The Marshall Center at the Base

This fall, the Marshall Center at the Base hosted a variety of programs and activities designed to bring people together and strengthen our community. We’re excited to share some highlights, pulling from all strands of our work, and to invite members of the campus to participate in upcoming programs.

Our Intergroup Dialogue Program is underway, providing opportunities for meaningful conversations aimed at helping participants build skills for dialogue and understanding. We also took advantage of The Unity Project installation in front of the library—an engaging, interactive art experience that celebrates connection and identity. Students participated in the project, discussing identity, inclusion, and community in the process.

In recognition of Latinx Heritage Month, the Marshall Center invited Flor Amaya, Director of Public Health for the city of Chelsea, to campus for a Lunch and Learn conversation. She spoke about the importance of play in our lives—not only as a source of joy and wellness, but also as a meaningful way to connect to our culture, generations, and communities.

For LGBQT+ History Month, there were a variety of great programs, including an alumni panel, a Wheaton queer history trivia night, a trip to GRID Gallery RI, and the launch of The Base Boutique. We’re also working with a number of campus and community partners to finalize Wheaton’s Green Spaces initiative.

The area of Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) resumed the program Chapel after Dark and debuted Your Inner Voice: Writing as a Contemplative Practice, a collaboration with the Counseling Center. The Jewish High Holidays marked a festive and reflective season with services and meals, including a kosher break fast for Yom Kippur in collaboration with the Jewish Student Organization. The RSL Transportation service returned for a second semester, a newly renovated Prayer & Meditation Room was unveiled, and a multireligious holiday calendar is now embedded for use on InsideWheaton.

Together, the assistant directors of the Base also co-produced and launched a new recurring program, Art in Conversation, whose first installment, “Inviting Yourself to the Table,” centered student art inspired by Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party. 

Upcoming programs include:

  • Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month keynote speaker on November, 7th at the Marshall Center in the Base. Our speaker will share how her indigenous heritage has instilled in her a profound respect for nature, sustainability and the essence of honest food.
  • First Gen Week from November 10th, through 14th. Programs include tabling in Chase Dining on Monday November 10th, a keynote speaker on November 13th, a workshop from Student Financial Services and LCDI on November 14th.
  • On November 12th, RSL will host several monks and nuns from the Wat Nawamintararachutis Meditation Center in Raynham, MA for “Peaceful Mind,” a program about Thai approaches to meditation practice.

Be on the look out for information on our MLK Legacy keynote speaker and to submit creative works for the MLK Student Creativity Showcase.  

We’re committed to finding ways the Marshall Center can foster community, dialogue, and shared learning—and we look forward to more opportunities to connect. 

Marshall Center Staff:
Raquel Ramos, Dean of the Marshall Center
Angelica Mirandou, Assistant Director of Community Dialogue and First-Generation Student Success
Amanda Napior, Assistant Director for Religious & Spiritual Life
Mike Pratt, Assistant Director, Social Justice and Community Impact