The Sweet Surprise

I hope you all enjoyed the funnel cakes during last week’s Sweet Surprise. They were the perfect complement to the carnival happening on the mall! I also hope you got a chance to stop by the farmers market to pick up something pumpkin-flavored (I’m starting to sense a pumpkin theme to this letter).

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for another fun treat from the Captain. This week, we’ll be inside Bishops Lounge from 1:30 to 2:30. What will this week’s Sweet Surprise be? Pumpkin pie? Pumpkin bread? Pumpkin spice lattes? Probably not, but as always, it will be delicious.

Student Opportunities

SU recently became a proud member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Founded in 1986, HACU represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. It is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Our membership provides our students with access to special perks like paid internships, scholarships, and more. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities.

Campus Voting

Last week, Tufts University's Institute for Democracy and Higher Education released their report detailing overall college student voter turnout rates and campus-specific turnout for hundreds of college campuses. Nationwide, college-student voting skyrocketed; however, Southwestern’s voting turnout was even better than the national average.

• The 2020 voting rate on SU's campus was 70.8%. That is higher than the national average (66%).
• Southwestern showed a 20% increase over the voting rate at SU in the 2016 presidential election (which had a 50% turnout).

I am glad that SU students appreciate the importance of being part of the democratic process and especially proud of our student body and Senior Director of Integrative and Community-Engaged Learning Sarah Brackmann, Assistant Professor of Political Science Emily Syndor, Eugenia Agobe ’23, alex bell ’21, Erica Burley ’22, Antonio Esparza ’22, Emily Gilby ’21, Alesha Lewis ’21, Juan Mojica ’22, Maureen Rendon ’21, and Josh Tenorio ’23 for being an integral part of this increase!

Standing Ovations

Congratulations to Jason Schayot ’97, a music alumnus who was recently nominated for a Grammy award, and to Melissa Krueger ’15, a music alumna who made her debut with Houston Grand Opera in its production of Carmen last month.

Also, congratulations to our Women’s Soccer team, who broke new ground with its first SCAC regular-season title in program history!

Please join me for a few rounds of phenomenal hand clapping!

Daylight Saving Time

Don’t forget to turn back your clocks one hour this Sunday. More sleep, better health!

Health & Safety Update

Get your flu shot on campus! We are hosting a flu vaccine clinic November 9 from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. in the Prothro Atrium. You can also stop by the Health Center (Prothro 200) Monday–Friday between 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–4:00 p.m. to get a flu shot. Help us prevent the flu before flu season starts!

Vaccination Updates (as of November 1, 2021)

• Student vaccination rate: 89.5%
• Faculty vaccination rate: 93.9%
• Staff vaccination rate: 84.6%
• University cumulative vaccination rate: 89%

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: YOU CAN DO THIS! We’re all counting on you to help us reach our vaccination goal. As for me, I am gritting my teeth and preparing for my upcoming booster shot next week.

To keep up with the latest stats, visit the COVID-19 dashboard on our Health and Safety website.

Morning Walk