Dear Colgate Community,
This weekend, we gain an hour of daylight. Admittedly, more soft illumination for your Zoom time is a mixed blessing. In other current events, some 300 test results have come back from this week’s random testing, and there are no positive cases.
Many of us will experience dueling emotions this weekend. On Halloween, children normally transform into superheros and cartoon characters to collect sugary goodies from neighbors and friends. I’m sure we will enjoy the sight of some adorableness on Saturday, but it won’t be the carefree event that reminds us of our own childhoods. It’s challenging to make Baby Yoda look authentic in a mask.
For us bigger kids, New York City would typically host its marathon this Sunday. People wait and train for years to dash 26.2 miles through the five boroughs with 50,000 fellow crazy people, cheered on by thousands of supporters. I was one of those crazies planning on running it again this year (and winning this time!) — until it was cancelled.
My father was a sprinter. His dedication inspired me to try my hand (or feet) at longer distances. This pandemic is not the sprint we expected, and it’s taxing our endurance. However, I know that we will finish strong if we hold on mentally and physically, follow our training plan to the end, and draw on the inspiration of those we admire. Then we will enjoy our pure feelings of pride and accomplishment.
We can’t see it yet, but the finish line is around the corner. And there’s always chocolate in the meanwhile.
Happy Halloween. Talk to you Monday.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
Celebrate Halloween safely this weekend by enjoying one of the many Halloween-themed events organized by the four residential commons and the Colgate Activities Board. There's something for everyone, from scary movies to a Halloween fashion show on the Burke/Pinchin Quad.
The Colgate Vote Project has collaborated with First Transit to modify regular Colgate Cruiser routes, making it easy to get a lift to the local polls on Election Day. Rather walk? The College Dems and Republicans, Students for Environmental Action, and Vote Project are cosponsoring a nonpartisan March to the Polls, open to all, at 9 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. Masks and physical distancing will be required, and each group will be limited to the first 25 participants.
Drive-thru COVID testing will be available for anyone interested — free of charge — on Nov. 5, from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Hamilton Police Department. Call 315-464-2582 and select option 0 to set up an appointment. High call volumes may result in hold times of 45 minutes or longer. Your patience is appreciated. Note that, if you leave a message for a call back regarding non-urgent testing, call backs may take up to two weeks. Sponsored by the Madison County Department of Health and Upstate University Hospital. Extra shuttle will be available during this timeframe to provide transportation to the testing site.
Let’s Get Checked test kits are arriving next week. Every student planning to return to campus in January must pick up a kit in the mail room before departing campus next month. These kits will be used to supply Colgate with a negative test result before you return. Beginning Nov. 4, mail services will extend the hours of operation at the package window to offer students additional opportunities to pick up the kits as well as other packages. Please visit the mail services web page to schedule an appointment: November 4–20, M–F 8 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–noon.
On Monday, Nov. 9, the Colgate Bookstore will begin returning unsold textbooks. If you have not yet purchased a textbook for a fall course, we recommend that you do so as soon as possible. Colgate Bookstore hours are Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Colgate is keenly aware that this is a stressful time of the semester and has resources at the ready to support you. The counseling center, chaplain’s office, and administrative deans are here for you. In particular, the counseling center will have extra support hours, including drop-in groups and additional counselors available Nov. 4 through 6 in the afternoons for 1:1 telehealth drop-in sessions.
The employee resource group Colgate Hello recently held a discussion about voting in this year’s election led by Jeremy T. Wattles ’05, director of the COVE, and Eliza Lloyd ’22, Colgate Vote Project student leader and civic engagement intern. You can view the recording here.
November is right around the corner. All employees who will be working on campus should be sure to fill out the on-campus work schedule for the month as part of our Commitment to Community Health.
Nominations are open for the Colgate Staff Excellence Awards. These awards — including team and individual excellence, outstanding contribution, and employee of the year — are designed to recognize staff members who demonstrate outstanding achievement in Colgate’s commitment to fostering a creative and expansive learning community. Awards will be presented in the spring of 2021. Place a nomination via this form before January 13, 2021.
A Closing Thought
Upcoming Events
Experiences of the Pandemic in the Native America's
Nov. 2
Noon
Join staff and NAST faculty in a virtual panel discussing this important topic. Featuring Santiago Juarez (focusing on the Maya) Heather Roller (on the Native peoples of Amazonia) and Lisa Latocha (on the Haudenosaunee)
Building Possibility Through Breath and Bowls
Nov. 2
6 p.m.
Come unplug. Give yourself permission to take off the stress, anxiety, and fears of this moment/semester. Join us in a community session of releasing and breathing. Find a comfy space and bring headphones along with you for the journey. A WMST Breathe Event cofacilitated by SacredSoundsbyDevon and Professor Dominique Hill.
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