Trumbulletin 12-17-20

December 17, 2020

The end of the semester has arrived.  We made it through.  There is a vaccine now.  We may not all get it for awhile but many at Yale New Haven Hospital have already received it.  I thank all of you for your patience all fall.  We’ll need more in the spring but we can manage.

I was in the college all week last week.  Trumbull has been very quiet human-noise wise and very noisy construction/repair/renovation wise.  That’s because a huge amount of renovation work is being done.  (I attach a picture of what our main courtyard looked like yesterday before the snow hit; just add a lot of snow to this picture in your mind and you can imagine what it looks like right now.)  Scaffolding covers all of the dining wing and all of the entryways in Potty Court and in Alvarez Court and there is plastic sheeting on top of that scaffolding.  The courtyard itself is full of heavy equipment and chunks of cement as they repoint much of the outside (to prevent leaks into your rooms going forward.)   Renovations are taking place inside too.  For instance, old water fountains are being replaced with water-bottle fillers and the entire fire alarm system is being redone. 

Trumbull Renovation Picture Here

Below is a picture of a bloom from one of the bulbs planted during the fall plant-event.  Whereas many of you did get to see your bulbs bloom before you left, this one had remained just a tiny sprout and it was turned over to me for care.  (Its owner should recognize the pot and the stones in the pot).  It just produced five big blooms yesterday!  I wish it had produced them in a more timely manner.  (I’ll move this event up in time next year and, with good fortune, next year you’ll also be back after Thanksgiving giving the plants a bit more time to do their thing.)

Flower Picture Here

Right now (I’m in Rhode Island having just left the college.) We are in the midst of a big snow storm with lots of wind and, in Rhode Island, very high surf.  It’s beautiful.  Yet I’m not anxious to venture outside myself given the low temperatures and high wind.  When things calm down I’ll don some warm clothes and venture out for a hike.

I wish you the best for this holiday season and for wonderful time with your families and those friends whom it is safe to see.  I hope all made it through final exams and final papers with little distress and with success.  (Don’t worry about every exam and paper being perfect!  There is always much to do at the end of the semester and it’s generally impossible to spend all the time and effort you might have thought you should spend on each piece of work.)

Fellowships Available to you - Apply!

I want to remind everyone that this time between semesters, you might wish to apply for some fellowships. One fellowship available to you as a Trumbullian is the Gurney Travel Fellowship for Juniors; formerly known as the Class of 1955 fellowship.  And, as students at Yale, there is the Richter Fellowship and the CPA (Arts) awards. 

Here’s some information on each of these: 

Stephen S. Gurney Travel Fellowships for Trumbull Juniors:    Trumbull has a special fellowship available to just our students.  It is designated for our juniors (this year that means the class of 2022) and it has a specific purpose which is to give students a chance to broaden their horizons in ways unrelated to their majors or planned careers.  The idea is to think of something that captures your interest and that is different from anything you’ve done before perhaps traveling to a place you’ve never been to before in order to learn something new and different.  We’ve had non-anthropologists go on digs, we’ve had people learn to farm, we’ve had people who had no prior classes in photography learn about cameras and seriously pursue photography, we have had people learn to play new musical instruments, work with government agencies, teach in new places and so forth. 

We held an information session on these in the fall but we know that many of our juniors took leaves of absence for the fall.

Applications will be available to you on January 11 and they will be due on February 10, 2021.

Debbie Rueb will provide the applications and if anyone wishes to schedule a Zoom Meeting with me so that I can provide you with an overview and advice on these applications, just let me know by writing to me at margaret.clark@yale.edu.

Richter Research Fellowships

I encourage all students doing research whose research could be enhanced by some funding to apply for a Richter Research Fellowship.  This year there is more funding than usual for these fellowships and it would be terrific to see as many Trumbullians as possible benefit from this fact. 

A Richter Summer Fellowship is awarded for independent study and research, not for mere travel, work or enrollment in a school. An internship is a valid use only if the primary component is study or research, being part of a research team is a valid use. The maximum Richter awards is $1,500.  Awards are reported to the IRS as taxable income. Awardees must disclose the amount of any other funding supporting the proposed project. Richter Fellowships are ordinarily awarded to juniors, but first years, sophomores and graduate affiliates are eligible. Seniors are not eligible. Recipients must promptly consult with the Head of College if significant changes occur in their project.

Richter applications are due at noon on Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Please note that summer field work and research travel may continue to be severely restricted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  For the most up-to-date information on research restrictions for Yale College, please visit the Yale University travel restrictions page and the off-campus research and fieldwork reactivation page.

Creative and Performing Arts Awards for Spring 2021

Do you have a performance or creative arts project that could use support from our College? Consider applying for a Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) Award granted by the Council of the Heads of College (CHC). Any project funded by a 20-21 CPA award must make the final project available online in order to be accessible to the residential/remote Yale College community. These virtual projects could take many forms, and the Yale College Arts team is available to help students think about the possibilities. In the residential/ remote model, performances may not take place in person, but may be reimagined to take place online.

Contact any of the Undergraduate Production team to learn more about options for hybrid theater, musical theater, dance, comedy and more. Information about tools for mounting free online visual art exhibitions. Visit the CPA website to learn more about the CPA awards. There you will find the application and award guidelines. As in the past, successful proposals should have strong connections with the residential colleges. Aside from reading all guidelines, students are expected to consult with their Heads of College prior to submitting applications for CPA awards.

All applications for the spring cycle must be submitted online by Friday, February 5 at 11:59pm.

Watch your email for these fellowship announcements!

Warmly, Head Clark