Dear Colgate Community,
Many thanks to everyone who voted in yesterday’s election. Remember when these events used to be over on election night? Those were good times. Maybe I’m dating myself…
I can’t help but believe that the weeks our community spent in quarantine — watching for the results of COVID tests, looking forward to a time when we could move freely, treating each other with kindness — were building our psychological muscle memory for today. I also believe that these moments are the sort that will serve us well in the future.
But that doesn’t make them easy to endure. I mentioned my love of running last week, and today makes me think of that inevitable moment when I start to complain to myself about the pain in my foot or the shortness of my breath. But my thoughts will wander to one question: “Well then, are you going to quit?” Not likely. So I have to be patient with that discomfort and let it be.
Whether we are speaking of ourselves as athletes or scholars, friends or family, Colgate people have grit. (It’s even in the new Raiders identity materials.) We have the patience we need to weather the hard times together, as a team. We take care of each other and respect each other. We did it during quarantine. We will do it as we watch the national dialogue during the days ahead. Quitting isn’t an option.
This is just one of the many reasons why I love Colgate — and look forward to talking to you on Friday.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
All students need to sign up for a departure time slot. You can find the form here.
Extended mail services hours begin today to facilitate students’ package retrieval and pickup of Let’s Get Checked test kits — by appointment only. New hours are M–F, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. and Sat–Sun, 8 a.m.–noon. Visit the mail services webpage to schedule your appointment.
Please be aware that the University has obtained a fireworks permit from the village for a religious observance on the evening of Nov. 7. Due to state guidelines, this is a closed event, not open to the public, and all appropriate Gate 4 restrictions will be followed.
National First-Generation Day is Nov. 8. First-gen students, faculty members, and staff members, watch for more information coming to your inboxes. Colgate will recognize your experiences and ongoing contributions to this community during a series of special events and meaningful moments throughout the week. We celebrate and support the accomplishments that have brought you to this University.
Maisy Card’s riveting debut novel, These Ghosts are Family, is a masterfully woven tale beginning with a deathbed confession that features flight, abandonment, a faked death, and a stolen identity. From there, it moves back and forth through time, from colonial Jamaica to present-day Harlem. As it unfolds, it finds its true subject in the motherless children and childless mothers descended from a single slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation in the 18th century. Join the Living Writers virtual event with Maisy Card at 4:45 p.m. tomorrow.
Department heads and division directors, the majority of students will depart campus by Nov. 22 and return on Jan. 21. Facilities staff members are developing a plan for staffing needs, project implementations, cleaning protocols, and energy management during the winter break. We need to know your department’s occupancy plans for this period to assist with our operational planning. Please designate one person from your department to fill out this form before Nov. 6 to indicate your department’s on-campus presence. Each department needs to complete one form per building it occupies. Please complete the form even if your department will be entirely off campus during break.
Congratulations to the winners of the Cybersecurity Awareness Month raffle: Priya Martin ’24, Mike Amkaya ’21, Miriya Pinkerman ’23, Joseph Berberich ’24, and Madeline Roy ’22. Like our winners, everyone in the Colgate community should enroll in Google and Duo multi-factor authentication to protect their Colgate accounts.
Tomorrow, the Madison County Department of Health will operate a free, one-day testing clinic at the Hamilton Police Station from 3 to 7 p.m. Testing is available to anyone interested and at no cost to the patient. Advance appointments are required. To make an appointment, call 315-464-2582 and select option 0. High call volumes may result in long hold times. Learn more about the testing program and see our special cruiser schedule with transportation to the testing location.
A Closing Thought
We have just uploaded a special edition of 13, Colgate’s podcast: “A Look at the 2020 Election Results So Far.” Colgate political science faculty members gather for a roundtable discussion of what happened on Election Day and related topics. Take a listen.
Upcoming Events
What Happened and What’s Next?: A Post-Election Conversation with Colgate Faculty
November 5
7–8 p.m.
A virtual event with Colgate faculty to discuss the outcomes of the 2020 election — what happened and why, and what the political and policy consequences will be going forward.
Brown Commons Coffeehouse — The Sea The Sea
November 5
8–9 p.m.
Join Brown Commons for our second coffeehouse of the semester!
MORE