The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Babson, Wellesley College name commencement speakers

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Babson Collegewellesley college entranceBabson College and Wellesley College have named their commencement speakers, whose bonafides range from finance to technology to science. MassBay Community College has yet to announce its commencement speaker.

Babson undergrads on May 14 will hear words of inspiration from Joanna Berwind, co-chair of a fifth-generation, family-owned investment management firm bearing her last name. Graduate students will hear from Marcelo Claure, former head of telecom firm Sprint and now head of a global investment firm bearing his last name.

Wellesley College graduates on May 27 will be addressed by Nergis Mavalvala, a 1990 alum who is now an astrophysics professor at MIT and dean of the MIT School of Science.

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Wellesley colleges and schools welcoming the public back with in-person arts events

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Babson College, Wellesley

After keeping campus buildings closed to visitors throughout the pandemic, area schools including Babson College and Wellesley College are welcoming the general public back to indoors in-person events.

Babson took the lead last month, opening up the Sorenson Center for a movie screening and other cultural offerings. Going forward, the four-year entrepreneurial school will present the family-friendly (PG-13) feature film, Jungle Cruise as part of their Screening Room Series on Wed., Mar. 23, at 6:30pm in the Carling-Sorenson Theater.

Inspired by Disneyland theme park ride, Jungle Cruise is set in the Amazon, where riverboat captain Frank Wolff encounters English researcher Dr. Lily Houghton, who looks to study a fabled tree with healing properties. As Frank and Lily navigate the risks of the rainforest, they cross a cohort of foes determined to use the tree for nefarious purposes.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated individuals. Visitors must be fully vaccinated, and proof must be uploaded during the reservation process.

Information about additional Babson campus events here.

Following suit, The Davis Museum at Wellesley College will reopen to the public on Tuesday, March 8 for the first time since the pandemic-related closure in March 2020.

Visitors are required to register in the Davis lobby, show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, and mask while in the galleries. Once that’s been taken care of, the art-loving public will once again have the opportunity to explore the encyclopedic permanent collections, as well as five new special exhibitions.  The exhibitions feature photography documenting mass incarceration, Dutch and Flemish prints, early travel photography of Pompeii, an installation commissioned by the Davis by Komatsu Hiroko, and a video installation by Sondra Perry.

Upcoming events at The Davis include a Mar. 9, 1:30-3:30pm conversation with award-winning Prison Nation curator Nicole R. Fleetwood on mass incarceration, photography, and activism, and a Mindful Meditation event to take place in the galleries on Mar. 17. 11am-11:45 (a virtual option is also available).

The Davis Museum is open with free admission Tues.-Fri., 11am–5pm, and Sat. & Sun., noon—4pm.

There’s lots more in-person artsy stuff going on around town, Some of the venues are clear online about their masking polices, some less so, so contact the venue ahead of time with any questions.

Dana Hall Middle School to thaw out with Frozen

The Dana Hall Middle School will present its spring musical, Frozen Jr., on Thursday, March 10, at 7:30 p.m., in Bardwell Auditorium. The performance is free and open to the public.

Frozen Jr. is based on the 2018 Broadway musical and brings Elsa, Anna and the magical land of Arendelle to life onstage. The show features all of the memorable songs from the animated film, plus five new songs written for the Broadway production.

Bardwell Auditorium is located on the Dana Hall campus at 37 Cameron Street. Please note that Bardwell is not wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call (781) 235-3010 ext. 2731.

Wellesley High School Drama Society presents Mamma Mia

Show dates are Mar. 10, 11, and 12. Tickets, times, and more info here.

On pins and needles at quilt show

Wellesley artist Susan McCraw is showing her work at The Community Art Gallery’s current exhibit, Quilts, on display through May at Christ Episcopal Church in Needham,

McCraw’s designs are inspired by shapes and symbols used in traditional societies around the world. Free admission. Hours: Mon.–Fri,  9:30am–1:30pm &  Sun.,  9am–noon. Masks are required indoors

An artist’s reception will be held on Sun., March 13, 11:15am at Christ Episcopal Church, 1132 Highland Ave., Needham.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra causing a Buzz

Orchestra-in-residence at MassBay Community College, The Wellesley Symphony Orchestra,  conducted by Geneviève Leclair, will present Buzz on Sunday, April 3, 3pm, at 50 Oakland St., Wellesley.

Pieces will include Rimsky-Korsakov:  Flight of the Bumblebee; Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D, first movement; soloist: John Matters, 2019 Competition Winner; Traditional:  La Cucaracha (arr.); Ralph Vaughan Williams: The Wasps Overture; and  Jonathan Peters: Arthropod Suite.

