Yesterday was a national holiday honoring the life and commitment of Martin Luther King Jr. When you have a moment, I urge you to find a quiet place where you can listen to “I Have a Dream.” Seriously, listen to it. Dr. King gave the best speech in history. When he spoke that hot August day in 1963 before a quarter of a million marchers in Washington D.C., his words would change a nation and led to the passage of civil rights legislation: listen here.
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In his honor, this week we host our annual Dream Week. Dream Week is sponsored by the Office of Diversity Education, the Coalition for Diversity and Social Justice, Race and Ethnicity Studies, Student Activities, and University Programming Council. I encourage you to attend these events, which also includes an opportunity to meet our new director of student inclusion and diversity, Malissa Sanon! Check out the full schedule.
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Your Upcoming Test where there is only a Negative or Positive
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On Wednesday, January 19, students, faculty, and staff will be tested on campus to monitor the spread of the coronavirus. The kind of good news: If you have had COVID-19 within the past 90 days (meaning you tested positive on or after October 19, 2021) and your positive test is on file with the Health Center, you are exempted from this testing in accordance with CDC guidance.
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Otherwise, please plan to be tested. I will be there and will be handing out homemade Banana nut muffins.
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Location: Walzel Court in the Robertson Center
Time: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. and by last name as follows:
12:00–1:00 p.m.: A–C
1:00–2:00 p.m.: D–H
2:00–3:00 p.m.: I–M
3:00–4:00 p.m.: N–Sh
4:00–5:00 p.m.: Si–Z
Register in Advance: Get your Community Labs personal QR code
Check Wait Times: Instagram
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If you have a conflict, you may come at any time between 12:00 and 5:00 p.m. If you are not able to attend at all that afternoon, you may get a PCR test on your own by January 20 and send your results to covidtesting@southwestern.edu.
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Based on the positivity rate in Georgetown and the surrounding areas, we could produce up to a few hundred positive tests on Wednesday. Because we do not have the capacity to house that many students in isolation, we encourage you to make a plan now for isolating off campus if your test is positive. The limited on-campus isolation housing will be prioritized for international students and students whose permanent residence is more than 200 miles away from campus.
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The best practice right now is to act as though everyone is transmitting the virus. Because of the omicron variant’s high transmissibility, masking and distancing are more important than ever. Please be sure you are wearing a mask anytime you are indoors and around others, and try to maintain six feet of distance from others when you are outdoors (you can also choose to wear a mask when outdoors with others).
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Don’t forget to submit your booster shot records to covidtesting@southwestern.edu. A photo of your COVID-19 vaccination record card is sufficient.
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Vaccine Clinic on Friday and here’s the really bad news
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Vaccination remains the best protection against serious illness and hospitalization. We strongly encourage all students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated, including a booster shot. According to The Washington Post, “the unvaccinated are 20 times likelier to die, 17 times likelier to be hospitalized and 10 times likelier to be infected than the vaccinated.”
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On Friday, January 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. we will offer first, second, and booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in Walzel Court. If you are getting a second or booster shot, please bring your vaccination card. This clinic is open to the public and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
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I’ll see you early birds at 7:30 a.m. next Monday at my house for walking, talking, and, as always, baked goods!
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In the midst of all this bad news, watch this video. I guarantee you will feel just a little bit better and a little bit more hopeful. In honor of Dr. King: watch it here.
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Laura Skandera Trombley
President
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