Notes and News - Week of August 31, 2020

August 31, 2020

Dear Red Lions,

Hope you all had a good first day of classes and your semester is off to a great start!  Many thanks to the TD staff, resident fellows, and student leaders who helped with orientation events for our first-years!  If you missed last week’s events, please click on these links for staff meet & greet and student leadership meet & greet

This week’s “photo of the week” captures senior Jake Mezey and Josh Beasley, our TD resident magicians, doing another mind-blowing magic trick for the community, but this time on Zoom!  To watch it, please go to this vimeo link.  

As we begin the second week of Arrival Quarantine I share two pieces of public health news.  First, Dr. Hawa Abdi, who was our spring 2017 Chubb Fellow sadly passed away on August 5, 2020.  In honor of her lifetime contributions as a physician and humanitarian to her home country of Somalia, the Yale Law School had this wonderful remembrance of Dr. Abdi.  Dr. Abdi’s daughter, Dr. Deqo Mohamed, continues to be a fellow in our college and carries on Dr. Abdi’s legacy.

Second, as many of you will no doubt hear from friends in other residential colleges, we now have 2 more positive results among our undergraduate population on Yale’s campus.  So I ask each of you to continue to take seriously the community compact and the university’s public health guidelines put in place to keep us – students, faculty, and staff – safe and well.  We must continue to do our best to practice social distancing and minimize any chance of COVID-19 spread.  

We will continue to do our best to find ways of creating community while observing the rules of our 14-day Arrival Quarantine.  Below, you’ll see a list of events for the coming weeks:

Friday 9/4 9-10pm Cupcakes from Sugar 

We are excited to bring you cupcakes from the 2010 winner of the Food Network’s hit-show “Cupcake Wars”.  For eight years the Sugar truck has been parked next door to TD on Church street.  The pandemic has sadly forced the owners to give up on their truck but they are still baking up their treats in New Haven. First-years, your Frocos will do a cupcake delivery to all of you.  Juniors and seniors, we’ll work out a very spaced out pick-up schedule in the courtyard to maintain social distancing.  

Saturday 9/12 8pm SAC Courtyard movie night (Tentative date)

Depending on weather conditions and approval from Yale’s office of Environmental Health and Safety, we are working with our SAC to celebrate the start of the 2020-2021 academic year and the end of Arrival Quarantine with the return of “Courtyard movie night.”  For now, please save the date and plan to come to SAC’s first meeting, TBD.

Monday 9/14 11:59pm Deadline for submitting Creative Performing Arts (CPA) Award 

Interested in producing art – visual, literary, musical, or performance – and need funding?  You will want to check out this great funding opportunity.  Please note that the CPA will mostly be limited to virtual projects with the exception of some curricular work.  Anyone interested in applying need to discuss your projects with the Head of the College to make sure your proposals fit within this year’s guidelines.  To make an appointment please contact my senior administrator, Deanna Caplan at deanna.caplan@yale.edu. To access the proposal and get a full description go to this link. Please take the time to read what the CPA will NOT fund!

Friday 9/18 9pm TD Community Night 

We are looking forward to our wonderful Community Night!  Although we have to adhere to Yale’s public health and safety guidelines and perform on Zoom we know we can definitely turn out a great show as proof from this past spring’s virtual Community Night.  I will be sending out a Google Form link for sign ups later this week.

Without further ado, here is a word from Dean Mahurin…

Àshe,
HL

***
 

Storm Ending
Jean Toomer

Thunder blossoms gorgeously above our heads,


 
Great, hollow, bell-like flowers,
 
Rumbling in the wind,
 
Stretching clappers to strike our ears …
 
Full-lipped flowers
 
Bitten by the sun
 
Bleeding rain
 
Dripping rain like golden honey—
 
And the sweet earth flying from the thunder.
 
PERTINENT DATES AND DEADLINES

 

Sept. 1 T Application for spring 2021 Term Abroad Opens.
Sept. 4 F All final schedules due by 5:00 p.m.
Sept. 7 M Labor Day; classes meet.
Sept. 14 M All students planning to complete degree requirements at the end of the fall term must file a petition by this date.
Sept. 14 M Withdrawal from Yale College on or before this date entitles a student to a full rebate of fall-term tuition. See Undergraduate Regulations.
Sept. 14 M Final deadline to apply for fall-term Leave of Absence. See Leave of Absence, Deferral, Withdrawal, and Reinstatement.

 

ACADEMIC STRATEGIES PROGRAMMING
 
Get Connected! Join an online Academic Strategies Peer Mentoring Group!
Led by experienced Academic Strategies Mentors, our peer mentorship groups meet biweekly via Zoom and are organized by class year and general area of academic interest (STEM, arts & humanities, social sciences).  Peer mentorship groups will be begin meeting the week of September 14. Please sign up by Thursday, September 10.  To register, click the link below:
General Peer Mentorship Group Sign up
 
For First-Years: College Transition Videos
Did you know that diving into your syllabi can help you succeed in your classes? What to learn the keys to performing well on p-sets? Learn about these topics and more through our college transition videos: https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/academic-strategies/first-years-workshops-videos-events
 
Individual Mentoring
Get organized for the semester by meeting with an Academic Strategies Mentor. Mentors will help you develop a weekly study routine, offer strategies for approaching complicated readings and p-sets, and help you develop a plan for prepping for those first exams. 
 
Our online mentoring schedule goes live Monday, Sept. 14. If you’d like to schedule a meeting before then, please email us at academicstrategies@yale.edu. 

