Winter had to arrive – later than sooner – this academic year. I like it myself, especially being able to watch from a warm house as the courtyard transformed.
It’s not easy for all those and I especially appreciate our dining hall staff who made it in (and home again) so that we were all fed on Saturday. So too am I grateful for all those who quickly clear our sidewalks and entryways.
Congratulations Dean B! (but….. we’ll miss you.)
Mellon Forum Tonight, Monday, Dec. 7th
For our seniors in the Mellon Forum: Don’t forget it meets tonight at 6 p.m. We’ll eat, then hear talks by Matt Cohen, Austin Jaspers and Quyen Do.
Special Instructions for Dinner in Our Dining Hall this Thursday (Dec. 10th)
It’s been a quiet week.
Conversations about campus climate continue throughout Yale College. Many articles are appearing in the national media about Yale taking this or that position. I’m hearing from faculty, alumni and people outside of Yale expressing their (often strongly held!) views. I’m talking to all these people striving to explain issues that many of you have discussed privately or in group settings with me.
I am writing on a Wednesday this week. That’s unusual. The reason is simple. The time since Halloween weekend has been a very difficult one across all of Yale College. Many people, myself included, have been involved in numerous events, group discussions, and involved in many individual conversations. Of course there are other issues in the college that arise and to which I must attend. Ordinarily I write notes on Sunday, but honestly, save for sleeping and a trip to the dentist I’ve not had a chance to stop.
It’s November. There’s lots of work to be done. We’ll slowly decrease the number of activities we schedule and increase the number of study breaks we schedule. I’ll host some early morning study breaks in the FARR room again along with the late night ones in the house. We’ll have some Friday morning writing sessions (with coffee and tea) in the FARR room. Get exercise. Get sleep. Take breaks with friends. Get going on those papers you haven’t started setting goals of a page or two or three at a time.
Trumpkin Winners
I hope you all had a chance to relax more and spend some social time with others over fall break. Some went home, some stayed put yet took a day or two to travel to the beach, to go into NYC or to stay with other students’ families and some of you caught up on sleep or work here. I stayed put myself. All was pretty quiet here save for quite a number of Trumbull alumni who had gone on to Yale’s law school and who were back here for a reunion. They were back in our courtyard and college checking things out.
We’re the IM table Tennis Champions!
Last Thursday evening Marta Moret, director of a public health consulting agency and spouse of Yale’s President Peter Salovey spoke to our Trumbull Fellows in the House. She spoke of her own path to Yale and of her career, she spoke of increasing diversity at Yale, she spoke of the kinds of support we need to provide to insure the success of all students at Yale. She spoke at length and well into the evening despite having to rise at 5 a.m.
Well, the weather turned cold and rainy late last week and into Saturday. Our courtyard was soggy so the TCC had to make the call to cancel our dance floor and tent for the courtyard and to move the event in side. Many, many changes had to be made quickly and many, many TCC members came through for Trumbull’s TrumBall.
October arrives this coming Thursday. Summer is truly over. The weather’s been great and I hope it continues. Yet I do know that the semester is speeding by and that work is heating up. Take a deep breath. Keep working but also get enough sleep and exercise and take short breaks (see below – attend a tea or two, come to our Trumball, just take a walk.) I will host my first quiet study break late this Thursday evening following a dessert reception for sophomores.
