April 8 - 14

Celebrate the arts

Jerome EllisJerome Ellis is on campus this week as the Ferrall Artist-in-Residence. Through music, performance, writing, video, and photography, JJJJJerome explores blackness, disabled speech, divinity, nature, sound, and time. Meet-the-Artist (Monday, 12:30 P.M.) and attend the Public Performance (Thursday, 7:30 P.M.)

Hello Beloiters! April’s activities continue, with fewer than four weeks until the end of the academic year and….Commencement!

Commencement speakers

This year’s senior class officers have chosen two leaders who fight for justice to speak at Commencement on May 12: Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson and Oceana R. Gilliam’17. Gilliam, a Beloit College Trustee since 2021, is also engaged to Pearson and serves as his Chief of Staff. She was a leading force behind Pearson’s two primary and general election victories.

A community organizer, Pearson was elected to the Tennessee General Assembly in January 2023. Less than three months later, following a tragic mass shooting in Nashville, he was expelled along with two other legislators for protesting gun violence on the House floor. Local authorities in Memphis and Nashville reinstated Pearson several days later, and when Pearson ran for the office again in August, he won with 94 percent of the vote. A Los Angeles native, Gilliam leads Pearson’s campaign and District 86’s community outreach initiatives, and helps shape legislation that focuses on reducing poverty, eradicating gun violence, and enhancing community safety. 

Learn more about this year’s speakers.

Celebrating senior writers and artists

Attend the Creative Writing Senior Reading (April 12, 12:30 p.m., Wright Museum) to hear the work of Grayson Thobe and Rachel Kanzenbach. This is the second senior reading from creative writing majors, with Cynthia Rossbach, Amanda Langford, Lyndsey Turner, and Flora Milford having read last week.

Celebrate the opening of Polyperspectivity: Senior Studio Art Exhibition (April 12, 4 p.m., Wright Museum) and the work of senior studio art majors Aliza Ayala, Kristin Larson, Franccesca Mamani, Chase Nelson, and Jaida Wesley. The exhibit runs through May 11.

Course registration starts this week

All current and vacation term students register themselves online starting Tuesday, April 9, including students who may be returning for the tuition-free semester option.

  • Tuesday: up to 1.25 units of credit
  • Wednesday: up to a total of 2.25 units of credit
  • Thursday: up to a total of 3.25 units of credit
  • Friday: up to a total of 4.75 units of credit

On each of the above days, students may begin registering at the time indicated by their class year:

  • 7:30 a.m. – Class of 2025, and members of earlier class years
  • 12:30 p.m. – Class of 2027
  • 4 p.m. – Class of 2026

Students who anticipate being unable to connect during their registration time should email their prioritized, primary and alternate, course selections to registrar@beloit.edu no later than Mon., Apr. 8, at 4:00 pm. Registrar Office staff will register these students.

Beloit International Film Festival continues

The Beloit International Film Festival is hosting its 19th season through April 14, with over 100 films screened in venues on the Beloit College campus and across the city of Beloit.

  • Afterglow – Nathan Sill, Beloit College & Beloit Memorial Alum, hosts a documentary where a group of parkour athletes explore their shared history. Looking at how emotions and mindsets are challenged, Afterglow explores themes of trauma and the youth experience of trying to find belonging. Tickets must be purchased beforehand. $7 with Student ID.
    • Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Weissberg Auditorium, Powerhouse
    • Friday, 5 p.m., Bagels and More, Downtown Beloit
    • Saturday, 5 p.m., Weissberg Auditorium, Powerhouse

  • Queer Shorts Film Festival – Michael Dango’s Queer Theory, Film, and Communities class presents a collection of short films focusing on LGBTQ themes on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Weissberg Auditorium in the Powerhouse. Admission is free for all.

  • Beyond BIFF: Afterglow Screening – Blue Collar Coffee invites Beloit College students to attend an exclusive Beyond BIFF screening of “Afterglow” by Nathan Sill, a distinguished Beloit College alumnus. Blue Collar’s full menu will be available for purchase.

Check out the Beloit International Film Festival website for more BIFF screenings.

Sigma Chi to host week of fundraising and fun

Beloit’s Sigma Chi chapter announces Derby Days, an annual fundraising event to foster campus collaboration, competition and community while raising money for the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Sigma Chi is hosting events from April 22 to April 28.

Each day, there will be an event or competition, and each is not exclusive to only Greek Organizations. Any student or staff member may participate in the competitions and use their participation toward the Greek organization of their choice. Events will include a campus-wide social, water fight, and a pep rally.

Find the full list of events on the campus calendar.

Sports recap

Beloit College baseball took two games in a Friday doubleheader at the University of Chicago. Over the weekend, the Bucs swept a three-game series against Knox College to strengthen their record to 16-6, 8-2 in conference.

Beloit softball had a busy weekend, hosting six home games Friday through Sunday. The team went 1-1 in a non-conference doubleheader against Mount Mary University before losing two conference games each to Cornell College and Grinnell College.

Men’s and women’s lacrosse opened their conference schedules. The men’s team dropped their first two games to the Illinois Institute of Technology and Edgewood College. The women’s team lost a close game, 13-11, at Edgewood.

Buccaneer track and field kicked off their outdoor season at the Wisconsin Private College Championships held at Carroll University. Of the 13 teams, the men’s team finished fifth, while the women’s team finished seventh.

Stories

SEL students connect with alumni in human rights

Alumni gathered for a photo-op during SEL's trip to Washington, D.C.

Over spring break, students in Student Excellence and Leadership (SEL) traveled to Washington, D.C. to network with notable alumni in the fields of human rights and social justice. Many discussed how Beloit’s internationally-minded training has impacted their careers and lives.

Finding community on and off the court

Alexis Ross dribbling a basketball.

Over her four years at Beloit, Alexis Ross’24 has harvested Beloit’s opportunities through athletics, clubs, and research projects. “I think it’s important to be involved in more than one thing,” she says. “Mixing all those different groups and meeting new people makes my time on campus better.”

Upcoming Events

Announcements

Student Shout-Outs

Each year, Career Works celebrates student achievements with shout-outs. Our student marketing paraprofessionals use these shout-outs on Instagram so that our wider community knows how amazing you all are. Please submit your shout-outs throughout the month of April.

Children’s Book Drive

OEC is collecting books for ages 1-7 through April 28. Drop off your books in the container on the second floor of Morse-Ingersoll across from the 241-bathroom. Books will be donated to Little Turtles’ Playhouse.

Beloiters Beat Survey

We are looking for feedback about the Beloiters Beat, the weekly internal newsletter sent to all current students, faculty, and staff. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

For Beloiters

Find more campus happenings on For Beloiters.