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Written by Sreyneang L.
How have college traditions impacted ethnicities and race at Wellesley?
How have college traditions impacted ethnicities and race at Wellesley?
Wellesley has been expressing its efforts to admit students from various locations across the globe, so they can create a diverse college environment. The school aims to create better academic experience by learning from each other since different locations can most likely bring in a different perspective. Given the fact that a study has shown that “black students are still underrepresented” in colleges after Asian students, Wellesley has put forward their vigorous attempt to create the sense of community for those who are able to make it to campus and is continuously working their way to open up more opportunities to offer more students of various races to receive a place at the college. Regardless of where they are geographically from, students are able to enjoy the Wellesley’s traditions together. One of these traditions is sledding.
This tradition is important because it allows the Wellesley family to connect at a more personal level outside of the classrooms. Wellesley’s incorporation of sledding into its traditions offers the chance for students and faculty to socialize during the winter, helping to diminish the visible differences in the population. It, therefore, also leaves a long lasting impact for more Wellesley generations to come since the tradition can be repeated to to create a sense of community in the diverse environment.
Below are some more examples other forms of group activities that unite the students.
Below are some more examples other forms of group activities that unite the students.
Purple bubble bottle found from the college hall fire excavation.
Sledding has become a large part of Wellesley. It allows students and faculty to enjoy the winter together and connect with one another. Evidence that indicates faculty’s personal connection with the sled itself. In a Wellesley News article titled 'Ski Thoughts Muddle Up The Mid-Year Mind' describes how excited a Wellesley faculty is for winter sports, skiing or sledding, because it reminds her of the time she sledded with her family. This reflects how sledding could help to connect faculty and students when they try to enjoy winter together, even though they are far from home, since they can reflect on their home memories when they are sledding from the college.
Similarly, another letter written by a faculty member also found to have reflected their personal connection to sledding since it shows a father to son relationship with sledding. Luther Brucen stated, “the ground here is covered with snow and if you were here you would have a great time with your sled.” This indicates how much sled meant to him and his son as well as the vivid memory regarding sledding. Sledding isn’t just a sport, yet is an activity that has a deeper connection with people.
Even though the archives do not have the record of students’ communication with their families or friends about sled, we can infer that there certainly were communications about sledding given that even faculty do have their personal memories with their family.
Therefore, the Wellesley’s sledding tradition no doubt will bring joy and allow people to feel more like home doing this activity. It is important since there will be students and faculty who might be far away from home and that by sledding, they could feel like home again. It also is a great chance for students and staffs who got to experience snow for the first time to learn from other experienced sledders. Sledding itself was so big that “sled rides down Norumbega Hill on dust-pans were the approved winter sport.” Just imagine the fun it could get by sliding on a dust-pan. And the joy will therefore create better relationships between people.
Despite the fact there have been limited records of the admitted students geographically before the fire and sometimes after, the pieces of broken sled does reflect the sense of inclusion during the time since the sledding tradition allows people to come together and enjoy the winter snow. On the other hand, the sled also reflects on the Wellesley’s effort in ensuring that students and faculties are active together thus they can become closer as a family. By making it a tradition, Wellesley is simply opening up the gate for all students of different beliefs or ethnicities to unite. The tradition itself isn’t just a one time activity, it also carries on to the present days so it can keep uniting new entering students and staffs to Wellesley.
Bibliography
Callendar, Danielle. (2013, April 20), Opportunity for All? Race, Class And Inequality at Elite Colleges, Retrieved from https://repository.wellesley.edu/object/ir407Swartz, Susan. (1939, February 2), Ski Thoughts Muddle Up The Mid-Year Mind, Retrieved fromhttps://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley10991?search=SledBrucen, Luther. (1864, March 24), Letter From Luther Brucen, Nokesville, Virginia, to Frank Brucen, Retrieved from https://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley6977?search=SledWellesley Press. (1934, June 21), Wellesley College News, Retrieved fromhttps://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley10851?search=SledWellesley College. (1942 September), 1942 Record Number of The Wellesley College Bulletin, Retrieved from https://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley778Wellesley College. (1986), Annual Report Of The President And Treasurer Of Wellesley Collge 1896, Retrieved fromhttps://repository.wellesley.edu/object/wellesley723
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