Professor Bu and Professor Cushman release joint statement on tensions between the two
President Bottomly has affirmed in a college-wide announcement the fact that the College will not tolerate any racial and/or ethnic discrimination between members of the Wellesley College community, as well as that the College remains committed to free speech. Professors Bu and Cushman are scheduled to go through a process of mediation with Bottomly to resolve any remaining tension. Bu and Cushman have also released a final joint statement stating that they are communicating closely with Bottomly and will meet in the next week to discuss the issues that have surfaced. In the announcement, they note that the tensions were “were political and not personal.” They also indicate that the situation may have been misinterpreted “both locally and in the larger global context.” They also expressed a mutual wish for the community, especially students, to remain patient in this process.
Local food options added to Emporium and dining halls campus-wide
Wellesley Fresh is constantly expanding its stock of fresh and locally sourced products. Currently, the campus works with around twenty-five different local companies to stock its retail locations. This includes the purchase of local milk, ice cream and bread. In the dining halls, all the seafood is locally sourced, made possible through partnerships with Open Ocean and North Atlantic Seafood. This month, Wellesley Fresh Retail manager Tom Markham, who is the scout for new products, has added new seasonal items to the Emporium shelves. These include Vermont Maple and Sea Salt Quinn Popcorn from Boston and Table Talk Pumpkin Pies from Worcester.
Mental health lecture “From Silence to Strength” to feature Maggie Bertram of Active Minds
Maggie Bertram is a mental health advocate, public speaker and the Associate Director of Training and Education for Active Minds, a non-profit dedicated to raising mental health awareness on college campuses. Bertram will be sharing her personal story on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Alumnae Ballroom, which will include topics such as dealing with mental illness in college and seeking help, as well as making campus resources more accessible and creating a more supportive campus community. Bertram wishes to share her personal experience with anxiety, depression and eating disorders to inspire others to seek help.
Professor Viti wins NPR radio “Listener Limerick Challenge”
Professor Lynne Viti, senior lecturer in the writing program, won the NPR “Listener Limerick Challenge” last Sunday when it aired on the local WGBH and WBUR radio stations, as well as nationally. Viti can be heard playing the challenge this weekend on local NPR radio stations in the popular program “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” during which she also gives Wellesley College a shoutout. Viti’s prize for winning is a customized voicemail message for her home phone featuring the voice of Carl Kasell, long-time judge and scorekeeper for the show.