Along with leading both Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness (ASHA) and Throw Culture on campus, Rebecca Goldfarb Terry ’19 is known for being one of the warmest students at Wesleyan. She’s a self-proclaimed “Usdan Lunch Biddie”, a die-hard Veg Out supporter, and one of the only—if not THE only—Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and history double-major. The Argus sat down with Rebecca in her favorite lunch spot to find out about her senior year and life at Wesleyan.

The Argus: How’s the second semester of your senior year going so far?

Rebecca Goldfarb Terry: It’s going really well, but it’s a little terrifying that I won’t be here in three months. And I’m really sad to leave all of the groups I’m a part of and all of my friends. So I guess it’s bittersweet, mostly. I’m only taking three classes, and I have a four-day weekend. I have class Tuesday and Thursday only. It’s amazing.

A: So what have you been doing Monday, Wednesday, Friday typically?

RGT: I work at the music library on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I do stuff for ASHA. And we have Frisbee practice after 4:00 everyday, not until after spring break, but that will be what I do.

A: What do you do in the music library?

RGT: I just work, I don’t know. They call us the music staff and I sit behind the desk and I do my work and I help people who come in if they need books or CDs.

A: Do you want to talk a bit about your involvement in ASHA?

RGT: ASHA is my baby. I’ve been the coordinator for two years now, so I did it last year with a senior who graduated, Jade. And I do it now with Jessica Brandon who is a junior. I love it so much and it is exactly what I want to do when I graduate. I think it’s been one of my favorite parts of being at Wesleyan—getting to teach in high schools but also getting to teach students on campus like Greek life organizations and sports teams.

A: How about your involvement with Frisbee?

RGT: I’m a captain of the all-gender Frisbee team, which is Throw Culture. Which I feel like is another one of my babies and another one of the reasons why I’ve loved being on campus so much. It’s just an amazing group of people who are really friendly and inclusive. And we’re in season for two seasons of the year, fall and spring, so I really spend a lot of time with them. Every year we go to a spring break trip in Myrtle Beach where we play Frisbee and fuck around. Can I curse? Yeah, we fuck around for a week and it’s amazing. I have four co-captains who are all some of my best friends here.

A: Did you play Frisbee before you came to Wesleyan? I feel like it’s a cliché college activity.

RGT: No, I didn’t. Whenever I tell anyone that I play Frisbee, they say, “Wow, you’re such a college student.” I swam in high school pretty competitively and then when I got here I was looking for a sports team, like a community like that, and I found Throw my sophomore year. One of our senior captains took me under his wing and made tofu dinners with me every week, and so ever since then I’ve played Frisbee, I guess.

A: What are you majoring in?

RGT: I’m a history and FGSS double major.

A: What has been your favorite class that you’ve ever taken at Wesleyan?

RGT: My favorite class? I’d say the most wild class I ever took was Women, Animals and Nature with Lori Gruen. She’s a philosophy and FGSS professor here and that class caused me to go vegetarian when I was a first year, so I feel like that was a big moment. I don’t know, favorite class. I think feminist theories my junior year with Christina Crosby. I think she’s been one of my most amazing professors here, and she’s really challenged me to think critically about a variety of things. Every time I go to one of her public talks she makes me cry because she’s so eloquent. That’s really nerdy.

A: Because of your vegetarianism, I have to ask, are you a fan of the new Veg Out movement (aka every Tuesday being Veg Out Tuesday)?

RGT: Yes. I love it. And I get such a kick out of when athletes go to swipe in and having the person at the register tell them that it’s Veg Out and they groan. I don’t know, I feel like you can go one meal without eating meat. No, I love Veg Out Tuesday. I’m a big Usdan lunch biddie. I’m here usually from 11 a.m. to 1:20 hanging out.

A: Do you have a side preference?

RGT: Lower Usdan is my preference.

A: Do you have any advice that you would give to younger students on campus?

RGT: I guess if you’re having a hard time here, it gets better, and it takes time to find the people that you care about and get along with. And the most important thing is not academics. Which I know gets said a lot, but it’s really true. I’d say realizing what your priorities are and feeling comfortable following them even if it’s not being the highest achieving person. Not that you shouldn’t do well in school.

A: What’s the thing you’ll miss most about Wesleyan and what are you looking forward to most about after college?

RGT: It’s hard to say what I’ll miss most. I think the community and the people that I’ve met here. And imagining a world in which I can’t go two minutes and be with the people that I love is kind of crazy. I think that’s what I’ll miss the most. And Usdan lunch, probably. But I am looking forward to hopefully getting a job in the future. I guess I feel ready to graduate, but I’ll definitely miss the people here the most.

 

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

 

Stella Ginsberg can be reached at sginsberg@wesleyan.edu.