama and traveled to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration.

• President Roth commented on Obama's inauguration speech in Politico, which is owned by Robert Allbritton '92:

  "My first reaction is to marvel at how this candidate of change, of ‘Yes, we can’ spent considerable rhetorical force on tying his work back to the core values of American history,” wrote historian Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

• British style magazine Dazed and Confused ran a two-page spread in its February issue entitled "Two Young Creatives Remember the Campaign Trail," containing a long interview with Ben Rowland and Ray Tintori '06 about the youth perspective on the election, and featuring Rowland's photos taken on the campaign trail:
  

Wesleyan is smokin'

Over at Roth on Wesleyan, our beloved University President reports:

One of the most exciting bits of news we had over break was the extraordinary number of applications we’ve received for next year. More than 10,000 students have asked for a place in the class of 2013, a surge of well over 20% from last year. As many of you know, our Early Decision Applications were up over 30%, and we’ve now learned than most of our peer institutions are not seeing anything like this spike in interest. It’s a lot more work for the tireless group in the Admissions Office, but the fact that more and more people are hearing about the great things going on at Wesleyan is very good news indeed.

So, umm, that's pretty cool. But why the spike of interest in Wesleyan this year? Was it the Obama commencement? Mainstream musical alum success? A widespread revelation that "Ivy" status doesn't mean a better education? (Yeah, right.) A nationwide shift toward more liberal discourse, making Wes not seem as crazy-radical and more awesome-radical? Whatever it is, keep it up, Wes.

Holiday Party with President Roth at 3:30 PM

This party is either hugely under-publicized, or hugely fake.

The listing has been removed from today's Events Calendar, but the Custom Events Calendar that arrived in my inbox this morning lists a "Wesleyan Holiday Party" hosted by Michael Roth and Kari Weil:Date: Today, Dec. 11
Time: 3:30 PM
Place: President's House (269 High)

Disclaimer: I think anyone can add events to the Events Calendar—though, they do have to be approved before they go public. In any case, before you crowd his front door, it might be nice to RSVP with his office (ext. 3500).

Roth on the Value of a Liberal Arts Education

As the president of an elite liberal arts college, Michael Roth is obviously biased in extolling the virtues of attending such an institution, but his latest Huff Post column is somewhat reassuring in these cautiously optimistic times:

...There is a promise of freedom in the liberal arts education offered by America's most distinctive, selective, and demanding institutions; and it is no surprise that their graduates can be found disproportionately in leadership positions in politics, culture and the economy. A quick look at several members of President-elect Obama's leadership team can stand as an example of how those with a liberal arts education are shaping the future of our society.

...The possibilities for free study, experimentation and risk taking need protection and cultivation. Looking around the world, we find no shortage of thugs who desecrate or murder those who seek to produce a more meaningful culture. And here at home we can easily see how mindless indifference to the contemporary arts and sciences facilitates the destruction of cultural memory and creative potential.

America's great universities and colleges must continue to offer a rigorous and innovative liberal arts education. A liberal education remains a resource years after graduation because it helps us to address problems and potential in our lives with passion, commitment and a sense of possibility...

Yeah, it's basically an extended brochure for prospective Wes students, but such positive thinking might be helpful when these thoughts are keeping you up at night.

Huffington Post: What's a Liberal Arts Education Good For?

Roth on Obama Victory, Wes Reactions

President Michael Roth's latest Huffington Post column is up, about his observations of the post-election impromptu campus-wide party, and his musings on President-elect Obama:

In the euphoria the Election night victory, I watched our Wesleyan students celebrating the victory of a man whom they had embraced and in whom they had invested their hopes. Although all were aware of the polls predicting a victory, I don't think many of them quite believed it would happen. They waved an American flag, chanted "O-bam-a, O-bam-a," and felt a powerful sense of hope in our collective future. When somebody played "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" over the speakers, these young men and women danced with enthusiasm at a song they no longer associated with their parents but with our new president-elect.

...I thought of our President-elect's Commencement Address... as I watched our students celebrating this stage in their political education and in the complex narrative of Barack Obama. It was a raucous party, and the celebrations took place in a context of political and social stability unburdened by fear. This is nothing to take for granted... We could express our joy and excitement while also inviting those who supported the Republican ticket to join in what was turning into a party for our political process. One of our students approached me to say that patriotism isn't a sentiment you feel only when your candidate wins. He is right, and I trust that in the months and years ahead we will remember our strong feelings of solidarity on Election night even as we disagree about policies and governmental tactics.

