NOV. 14 — After a 2-week hiatus, the General Assembly reconvened Thursday night in Ernst Common Room, as per usual. The Assembly was joined by Professor and College Archaeologist Anthony Graesch and Arboretum Director Maggie Redfern to discuss the college’s archaeological findings at the lower Athletics field (nearest to the Waterfront) and Terrell Wright ‘25 for a Sustainable Projects Fund proposal.
Graesch provided a thorough and much-appreciated account of the recent archaeological history of the lower field. “I think it’s vitally important that the student body understands what has happened here but also that we understand what it means to be stewards—to be land stewards,” said Graesch.
The field was expanded from a baseball diamond to roughly the size of a soccer field in 1981 through unofficial construction means—someone knew someone with a bulldozer who just happened to be the kind of person to be willing to use it without much pre-planning or consideration. In a matter of hours, the bulldozer destroyed evidence of what had been the location of a major indigenous settlement considered to be at least 500, if not thousands, of years old. Human bones were exposed, and a salvage excavation was initiated by an on-campus archaeologist. The bones of an indigenous ancestor were removed from the site.
Decades after their removal, the ancestor has been recently returned and laid to rest in a private ceremony in a place that will hopefully be safe from future disturbance. The community response to this incident and another bulldozer disruption to the site in 2022 without environmental or heritage consultation prompted people like Graesch to set in motion a plan to ensure these events will not continue to happen.
As the College Archaeologist, Graesch considers himself a cultural advocate with a purview encompassing the conservation and protection of cultural resources including archaeological records but also intangible aspects of heritage like foods, languages, and areas that were sacred or associated with particular ceremonies.
In May, Graesch invited Conn’s indigenous neighbors to campus to meet with college administrators. He said, “It was the first time that Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, and Eastern Pequot had been invited to the table together and to discuss their heritage.”
Graesch described the meeting as optimistic, constructive, and genuine. There was a lot of interest among the indigenous participants to work with Conn students and be included in campus networks and communities.
“It was also a meeting that was wonderfully uncomfortable. Things needed to be said. People stood up. Emotions were high…They still deal with a magnitude of inequity and inequality that I might venture to say most of us in this room could never wrap our heads around,” said Graesch.
Looking to the future, the Conn community is still considering ways to use—or not use—the space. The college is searching for a new vision to be driven by a collective that includes our indigenous neighbors in the conversations. An indigenous liaison committee was proposed as one idea in the Assembly as a way to do this.
Though change in an institution is slow and can pose a number of challenges, Graesch and the students of the Assembly were hopeful that it’s possible here at Conn. Graesch said, “We could change our relationship to this very sacred place on our landscape.”
After a short break, the Assembly rejoined for Wright’s Sustainable Projects Fund (SPF) proposal to secure finances for the second annual Black History Month Retreat to Washington, D.C., a trip-based initiative he began in partnership with Zale Peart ‘25 last year. The SPF is used to support projects or events that promote holistic sustainability: environmental protection, social justice, and economic justice. Wright requested $5,000 as part of this proposal to help afford the transportation costs for this year’s attendees.
The trip seeks to break down barriers and foster connection among Black students across classes and majors as they learn about their history. Wright said, “You cannot have a sustainable environment, you cannot have a sustainable future, when people do not understand their history.”
As with all resolutions, this was presented and set to be voted on at the next meeting of the Assembly.
As for committee reports, the Dining Committee brought a number of updates. Since students at Conn seem very confused and picky about their types of chicken, Dine at Conn will no longer serve thigh meat (students have found the natural color difference between breast and thigh meat off-putting) nor any chicken with bones (students have found that bones in something that was previously an animal is weird). As a note, the Dining Committee and Chartwells request that students please use the dining suggestions form, since many people seem to have something to say but there is a distinct lack of response in the routes for feedback they have established.
A new committee focused on solidifying school policies around freedom of expression and assembly for students, faculty, and staff has begun on campus and will hopefully provide clarity for all members of the campus community on these topics.
In other news, members of the Assembly requested the Calendar Committee look into rescheduling the All-College Symposium, since it predictably occurs quite near to the national presidential election every four years, which seniors felt was suboptimal for their symposium experience. Presidential Associate and member of the committee Abdou-Latifou Dare ‘27 noted that, due to the nature of scheduling for the college, such a change could be quite difficult and complex. In a creative proposed solution, President Bella Castellanos Palacios ‘25 suggested that they instead look into rescheduling the national election.
Chair of Residential Life Tenzin Choedak ‘27 delivered an important message in officer reports: “Anytime you see bodily fluid that does not belong where it is, you call Campus Safety. That’s a biohazard. It’s really disgusting. Call Campus Safety and they will get rid of it.”
In quick summary, the college is looking to a collaborative and consent-based future with its indigenous neighbors, students are hoping to continue a cool initiative for Black students, Conn students only like one kind of chicken and Chartwells is giving up on trying to broaden that pallet, people are still talking about freedom of expression on campus (we’ll get back to you on that), the Calendar Committee will look into moving the national presidential elections, and bodily fluids belong in the body.
Toodle-oo!
