Wellesley College Guild of Carillonneurs to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 4, the Wellesley College Guild of Carillonneurs will commemorate the 50th anniversary of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death by ringing the carillon bell 39 times. King, who was assassinated at the age of 39, was known for his nonviolent and civil disobedience tactics in the struggle for racial equality during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The event, known as the MLK50 Bell Toll, is part of the National Day of Remembrance, which is hosted by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. Afterwards, the Wellesley carillonneurs will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is often referred to as the “Black American National Anthem,” in honor of King’s life and activism.
Wellesley introduces “Earth Month”
With Earth Day coming up on April 22, Wellesley is celebrating sustainability and green initiatives throughout April. The Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability, the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative and the Albright Institute hosted a Community Forum on Sustainability Guiding Principles on Tuesday, April 3 in the Clapp Library lecture room. The sustainability guiding principles were drafted by The Sustainability Committee based on the sustainability survey that was made last fall, the College’s mission and similar initiatives from other institutions. Another highlight of Earth Month is Camilla Chandler Frost Professor of Environmental Studies Elizabeth DeSombre’s new book, where she suggests that the actual problem behind realizing environmental change policies is not the lack of awareness about environmental issues but the easier and less expensive non-green options. In the book, she argues that change comes from creating affordable and attainable environmentally responsible options.
Admission rates drop as viral admissions video is shared thousands of times
The Wellesley College Office of Admissions released its admissions decisions on the evening of March 21, and a video of a student reacting to her admittance has gone viral. Jada Wiltz ’22, a senior at TM Landry College Preparatory in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, shared a video on Twitter of her family gathered around a computer as she anxiously checks her admission result. The video, which has been shared thousands of times, drew attention and well-wishes from students, alumnae, faculty and staff, who welcomed her into the growing Wellesley community. Since then, Wiltz has been interviewed by The Boston Globe, and her story has been featured on Essence magazine’s website and on the Today Show. Her acceptance comes within the largest applicant pool yet: 6,670 first-year applications, which marked a 17 percent increase over last year’s numbers. Of these 6,670 applicants, only 19 percent were granted admission. Members of the Class of 2022 will be welcomed to campus on April 9 and 10 as Wellesley hosts its annual Spring Open Campus (SOC) event to introduce new students to the campus and to connect incoming first-years with current students, faculty and staff.