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Wellesley Business Buzz: We visit Cheesy Street Grill; Babson seeking partners

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Our roundup of the latest Wellesley, MA business news:

We visit Cheesy Street Grill

Cheesy Street Grill, WellesleyCheesy Street Grill owner and Wellesley resident Geoff Moorehead and his family moved into town in 2017, and the former Fidelity Investment Consultant hasn’t looked back. When researching business opportunities in the area, a Cheesy Street franchise looked like a good way to put his financial acumen to work. So in 2019 Moorehead opened his doors to serve grilled cheese sandwiches and other comfort foods to the many athletes, families, and others who have found the fast/casual concept spot inside the Boston Sports Institute.

Geoff is a true believer in the product he puts out, and says he has a cheddar bacon grilled cheese with caramelized onions for lunch every day. How does he do this and not gain weight, I wanted to know. “Everyone asks me that,” he says, explaining that his grilled cheeses are an excellent high-protein meal and that he preps the bread for himself the same way he does for his customers—easy on the butter.

My cheddar bacon with caramelized onions (if it’s good enough for Geoff…) was served piping hot within five minutes, and I loved every one of the ten minutes it took me to gobble down the cheesy goodness. After that, I went upstairs to burn it off on the elevated walking track. That’s not a perk just for Cheesy Street customers. Anyone can use the 9/10 of a mile two-lane oval that overlooks route 9.

Other menu offerings: soups, soft pretzels, smoothies, sweet baked goods.

Cheesy Street Grill

Located in The Boston Sports Institute
900 Worcester Street (route 9 eastbound), Wellesley, MA
781-489-3187

Fanciest menu item: The All Star—goat cheese, fig jam, and red-wine caramelized onions.
Bread: gluten-Free and wheat bread available upon request.
Salad: There’s a chicken caesar, if you must. Is it in the bylaws that every Wellesley restaurant must have a chicken caesar salad on the menu, or face sanctions? Cheesy Street is in compliance.
Dining room: Several 4-seat booths along one wall of the cavernous Boston Sports Institute lobby. Not fancy.

Babson seeking partners

Babson College’s Graduate Office of Experiential Learning is accepting proposals until Feb. 15 from organizations for its May 2022 programs. The program matches up organizations with student consulting teams.

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Campus roundup: Wellesley College not an island; Babson taps first Black trustees chair; MassBay all in on vaccines

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Our roundup of the latest news from Wellesley’s colleges:

Wellesley College not an island

President Dr. Paula Johnson said during a recent panel discussion with peers that colleges and universities need to support one another and the wider community.

“This experience has made it very clear that we’re not islands,” said Johnson, as reported by The Wellesley News student news site. “It’s not just about keeping our campus safe. It’s about how we can improve the health of our entire community. And we’re not going to get beyond this pandemic until that is the feeling that we have across the country, and quite frankly across the world.”

According to the article, Johnson said Wellesley College offered dorm space to first responders in COVID-19 isolation.

Students are doing their part to support the wider community by again offering to create customized signs for Boston Marathon runners. It will be interesting to see what the Scream Tunnel— where some students typically aren’t shy about smooching sweaty runners—looks like this Oct. 11 in light of the college’s efforts to protect its community from the virus.

The Boston Athletic Association issued health and safety policies that included a special message for Wellesley College students, though not by name (bold added by us): “From guests traveling with athletes to spectators cheering on participants, everyone is encouraged to take efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These efforts may include being fully vaccinated, getting tested for COVID-19 prior to any travel, wearing a mask when you cannot socially distance over race week, refraining from kissing a stranger around the halfway mark of the Boston Marathon, and only using B.A.A. provided course nutrition in lieu of accepting hydration or food from spectators.”

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We have confirmed that Wellesley Repertory Theatre remains on pause for live indoor performances for the public while the campus is closed to the public. Though the theatre company will be ready when public performances are allowed—it has joined with other Boston-area theatre companies in requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for all those performing in, working at, or attending such performances.

Artistic Director Marta Rainer assures us that “we are devoted to creating compelling student work this semester… We’ll be interpreting a selection of plays from Pulitzer Prize-winner Suzan-Lori Parks’ ‘365 Plays in 365 Days’ collection—which will have live audiences who have sanctioned campus access —both in the Ruth Nagel Jones black box, and outdoors throughout the semester.”

The college is exploring ways to stream performances to a wider audience.

Babson taps first Black trustees chair

 

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Jeffrey Perry (photo via Babson College)

Babson College has named 1987 alum Jeffrey Perry, who as a Cleveland teen learned about Babson through an early access management expo, as its Board of Trustees chair.

He becomes the first Black chair, as well as the first chair to have a child attending the school at the same time.