 

ACADEMIC STRATEGIES WORKSHOPS
Our famous workshop sessions will all be online this academic year. Register via YaleConnect to access Zoom links:

Essentials for STEM: Reading Effectively for STEM      
Tuesday, Sept. 1 @ 9 pm

Learn strategies for reading purposefully and efficiently for STEM courses. Effectively read textbook chapters and scientific articles; navigate jargon, data, and figures; use readings to prep for problem sets and exams.
 
Strategies for Intro Math: Problem Sets & Exams
Monday, Sept. 7 @ 4 pm
Monday, Sept. 7 @ 9 pm
Learn strategies for efficiently working on intro math problem sets and key approaches for studying for exams
 
Time Management        
Monday, Sept. 7 @ 7pm

Monday, Sept. 14 @ 4pm
Time management is key for lowering stress at Yale. Set priorities and develop a weekly schedule that can lead to an active and balanced academic life.               

Get the Most Out of Your Reading
Tuesday, Sept. 8 @ 4 pm
Learn general strategies for effectively reading texts for any Yale class. Learn how to preview a text, effectively interact with the text while reading, and review your reading for class, essays, and exams.
 
Motivate Your Online Learning
Tuesday, Sept. 8 @7 pm
It’s hard to stay focused and on task while learning online. Learn how to get motivated and keep engaged with your academic work.
 
Supercharge Your Seminars & Lectures         
Wednesday, Sept. 9 @ 4 pm

Learn preparation, participation, note-taking, and review strategies to help you succeed in these two very different learning environments.

Get the Most Out of Your Language Classes
Thursday, Sept. 10 @ 4 pm

Learn the daily habits and mindsets that can help you succeed in learning a language at Yale. 
 
     

STUDY ABROAD

 
While Yale Study Abroad’s physical office space will remain closed during the fall 2020 semester, we are committed to supporting you virtually! Advising appointments and events will continue to be available and conducted via Zoom. We look forward to connecting with you! 

 
October 15 – Credit for Spring 2021 Term Abroad Application Deadline*

* Students’ health and safety abroad is our top priority, and we aim to partner with students to make well-informed decisions about studying abroad.  At this time, we cannot guarantee that spring study abroad will be possible, but we are allowing students to move forward with the application process.  Students considering a Spring 2021 abroad option should visit our Study Abroad COVID-19 Updates Page for guidance.

 

See our Study Abroad COVID-19 Updates page for more information on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on study abroad and related resources.  
Search the Study Abroad Calendar for information sessions and other study abroad events throughout the academic year. 
Browse the website, meet the team, or explore possible program options.

 

FELLOWSHIPS

The Fellowships and Funding physical office space will remain closed during the fall 2020 semester. Advising appointments and events will continue to be available and conducted via Zoom. We look forward to connecting with you!
 
Schwarzman Scholars Q&A with a Yale Alum 
Wednesday, September 2, 2pm 
Zoom Link: https://yale.zoom.us/j/92889348191?from=msft  
 
Light Fellowship Information Session 1  
Friday, September 11, 4:00pm – 5:00pm 
Zoom Link:  https://yale.zoom.us/s/96661729382

APPROACHING APPLICATION DEADLINES 
September 8, 1pm EST- Fulbright US Student Grants Preliminary Campus Deadline Eligible: Seniors (**Please note the Fulbright national deadline for seniors and alumni below) 
**October 13, 5pm EST - Fulbright US Student Grants National Deadline | Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
September 22, 1pm EST - Luce Scholars Program Campus Deadline | Eligible: Seniors, Alumni & Graduate Students 
September 22, 11:59pm EST - Schwarzman Scholars Program National Deadline | Eligible: Seniors/Alumni 
September 30, 1pm EST - Richard U. Light Fellowship Early Fall Competition Deadline Eligible: Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors & Graduate Students 
October 2, 1pm EST - Churchill Scholarship Campus Deadline | Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
October 14 - Gates Cambridge Round 1 National Deadline | Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
October 14, 1pm Pacific Time - Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program National Deadline | Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
October 14, 11:59pm EST Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program National Deadline |  Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
October 21, 11:59pm EST Pickering Graduate Fellowship Program National Deadline | Eligible: Seniors & Alumni 
October 21, 2020 at 1:00 PM EST - Michel David-Weill Scholarship at Sciences Po Campus Deadline | Eligible: Seniors 

YALE LIBRARIES

 

 
Live Content: 
 
Thursday, Sept. 3, 11:00 am, Virtual Tour of the Yale Peabody Museum Dioramas
 
Friday, Sept. 4, 4:00 pm, “Tree hugging lemurs: a cool way to deal with heat”, research spotlight presentation by Chloe Chen-Kraus (PhD ’20)
 
 
Recorded Content:
Yale Center British Art YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/YaleBritishArt
Yale Art Gallery YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/yaleartgallery
 
Latte with a Librarian
Sign-up to meet with a librarian via Zoom and Yale Library will send you a FREE gift card for coffee from Donut Crazy! Register and attend one of the events below. After attending, you will receive an email with the code for a $5 digital gift card from Donut Crazy.
·         Tuesday, September 1st from 10:30 - 11:30 AM EST
·         Wednesday, Septemer 2nd from 11 AM - 12 PM EST

 
If you can’t make these events, schedule an individual “coffee” meeting with a librarian between now and September 4th and you will also receive a $5 digital gift card from Donut Crazy. Find a librarian in your area of study.