Halloween ended at midnight and the cooler temperatures of the fall have finally arrived. Before we fully immerse ourselves in November, let's take a moment to revisit the SUnity day and give thanks to everyone who participated.
Yesterday, we came together to enjoy SUnity Day, a celebration of unity, diversity, and the delightful flavors of pumpkin spice. I would like to extend my appreciation to SUnity Day co-chairs Senior Director of Integrative and Community Engaged Learning Sarah Brackmann, Senior Director of Integrated Communications and Marketing Kristen Paxson, and Interim Vice President for Integrated Communications Dinah Ritchie for orchestrating multiple events filled with conversation and connection.This celebratory day could not have taken place without the tremendous support by our facilities group, Aramark folks, our audio-visual team, and Academic Affairs and Student Life staff. The first-year symposium research fair was packed with outstanding students and displays, and the poetry slam was incredible. Also, let’s give a shout out to our incredible speaker Dr. Ainsley Carry, author of Washington Next?, who spent his time speaking with our faculty and talented students.
In the afternoon, great competitive energy was evidenced by the impressive turnout of faculty, staff, and student teams. The prestigious Team Spirit Award was bestowed upon the The Cool Kids Table team consisting of members from Student Life for their impeccable style and unbridled enthusiasm during Field Day. As a member of the Hippies team, we were thrilled with our third place win for Team Spirit. A member of the Hippies team, Sally Cameron, took home the best costume award for her amazing impersonation of Austin Powers. Finally, resounding applause for the grand champions of SUnity Day, Men’s Lacrosse, who took home the coveted first prize for the second year in a row!
Drumroll, now, it is my pleasure to unveil the champions of this year's Halloween Pet Costume Contest. Our clandestine panel was assigned the delightful responsibility of reviewing an impressive array of submissions, from hammerhead sharks to fairy princesses, pumpkins to spiders, and even the iconic Russell from the movie Up. The decision was not easy, but they've narrowed it down to the top three.
Since all your submissions were far too cute to be considered remotely scary, the committee decided to crown two winners as “cutest. The first Cutest Pet award goes to Access Service Manager Jean Whewell for her endearing dog and his jockey. The second Cutest Pet accolade goes to Mary Kate McAdams ’25 and her elegant companion, Doja Cat!