Perry founded the firm Lead Mandates after a long career as partner with professional services firms EY and A.T. Kearney.

MassBay all in on vaccines

The presidents of Wellesley’s MassBay Community College and other community colleges across the state have declared that they will require students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January, 2022. An exception will be made for students taking fully remote classes and that have no plans to visit campus.

According to a statement issued by the schools: “During the last eighteen months, the Massachusetts Community Colleges have prioritized the health and safety of our communities while also recognizing that many of our students have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While a significant number of students, faculty, and staff are already vaccinated or are in the process of becoming vaccinated, the fifteen colleges are seeking to increase the health and safety of the learning and working environment in light of the ongoing public health concerns and current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

MassBay and the other schools will continue to make vaccine clinics available on site.

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Babson eyeing public access to fall arts programs

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BabsonARTs has begun promoting a full slate of fall programs, from art exhibits to films, concerts, and unique puppet shows being held at its Sorenson Center and other venues on campus. You may have received a glossy brochure about these via snail mail.

Sorenson at Babson
Sorenson Center at Babson

Babson College hopes it will be able to welcome the wider public of Wellesley and beyond to its events by late September after all returning students have been vaccinated and the school has a good read on health data.

The first batch of events on its calendar will be restricted to students and staff. But Babson looks forward to welcoming the public to later events, such as the DLUX Puppets performance of Alice in Wonderland.

We’ll be listing some events as we learn about their availability, though check the BabsonARTS site for the latest info.

Recognizing its role as part of the Wellesley community in addition to its commitment to students and staff, Babson has taken a practical and community-oriented approach to campus access during the pandemic. It has safeguarded students and staff, but also allowed the town (voting, Wellesley High car parade starting place) and other organizations such as the Pan-Mass Challenge to use its facilities in a safe manner.

Babson reopened its campus to the public in late June, allowing the public to visit its outdoor spaces in light of the latest knowledge about COVID-19’s transmission.

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Babson the first of 3 colleges in Wellesley to welcome back the public

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Babson College will be the first of the three colleges that call Wellesley home to start welcoming the public back to its campus in the wake of the Commonwealth lifting the State of Emergency surrounding COVID-19 on June 15. A representative from the 4-year private business school, known for its entrepreneurship programs, said in an email, “Our local community and neighbors will once again be invited to utilize outdoor spaces on campus. The Babson community is being notified of this policy update today, and signage will begin to be removed shortly.”

Babson College
Babson College will soon welcome visitors to use its outdoor spaces.

So keep an eye on the Forest Street gates. When the signs go down, you can go in and enjoy walking once more on Babson’s beautiful campus.

MassBay & Wellesley College remain

MassBay and Wellesley College both continue to proceed with a cautious approach to the pandemic and are keeping their campuses closed to the general public.

“The protection of the health and safety of our community will remain our primary concern,” a MassBay representative said.

Wellesley College has been in communication with the town in recent weeks, as the school sorts out how to best handle access to the public (beyond golfers, who are already allowed on the Nehoiden course). One consideration for the college is how to address pets. Dogs must be leashed on campus, but even before the pandemic college officials were frustrated with pet owners’ lack of adherence to the rules.

If Wellesley College is to reopen at least the outdoor campus to the public, you’d think it might want to do so before students return, to sort of ease things back to normal.

A consolation prize for those missing Lake Waban: The Wabancam livestream.

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Babson to the rescue: Survey seeks to get to bottom of Wellesley Square issues

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The town of Wellesley is partnering with Babson College graduate students in an experiential learning program in which students will aim to help the town come up with ideas to revitalize its downtown.

Wellesley Square, fall 2020The Select Board and students have crafted a survey for residents that puts things gingerly: “Wellesley is currently experiencing several commercial vacancies in our business districts.” (Our emphasis on several.)

Questions include:

  • How often do you shop online?
  • What is your most frequented store in Wellesley?
  • Which improvements would encourage you to visit Wellesley Square?
  • Why is it that you’d prefer a Peet’s over a Chase Bank? (OK, that last one is ours.)

The survey also seeks to learn why you go to other communities for your shopping or dining pleasure. It includes multiple choice and open-ended questions, so you’ll have a chance to make a plug for a candy store, pub, or whatever you’d like to see.

The students will be surveying retailers, restaurants, and business property owners to get their perspectives as well.

The research could help guide the town in planning future downtown and business developments. Students may present their findings at an upcoming Select Board meeting if the timing works out.

Questions or comments about the survey (such as, you might want to have a few higher household income choices than “$100,000 or more” given the median income in town…) may be emailed to student coordinator Maxine Fergie at [email protected] or to Wellesley Assistant Executive Director Amy Frigulietti at [email protected]

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