Women Speak Out on Democracy

The Hillary Rodham Clinton Center for Citizenship, Leadership, and Democracy will officially launch on April 6 at a one-day summit hosted at the College, “Renewing Democracy: Women Leading the Way,” which Clinton, class of ’69, plans to attend. Policymakers, scholars, and democracy advocates from around the globe will take part in the event, and alumnae will be able to participate via livestream.

Tried and Test-Optional

In December, Academic Council voted to continue the College’s test-optional admission policy for up to another five years, covering those applying to the classes of 2029 through 2033. Wellesley implemented the policy in April 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. The Committee on Admission and Financial Aid made the recommendation to extend the policy after reviewing the relevant issues and finding little reason to support a return to required testing. The committee noted that requiring testing would be out of step with peer institutions, that there was little support for such a move among faculty and students, and that the analysis of recent student performance does not raise significant concerns about the ability of the Admission Office to evaluate candidates who do not provide standardized test scores.

Wash and Learn

There was a welcome change in residential halls’ laundry rooms this fall: The washers and dryers now run for free. Sheilah Shaw Horton, vice president and dean of students, made the announcement in a letter to students, expressing appreciation for “very thoughtful research and information” provided by the 2021–22 and 2022–23 College Government community organizing and inclusion liaisons and the 2022–23 CG bursar on the importance of free access to the machines. (Yet to be resolved: is the longstanding issue of students not moving their laundry after their cycles are complete.)

Wellesley Welcomes Robot Overlords

In December, Wellesley College Theatre presented its take on the 1921 science fiction classic R.U.R. by Karel Čapek. Directed by Marta Rainer ’98, senior lecturer in theatre studies and director of theatre and theatre studies, the production transformed the Ruth Nagel Jones Black Box Theatre into a secret factory owned by Rossum’s Universal Robots. As R.U.R. envisions a world where humanoid robots outnumber humans, the characters grapple with the consequences of relentless technological progress. Jiayi Shao ’27, playing Dr. Hallemeier, emphasized the play’s underlying message of hope. “Even in the middle of a robot apocalypse, my character really values community,” says Shao. Rainer adds, “It was really exciting to think about working on a piece written in 1920 before so much of the technology we’re talking about today existed. It was more theoretical then, and now we’re seeing how it’s being played out in reality.”

By Morgan Gallegos ’25

LGBTQ+ Leader

Last semester, Wellesley welcomed Todd Nordgren as the new director of LGBTQ+ programs and services. Nordgren came to Wellesley from Dickinson College, where he led the Office of LGBTQ Services and taught in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Previously, he served as the field director for the United Council of University of Wisconsin Students, advocating on issues of access and equity. Nordgren holds a B.A. in English and linguistics with comprehensive honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Ph.D. in English literature from Northwestern University. “I’m really interested in thinking about how I’m giving students a platform to share the things that matter to them, and building their skills around how they’re thinking about their identity and the ways they can share that information and build community among themselves,” Nordgren says.