We’re almost to Thanksgiving. The election has been called. The weather is beautiful which is a real blessing given the pandemic. And, promising news about a vaccine that appears to be 90% effective was announced this morning. Academic work is getting done. We’re still doing O.K. here in Trumbull even with a few of us quarantined or isolated. (I do wish those students well and urge you to contact me anytime if you have a need or just feel like talking.)
Although quarantines apply to three colleges, I think we’ll continue to be O.K. and that we’ll get to Thanksgiving with all our students remaining just fine if we all remain vigilant. Keep wearing your masks (you’ve been terrific with this), keep up with your daily health checks and testing, and keep up with social distancing. In addition, I urge you not to go out to restaurants to eat but, instead, please order take out if you feel the need.
I am glad that our own pizza-election-night went well. Over 60 pizzas were picked up from our Common Room and 18 remote students and groups ordered pizza. All stayed socially distanced and I was really happy with that. (I can tell you that Yorkside truly appreciated our business as well. As with many local businesses, they have had many fewer customers during the pandemic.)
So….we’ll repeat this event next week but, given the rising number of CoVID cases, I’m going to add a bit of extra caution. Specially, we’ll do it on Monday through Wednesday of next week assigning groups to pick up pizza on a given day instead of given times on just one day. That will spread us out a bit more. I’ll have a wider selection of drinks (some sparkling water, sparkling cider and fruit juice in addition to just soda) and I’m going to add packages of grapes (because so many of you have told me you like them).
This week I’ll repeat the other food event that seemed to be especially popular – which is ice cream night. Watch your mail for the date. Again. I’ll put tables in Potty Court, Alvarez Court (our main court) and Stone Court with individually wrapped ice cream.
Tonight, Mellon Forum, Nov. 9: For those seniors who have signed up, Mellon Forum happens tonight. It’s such a beautiful day and we really were hoping to again eat in the back yard of the House. But, alas, given the rise in CoVID cases we’ve been instructed to have no events involving food even in our outside spaces. So, I’m afraid that this event is now a grab-and-go event but I hope all enjoy their dinners from the House of Naan and the first series of talks by our seniors. (We also get to wish Jeremy Sontchi, one of our speakers, a very happy birthday.)
Thursday, afternoon, Nov. 12: We have our Class of 1955 fellowship information meeting scheduled for this coming Thursday at 3:00 p.m. This is a very special, endowed, summer fellowship opportunity open to current Trumbull juniors to support experiences that would broaden their horizons in a significant way. The idea is to think of something you’ve always wanted to experience that would broaden you that is not related to your major or future career plans.
The primary donor/supporter of the program will be present, I will be there and so too will some former recipients of the fellowship along with the committee. We’ll explain what this is all about and tell you how to apply. Each year four Trumbullians are selected (by a committee consisting of Trumbull Fellows) for this honor.
Typically, these applications have involved travel. Of course, the pandemic has interfered with that. Still we do think it is possible to broaden your horizons without travel and this fellowship will continue to be available to our current juniors no matter what the course of the pandemic. We are prepared to talk to you about what is possible and, of course, we’re hoping for the best. (One possibility is that you may propose a plan with travel and an alternative plan without travel.)
A reminder email to juniors with the zoom link is forthcoming.
YCC Survey: Members of the Yale College Council have asked all the Heads for help in distributing their survey and in urging their community members to respond to it. Thus, I hereby urge you to respond to their survey. Here’s the link: bit.ly/yccfallsurvey