The annual Senior Class Gift Committee Cookie Pie Eating Contest was postponed due to a rise in gastrointestinal illness and the flu in the Colgate University area. The contest was originally set to take place on Thursday, Feb. 27 but was moved to Wednesday, March 26.

Colgate’s senior class was informed about this change in an email sent out on Feb. 26 from Associate Vice President of Advancement Jen Stone. 

“The decision to postpone was made out of an abundance of caution, as Student Health Services recently shared news of an uptick in gastrointestinal illness and flu in the area,” Stone wrote. 

This email followed an update sent to the entire campus community on Feb. 25 from Director of Student Health Services Dr. Ellen Larson. The email stated that there were no confirmed cases of norovirus but that both Student Health Services and Community Memorial Hospital Emergency had seen more symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. In February and March of 2024, Colgate also experienced a similar increase in illnesses. This wave included two students who tested positive for norovirus with an additional 54 suspected cases.