Dear Students,
While my weekly emails are usually sent to those students who are living on campus, I am writing today to all students because many of you are considering your plans for the spring. There is a lot to share, so I hope you will read to the end.
Our health and safety measures are working and we can be proud of our success. The virus is intensifying all across the country, and you may have heard that nearby Babson College has recently gone 100 percent remote. For us, this is a reminder of how our own actions impact community safety.
Pandemic living = small groups and genuine connection. With our bubble secure, we are focusing on personal connections. The pilot for “one block-mate in your room” has been a success, so we will now expand to allow two block-mates in your room. Please keep the masks on and make sure to physically distance! We want to find ways to balance health and safety with the need to create community, support, and quality of life for students. Please continue to look out for each other. Knock on your neighbor’s door to say hello if you haven’t seen them lately. Remember that kindness is key during pandemic life. While eating with only blocks, and the sizes of groups are small, there still is plenty of opportunity to make new friends.
Our kitchen pilot is going well and we expect to allow limited access to kitchens in the spring as well. Check with your RA if you want to sign up to use the kitchen.
Eat as much as you would like to eat at the dining halls! I’ve heard that some students believe the portions that are served are too small. While the food containers may limit the amount of food that they contain, don’t forget that there is no limit to the amount of food you can take. We will explore larger containers for the spring. While this could lead to greater food waste and greater trash, it is a trade-off that we need to make so that students get enough food from the dining halls.
Meal Blocks are still forming. Like everyone who is trying to be safe during this pandemic, we want to limit the potential of “close contacts” to no more than 6 people. This is why we have the block plan, in which those with whom you share a bathroom are also the only people with whom you take your mask off when eating. Therefore, if someone in your block contracts COVID-19, hopefully exposure will be limited to the block and only that group of people will need to go into quarantine.
We have learned that some students in smaller blocks feel too restricted and unable to find someone to share a meal. This is not the intention of the block system and we hope to change this. We have made plans to allow students to sign up for “meal blocks” so that students can find a small group of people outside of the block to eat with. So, if you live on a floor with two other block mates, but you really want to have meals with your teammates or org friends, you can list them as your meal block. Keep in mind though, that the number of contacts needs to remain at 6 because anyone who is in your meal block will also need to quarantine for 14 days if they contract COVID-19. Just reach out to studenthousing@wellesley.edu to learn more about meal blocks for the rest of this semester. Students coming in the spring are urged to select blocks with people who they want to spend time with, including meals. They will also have an opportunity to identify meal blocks after the move in process.
More study space: Effective Monday, November 16, the dining halls will be open for students to use for study after hours. You are required to swipe in for contact tracing purposes, and you will need to clean up after yourselves (supplies will be available). Feel free to bring headphones for music, your friends, and of course, your studies! If the tables are left unclean, then we will have to close this option so please use the cleaning supplies that are available so your sibs have a clean surface for morning meals.
Some old time favorites are back: Blocks will soon be able to request to use the fire pits. Check with your CD for details. And the pool sticks and balls are back in the Lulu (along with hand sanitizer, of course).
Your voice for Wellesley’s future: As you might know, the College is undergoing a strategic planning initiative. There is an opportunity to give your voice to the community-wide sessions. The next session will be held Monday, November 16 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please register to receive a Zoom link. You can participate by lending your voice to share your vision for Wellesley in the future.
It is final. In-person work off campus is not allowed in the spring: As was communicated last week, the College has decided to prohibit residential students from in-person off-campus employment in spring 2021. This will include the Child Study Center and the Wellesley Community Children’s Center. In recognition of the financial hardship this might cause, senior leadership decided to replace the spring 2021 work-study expectation with grant aid in all student financial aid packages, as explained more fully in the earlier communication.
Friendsgiving weekend plans are moving forward. The menus will be posted in the dining halls later today. More on the activities planned will be announced in the next week.
And lastly, a note from Dean Megan Núñez on behalf of the Studio Art, Music, Theatre Studies, Cinema and Media Studies, Creative Writing, and the artists across campus:
At this crucial moment in history, surrounded by so many different kinds of stress and uncertainty, our creative and performing artists are reaching out to the community to encourage your participation in a community-wide expression of resilience and support, called “RIGHT NOW!” We are collecting quick and responsive artistic contributions that capture this moment in time. Poems, flash fiction/flash essays, photos, music, videos, brief performances, and audio and visual pieces are all welcome!
Pieces will be woven together into audio and visual displays around campus, and we will continue to accept works throughout 2020. Contributions may be shared with our friends and siblings off-campus via the internet and/or added to the College Archives for future Wellesley generations (only with the creator’s permission, of course). More details can be found with the submission form. We welcome contributions from all members of the community, including those studying or working remotely. In addition to new, spontaneous pieces, we encourage submissions of relevant Term 1 and Term 2 class creations.
We are halfway through term 2. Only a little more than a month to go. Let’s make it the best it can be!
Sincerely,
Sheilah Shaw Horton
Vice President and Dean of Students
