This story was published in the Fall 2019 edition of the Gradual.
In late 2016, a young man woke up, put on his ‘uniform’ – a red and blue spandex bodysuit decorated with spiderwebs – and headed to another day at campus. He was set to speak before a class of criminal justice students and allow them to meet a real superhero. Unfortunately, on his way through the West Library, he was stopped by campus security and forced to reveal his identity – sophomore Cameron Bennett.
Months later, Bennett got to prove to the world that his ‘Spidey-sense’ was fully functional as he ran to save a couple that were trapped in a car after a wreck in Sundance Square. His bravery did not surprise the friends that he was with, nor did his positivity and humble spirit surprise the Wesleyan community.
Now, Bennett is set to graduate in December, and he is looking forward to being able to make a superhuman impact on the world.
“When I think back of my time at the school,” Bennett said, “I think of the games I went to with Ram Squad. I think of Spiderman stuff that has happened on campus and being known as Spiderman. There’s also the RA experience, and I love being an RA at my school. But I’d probably have to say that the people that I’ve met here have had the greatest impact on me overall. The biggest highlight would be the friends and the people that I consider family that I’ve met here at the school.”
Bennett is a recipient of the Guardians of the Golden Sheers, as well as the coach and captain of the Smash Bros team of Esports, as well as part of the Programs and Activities Committee, Black Student Association, and more. Overall, Cameron aspires to be a real-life superhero and to embody what that means in his life on campus.
“It gives me the mindset to always try to help other people,” Bennett said of his Spiderman ‘uniform’. “In the end, we’re looking at a world where everyone is individualistic in a sense, where they focus only on themselves, and it gives me a reason to want to help other people. Even if I don’t have it on, the uniform is something that’s engrained into my mind. Whether it’s on my body or packed in my closet, I have the mentality of ‘If I see something, I’m gonna do everything that I can to try to help.’”
Associate professor of criminal justice Dr. Cary Adkinson has had Bennett in several classes and said that while Bennett might not have Superman’s strength or the speed of the Flash, he is a superhero both within the classroom and outside of the classroom.
“My favorite memory of Cameron is when I was given a certificate of appreciation for helping with an on-campus charity drive,” Adkinson said, “and it was delivered in-person by Spiderman. I heard afterwards that since Cameron and Spiderman are such good buddies that Cameron put in a good word to have Spiderman come and give the certificate to me.”
Adkinson cites Bennett’s kind heart as his biggest superpower, which he believes is the mark of any good superhero.
“I think that’s the foundation of being a hero,” Adkinson said, “that you have a genuine desire to bring light into the world and to make a positive impact on the lives of other human beings. Ever since I met Cameron, that’s been a defining characteristic of him, not just in classrooms, but he’s also a campus leader.”
Sophomore English major Nicholas Oliver says he has hung out with Bennett too much to even remember how they met, but he is pretty sure Smash Bros had something to do with it. He also sees Bennett as a superhero because of his willingness to help those in need.
“He is definitely not averse to going out of his way to figuring out what the problem is with someone who is having a bad day,” Oliver said. “He goes out of his way to make sure that even strangers are doing okay if he notices that there’s something wrong.”
Bennett hopes to continue growing in his superpowers of kindness and friendship and will continue to help others to realize their own strengths and abilities.
“Advice to the younger ones; please make sure that you pace yourselves, and don’t say yes to every organization. Do things that are important to you,” Bennett said.
He plans to hang on to his Spider-persona after college, and he is thankful for the friends and Ramily that he has gained from his time at Wesleyan. He also said that he is thankful for everyone being accepting of his secret identity and helping him to grow into a better superhero.
“Well, this is the final sign-off from your friendly neighborhood – or, friendly college campus – Spiderman,” the webslinger said with a smile.
Amanda Roach 