Hello, Colgate Community.
Originally, we only planned to communicate with you daily during universal quarantine. But then we realized how much you would miss us, and we decided to continue sending messages twice a week during Gate 1, which begins tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.
What’s the difference between Gate 0 and Gate 1? This video will give you an idea. Check out the website for more.
Just as these notes will continue, so too must our collective commitment to community health. Unfortunately, as many as 12 students will be sent home and will continue remote study for failing to live up to the commitment to community health. The memory of quarantine should serve as a reminder of the consequences of letting down our guard. If you need more, watch the HAT dashboard.
As we enter this new phase of campus life, please remember that people who spend more than 10 minutes within 6 feet of each other become close contacts and will need to return to quarantine if one of them tests positive. Because of the nature of viral transmission, every close contact we have connects us to their close contacts as well, including all the members of their direct family unit.
Please note: socializing will be permitted with the extended family unit in common rooms within one’s own residence hall, following guidelines for face coverings and physical distancing. Students outside of the same direct family unit should still avoid socializing within residence hall bedrooms or on residence hall floors with living quarters. No cross-residence hall visitation, please.
See? You’d have missed us. Admit it.
Talk to you soon.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
Every year, the Colgate University Board of Trustees sets aside time during one of its meetings to allow members of the community to address the Board. The annual community time will be Saturday, September 26, 2020. If you are interested in addressing the Board, please contact Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, board secretary, by Monday, September 13, for details regarding time and logistics.
A correction on last week’s message about the COVID Diaries: A Festival Gallery, streaming October 23–25, 2020. The online orientation and ZOOM information session will take place on September 8 at 7 p.m., not 11:30 a.m. as originally stated. We still want your best and boldest creations, though.
Although universal quarantine is coming to an end, the call for employee volunteers continues — particularly to conduct meal delivery and serve as dining monitors. With many thanks for everything you have already done, we ask that you sign up via this document to fill these important needs.
The Coop and Chobani at the Hieber Café open tomorrow morning, and Frank opens at 11:00 a.m. Dining Services asks for your help to de-densify our main dining halls. Consider grab and go and takeout options. Eat outside of peak times if your schedule allows, and try new venues such as the Edge Café, Sushi with Gusto at Donovan’s Pub for lunch, Grab Goodness locations at Frank and the Coop, and our new popup retail locations. For Chobani at the Hieber Café, Smoothies at the Coop, and late night Donovan’s, order ahead with the Boost Mobile Ordering app. Read more in our full message, and download the fall 2020 Dining Services newsletter.
In Gate 1, significant recreation opportunities, including live fitness classes, will continue in outdoor and virtual spaces. Specific information regarding the reopening and operations of indoor facilities for both recreation and athletics will be shared later this week. Until then, all members of the Colgate community should follow the Gate 1 guidance provided by the University.
Textbook refunds will take place in the bookstore September 8–15. Appointments are mandatory. Please use this form to secure your time. Returns will only be accepted if you have dropped a course or your professor has canceled the book.
YOU@Colgate is a 24/7 anonymous and online well-being platform. This is your space to check in with yourself, set goals, and explore personalized digital resources along with campus resources in one centralized location. Check it out here.
Mail Services conducted its last package deliveries on Saturday. Moving forward, packages can be picked up, by appointment only, at the tent outside Mail Services. (Enter the Coop through the upper level and exit the lower level by Mail Services.) If you have a package waiting, you will receive a notification email with a link to register for a pickup time. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we implement this new system.
If toilet flushing can produce aerosols and our wastewater surveillance system can detect SARS-CoV-2 in human stool, can COVID-19 be transmitted to fellow restroom users? In reality, the risks are low. Soap and digestive bile acids easily break down the membrane envelope around SARS-CoV-2, rendering it non-infectious. Additionally, it is unlikely that any aerosols produced during toilet flushing would have enough infectious virus to make you ill. Restrooms still have high-touch surfaces that could help spread the virus. So, wash your hands thoroughly. You can also open the door using a paper towel or your contactless device when you leave and use hand sanitizer upon returning to your work environment. Don’t forget to wear your mask.
Colgate Together Events
Monday Meditations with Adrielle Jefferson ’17
Through Dec. 14
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Adrielle writes, “I hope that these sessions help you to cultivate a mindfulness practice that re-energizes and sustains you.”
Book Club: Man’s Search for Meaning
Sept. 7
7:00 p.m.
Watch a brief video on life’s purpose and discuss thoughts on the video/book. This event is hosted by Stephen Elfenbein, AOD counselor/coordinator, Shaw Wellness.
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