Is he talking about Mytheos?

Also, check out his RothBlog about it:
Roth on Huffington Post: Bringing the Stories Together

Last Night's Euphoria

Post-election madness outside Usdan last night, it was clearly a great time for the student body to pour itself into a gigantic celebratory mob. And nobody got tased!

Props to whoever brought the fireworks and compiled the Obama victory playlist, and to P-Safe for joining in the festivities. And to President Roth, for showing up (and tactfully declining the multiple drinks offered him by reveling students).

Photos courtesy of Hannah Berkman '12:

There were fireworks!
Mike Levin '09 got fireworks shots:

Roth in HuffPost: Roth Praises Wesleyan Students' Activism

Michael Roth wrote his third column for the Huffington Post this past Friday. In the blog, Roth praises Wes students' activism this election season.

In these last days before the election, many thousands of college students across the country are heading off-campus to work for candidates who they think will make a difference in their lives and in the lives of their fellow-citizens. [...]

Barack Obama has generated enormous excitement among young people across the country. As adolescent cynicism has given way to a deep hope for change, students are expressing their faith in the electoral system in the old fashioned way: they are participating in it. On my own campus, Wesleyan University, this engagement in electoral politics has energized student and faculty life in powerful ways. Wesleyan has long been known as a progressive school in which students often express strong views about the importance of social justice. When Senator Obama gave the Commencement Address in the spring, he lit up the campus with his energy and gravitas, with his commitment to public service and with his call to students to take responsibility for the public sphere. [...]

At Wesleyan I often say that education isn't about watching other people do the research, it's about doing that work oneself. This election cycle is a key part of our students' political education because they aren't spectators. They are taking responsibility for the work of politics themselves. This is good for their education - and for our future.

Wesleyan currently boasts 13 pages of hits on the site, while Amherst only has 9. Go Wes!

Huffington Post: Participation as Education

Roth in HuffPost: "In Praise of Poise"

Michael Roth posted his second column for the Huffington Post yesterday, this one a little more pointed than his somewhat bland pronouncement of hope in the face of financial meltdown.

He praises Obama's poise as compared to McCain's irascibility in the last presidential debate, and takes apart a recent David Brooks column:

Poise does connote a state of equilibrium, a state of balance. It is perfectly compatible with passion, but it does mean that one is not at the mercy of one's passions. When others around you are freaking out, people exemplify poise when they maintain an ability to think clearly, to make judgments thoughtfully, to stay balanced. These are some of the qualities that make for strong leadership because we have confidence in people who are able to keep their wits about them even when those around them are losing control. Steadiness and stability go hand in hand with poise, and these, too are qualities that we seek in those who are given great power and responsibility.

...We are entering a period of our history in which even the most thoughtful of our leaders are likely to be severely tested. Unlike David Brooks, I don't worry about our next president being boring. Instead, I look for poise, and its complement, tact, when judging the candidates. Thoughtfulness and balance, the ability to inspire and the capacity to work productively with others will be crucial qualities for our next president. For our sake, they'd better be.

Huffington Post: In Praise of Poise

Roth addresses economy, posts sexy photo

This morning, President Roth released a "Community Update" about the state of the economy, and its effects on Wesleyan:

[Wesleyan's response to the financial turmoil] will include some serious budget cuts, delays in major facilities construction, and a close look at our priorities for the future. All of us will be asked to make sacrifices.

Following up on that, Roth has posted a new blog entry with some more specific ways in which the troubled economy will alter life around campus, and what the University intends to prioritize as we continue further into this grim economic situation:

... there will be cuts in the Wesleyan budget, but, as I said in my last post, I will do my best to protect teaching, research and the student experience from the impact of our cost cutting measures. [...] We will continue to offer our community the very best liberal arts education, but we must do so in a more cost effective way. We must delay for some years our major facilities projects, like the Molecular and Life Sciences Building, and we are looking at every department at the university for budget savings.

What will be the University's priorities going forward? Writes Roth:

• Maintaining a robust financial aid program
• Hiring and retaining faculty
• Continuing the internationalization of campus
• Enhancing the student experience, esp. for frosh and seniors
• Implementing the College of the Environment

Plus, Roth has also changed the self-photo he uses on the blog. Check it out. Even as a straight guy, I have to admit it's pretty flattering. Heh.

