Torchlight: April 10, 2018

On Tuesday, April 10, members of the Colgate community were informed by President Casey on the details of that year’s Torchlight procession. The choice was made to use a brass torch that would reflect the torch of knowledge depicted in Colgate’s seal. The brass torch would replace the wooden torch used in previous procession ceremonies. Casey stated that Colgate would evaluate the results of the spring 2018 ceremony and engage the possibility for change as the university celebrates its bicentennial next year.    

Meningitis: April 2, 2018

A Colgate student was diagnosed with bacterial meningococcal meningitis by physicians after being taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Utica with symptoms consistent with meningitis on Monday, April 2.  No additional patients were identified since the initial diagnosis. Colgate’s Student Health Services prevented other students and members of the campus community from contracting the illness. University officials directly reached out to individuals who may have been in close contact with the patient, and gave these members of the campus community preventative treatment in the form of antibiotics.

Racist Incident at Drake Hall: March 27, 2018

Two residents of Drake Hall were targets of a racial slur on Tuesday, March 27. The students, who wished to be identified only as Chinese, found the words “Ching Chong Mother F*****” written on their door decoration. The decoration was meant to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, an important festival in the students’ native culture. The racially-charged episode prompted a campus-wide investigation, as well as a long overdue conversation on racism against Asian and international students at Colgate.

Inclusive Colgate Initiative: April 16, 2018

The student-run initiative called Inclusive Colgate discussed ways to make Colgate a more respectful and inclusive campus during their open forum in the Robert H. N. Ho Atrium on Monday, April 16. Approximately 300 students, faculty and staff filled the atrium and engaged in conversations about the possible ways to address racial discrimination and how to improve the Colgate experience for all members, especially students of color and international students. 

Take Back the Night March: April 17, 2018

Open for all, the Take Back the Night March intended to raise awareness about sexual assault and sexual violence on Tuesday, April 17. The march, organized by The Network, functioned as a way to make students’ voices heard and allowed survivors of sexual violence and allies to join together and walk in solidarity from the O’Connor Campus Center (COOP), down Broad Street, to Frank Dining Hall.

First-Year Roommates: April 26, 2018

Colgate joined the growing number of    universities and colleges that only allow incoming first-years to be assigned a roommate through Residential Life, instead of giving incoming first-years the option to choose their own roommate. However, the room assignments were not entirely random. The Office of Residential Life sent out an extensive “First-Year Housing Preference Form” they believed would best match students to the right roommate and residence hall. The form allowed Residential Life to match students with roommates based on important similarities. The responses of all the incoming first-years were considered together in order to create the residence hall floors and residential commons communities.