Sweet Surprise

Those of you who attended last week’s Sweet Surprise got a second special treat: the opportunity to visit with a few of our trustees! They really enjoyed interacting with all of you and hearing how the semester has been going. I especially enjoyed the tasty Cannoli! Great choice super-secret Sweet Surprise committee!

The Sweet Surprise will be back on the Academic Mall tomorrow afternoon. I’ve heard rumblings that this week’s sweet treat may be a former favorite. Hmmmm?

Library Outdoor Decks

After months of waiting, I was so glad to see the James E. and Mary B. Clifford Outdoor Decks are finished! I watched the work take place last week, as I'm sure you did, with the 50 person crews working long hours to keep their promise that the decks would be ready by Homecoming—and they were with just hours to spare! Awesome! The new decks are a great outdoor space for banned book readings (happening next Wednesday, October 27 during the Sweet Surprise), future yoga gatherings (sign me up), studying, relaxing, music and theatre events, and class instruction. The decks are full service with very attractive lighting (the night-time garden lights are very pretty), charging stations, and ADA-compliant ramps leading to the library entrance. Our very own Monstrance is still there, and ready for midterm and final tributes! 

Morning Walk

Had a great walk with students yesterday morning, we watched the deer play and the giant woodchip pile steam in the sun. Back by popular demand the Spider Web cookies were freshly baked and ready to be shared. Next week will feature another scary (yet tasty) baked sweet. Mondays at 7:30 a.m. at the Turner-Fleming House. There’s no better way to kick off the week than with a little exercise and a lot of good conversation. This is a highlight of each week for me.

Athletic Update

Did you know we have not one, but TWO nationally ranked athletic programs? A big shout-out to the #16 ranked women’s volleyball team and the #23 ranked women’s soccer team. These student-athletes are excelling not only in the classroom, but also on the field.

Be sure to make it out to one of their games soon. Check out the full athletic schedule for all the details.

Health Update

Thank you to everyone for helping keep our campus safe and abiding by our health and safety policies during last weekend’s activities. If you ever have a question about our health and safety policies, the proper way to wear a mask, or our current vaccination rates or isolation and quarantine numbers, you can visit our health and safety website.

Vaccination Updates (as of October 18, 2021)

• Student vaccination rate: 89.4%
• Faculty vaccination rate: 93.9%
• Staff vaccination rate: 85.4%
• University cumulative vaccination rate: 88.9%

Students, you remain a teensy, tiny, fragment of a percentage point away from meeting your goal and receiving your gift from the Captain. The trustees were very excited about your impressive percentage and want to contribute to the awesome surprise. Let’s do this thing just in time for Halloween!