Roth in HuffPost, on Trusting Institutions

President Michael Roth has apparently joined Arianna Huffington's complex social network, as a blogger on Huffington Post. How did this come about? Do they have a Blackberry connection from some West Coast dinner party?

He writes about our shaken trust in the financial and political institutions of America:

It's a cliché that trust is a lot easier to destroy than it is to build. When children tell us that this time they are telling the truth, and that they lie only some of the time, they are about to learn that even one lie destroys the credibility of all your other statements -- even when these other claims are true. One lie creates general uncertainty. We are seeing this everyday on Wall Street and in the banking sector. Governments are desperately trying to restore trust, but as long as there is lingering (and, I might add, reasonable) uncertainty about who is holding the bad debts they once tried to profit from, it will be impossible to have the basic trust that makes our credit systems work.

...The cure for the erosion of trust is not medicinal; it's social. Participation builds trust. On the university campus where I work, the only ways I've seen trust successfully restored is to involve people once again in whatever activity they'd become uncertain about. From athletics to music, from lab science to poetry workshops, participation reduces uncertainty and builds faith through practice. When you begin again to seek or offer credit in secure ways, when investments can be protected, then you feel prepared to take a few new risks. When you get involved with your fellow-citizens in a political campaign or make your voice heard with your neighbors, you begin to see that democracy isn't only about attack. Democracy is about participating with people who you grow to trust by working together.

Teachers know this. We have to earn the trust of our students everyday so that they can risk making mistakes, so that they can take the chance to open themselves to learning. That's why we encourage the participation of our students.

Our current, acute crisis of confidence will pass. Then we must rebuild trust by participating in our economy and polity rather than just try to tear down others who are doing so.

A lot of people read the Huffington Post!

Huffington Post: "Trust" in the Economy and Electoral Politics

Check Out Those Guns

From Roth's blog.

Prof's pics of Obama & Roth

Prof William Johnston of the History Department sends us these photos, taken from the very back row of faculty during commencement. Ooh, pretty:

More Commencement Video Clips

President Roth's Welcome


Senator Obama Receiving his Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree


You can view the entire commencement ceremony, complete with fancy camera work (by fancy, I mean multiple angles, including the always nice to have front and center angle, which I could not get from the press area) on the WesCast page:

• Full Commencement


• President Roth's Speech


• Senator Obama's Speech

Roth's Remarks

Here are some of my favorite lines, which may not match the video exactly because I'm pulling them from his prepared remarks:

• "I know that we share a desire to make Wesleyan the best school in America -- not according to US News, but on the basis of how hearts and minds are developed here."


• "Being in the company of students as gifted and energetic as Wesleyan's class of 2008, gives me faith that we may well be able to reject the status quo, to build a politics and a culture of hope and community rather than of fear and divisiveness. If you engage in the serious politics of change, if you participate in the struggle for social justice and sustainable economic growth, I believe we can change course."


• "You will hear people tell you that the greatest protection against violence is surveillance, that greater security is developed with higher fences to keep out the foreigners, or that we must project violence on distant shores to keep our homes safe. DO NOT BELIEVE THESE MESSAGES. Please remember that your education stands in opposition to non-sense and cruelty; please recall your capacity to create when others around you call for destruction."

_{Thanks for your patience}

Roth Blogs About Obama

From the Roth Blog:

Senator Obama’s speech to our graduates this Sunday is an act of friendship, and friendship is one of the defining features of our Commencement. The graduate students who have finished their degrees and the class of 2008 will be leaving Middletown on Sunday afternoon, but they will be taking with them relationships that will last a lifetime. As I meet with alumni across the country, a common thread in their description of why Wesleyan is important to them is that they developed relationships here which last a lifetime. The devotion to alma mater is also a devotion to the friendships forged in study, or in sports, in the arts, or in civic engagement.

We will see that devotion in these days leading up to commencement. Alumni from more than fifty years ago, and alumni from our most recent classes are coming back on campus for the weekend. My own class, 1978, will be celebrating our 30th reunion, and I look forward to seeing many friends as they re-discover their old homes, dorms and classrooms.

Senator Obama’s willingness to “stand in his friend’s place” on Sunday is not a campaign event but a poignant expression of friendship. There will be many other such expressions occurring all over campus as we welcome a new group of Wesleyan grads into the alumni family.

Also, this final allusion to security issues at the ceremony:

P.S. Please remember that Commencement is not a grand public occasion but the culmination of the Wesleyan experience for the graduates and their families.

...Aww. What a feel good entry. (Especially after his most recent posts about Fountain.)