Twenty-five years ago, First-Year Seminar (FYS) was created to be the foundation for the entire Wheaton experience for all incoming students, both academically and in terms of building a sense of community. The subject matter of these small-group discussion courses has constantly evolved to accommodate the scholarly and personal interests of professors as well as the needs of students. The goals have remained the same—to inspire enthusiastic, intellectually curious students; to introduce them to high standards and expectations; and to help them negotiate the transition to emerging adulthood. Here, we explore three examples that highlight the potential of FYS. And longtime classics professor and FYS coordinator Joel Relihan provides a personal reflection.
A man and his shovel
Spring 2012 by
Archaeologist Sean Britt digs into the past, makes way for the future
Sean Britt ’00 got his first taste of archaeological field research working on a sugarcane plantation one summer while a junior at Wheaton.
His interest had already been piqued by “Anthropology 101,” his favorite class, and deepened as he pursued his major in history and minor in anthropology, just one course short of a double major. And then Jim Chiarelli, the father of James Chiarelli Jr. ’02, offered him a job at the Earthwatch Institute working on an archaeological dig examining a historic sugarcane plantation on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
Wheaton cover to cover
Spring 2012 by
As Wheaton celebrates 100 years as a four-year college, we are looking back at decades of the Quarterly. My, how time flies! Here are just a few of the covers that chronicle the story of Wheaton, issue by issue. Go online to wheatoncollege.edu/quarterly to see the rest. Email us at quarterly@wheatoncollege.edu and tell us which ones are your favorites and why, and share the memories that surface as you look.
Click on a decade below to view the covers
Success for students
Spring 2012 by
That’s the goal of Go Beyond: Campaign for Wheaton. The generosity of alumnae/i, parents and friends is making a difference for students by expanding scholarship resources, creating funds for student-faculty research and improving campus facilities. The campaign now stands at $105 million, on its way toward the goal of $120 million by June 30, 2014.
