Emily Hamilton ’18 wins hoop rolling
Emily “Emmy” Hamilton ’18 was the first to finish in Wellesley’s 123rd hoop rolling contest. Hoop rolling is an annual Wellesley tradition in which graduating seniors decorate wooden hoops and race down Tupelo Lane in their class colors and graduation gowns, rolling their hoops down the road. Immediately after her victory and following tradition, Hamilton was thrown in Lake Waban by her classmates.
U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith named Wellesley’s 2018 commencement speaker
Tracy K. Smith, Poet Laureate of the United States, was announced on Thursday, April 12 as the speaker for Wellesley’s 140th commencement ceremonies. Smith’s fourth and most recent book, “Wade in the Water”, was published on April 3 of this year.
Wellesley professor Frank Bidart wins Pulitzer prize
Frank Bidart, Andrew W. Mellon professor in the Humanities at Wellesley, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his poetry collection “HalfLight,” which is, according to the Poetry Foundation, is a “volume of unyielding ambition and remarkable scope that mixes long dramatic poems with short elliptical lyrics, building on classical mythology and reinventing forms of desires that defy societal norms.” Bidart previously won the 2017 National Book Award for his collection of poems. On April 17, 2018, Bidart gave a poetry reading hosted by the Zeta Alpha Society.
Wellesley among seven colleges under Justice Department investigation for early decision policy
The Justice Department is investigating reported antitrust violations by several elite colleges. The Justice Department investigation concerns the possibility that the colleges may have shared names of accepted Early Decision students. 34% of Wellesley early decision applicants were accepted in 2017, while only 14% of regular decision applicants were accepted. Once students are accepted early decision, they are expected to withdraw all other applications.
“Decisions” will be director Nora Hussey’s last play on campus
Director of the Wellesley College Theatre and the Wellesley Theatre Studies Program Nora Hussey intended for her last play before retirement to be “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Then, after the Parkland, Florida shootings, she changed her mind and decided that she needed to put on a play that was more in touch with today’s issues. Along with a group of less than a dozen Wellesley students, she wrote “Decisions,” which tackles many contemporary issues the students have experienced in their own lives. “Decisions” will run from April 19-22 in the Ruth Nagel Jones Theatre.
