Dear Southwestern Community,
Welcome to our 184th spring semester and wear your mittens! As I was walking this morning in crisp 16-degree weather with my dog, our usual trek around campus took twice as long because every bit of frost on the ground apparently needed lengthy inspection by Twinkles. As we crept past Mundy, a Southwestern student jogged by in shorts and a sweatshirt, undeterred by the freezing temperature.
Last week when we were apprised of the freezing temperatures coming our way, Rick Martinez, our Associate Vice President for Facilities, and David Sanchez, our Associate Vice President for Information Technology and CIO, began preparing the campus. Systems were checked and generators stirred, weather bulletins were sent by Dinah Ritchie, Interim Vice President for Integrated Communications and CMO, our Aramark staff was making breakfast for our students, and as I walked past Robertson I saw our dedicated Facilities Management team putting down sand on walkways to keep us safe and upright. Thank you all.
During the break in the academic semesters, projects have continued with welcome results. Upon entering our dining spaces, you will see some welcome additions. More furniture has been added, including the greatly desired booths in the Cove. Also, a new wall wrap near the fireplace was added, marking the first of several enhancements slated for the Cove. These improvements aim to capture the cozy, warm atmosphere our students enjoy. A special acknowledgment goes to the Cove Decor Task Force, consisting of students Gerald Jones ’25, Will Jackson ’26, Reese Rasberry ’26, and Rachel Engelbert ’26, for their great taste and thoughtfulness. Additionally, the Commons continued its transformation with new wall wraps, creating a welcoming environment wherever you turn. As the weather warms, we can enjoy the new features on the Cove patio and the newly erected pergola (the roof is coming) on the academic mall side of the McCombs Campus Center.
Considering the weather, the appropriately named chilled water loop continues to make significant progress and is currently extending southwest toward the existing Central Plant and simultaneously advancing southeast between Robertson and Olin. The replacement of this loop is imperative due to its aging state and the numerous, and very costly, breaks that have occurred in recent years.
We are anticipating approval by the City in early February to demolish the Kyle E. White and McCook Crain buildings located on the eastern side of campus, paving the way for the construction of the new welcome center and residence halls. Also, to be taken down this spring is the white storage building on the corner of 29th and Maple. The lot has been closed in anticipation of the demolition. The SUPD has conducted a thorough assessment, and they confirm that there are ample parking spaces available on campus, even with the ongoing construction, to accommodate all parking pass holders. Construction and parking updates are available on the
Construction Projects website.
During the break, I traveled to New York with Lenora Chapman, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and Dinah Ritchie, to meet with our land planning group––Berlin Rosen, a marketing and communications agency, and Beyer, Blinder, and Belle, a master planning firm. They will visit Southwestern on January 23–24, during which they will walk our acreage, tour the Georgetown community, and meet with local stakeholders, including the Land Development Committee consisting of Bob Bednar, Professor of Communication Studies, Lenora Chapman, Ryan Corbett ’25, Chris Cragg, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Josh Long, Professor of Environmental Studies, and Andy Ross, Assistant Professor of Business. They will return to campus the week of February 12 to conduct a series of charrettes with members of the SU community. These sessions will provide an opportunity for you to provide your valuable feedback on what you envision for this transformative long-term project. There will be additional communications regarding the timing of the sessions in the coming weeks.
We will be welcoming engaging speakers to campus in the spring. The first to arrive will be during Dream Week beginning January 29th when we will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Week highlights include a compelling keynote address by interdisciplinary poet, writer, and performance artist Ebony Stewart. For a comprehensive list of all Dream Week events, be sure to visit the
Dream Week website.
On February 22, Phi Beta Kappa speaker Cynthia Moss, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University will deliver her talk, "Using Sound to Navigate the World: Echolocation by Bats and Blind Humans." The talk will delve into the fascinating world of echolocation, exploring how both bats and blind humans utilize sound features to navigate and localize objects in their surroundings.
Now start getting ready because on April 8 the sun will look like this!
