Many people have noticed what Joni Mitchell sang about: “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.” Okay, boomer, I guess, but I have certainly been feeling that lately as I walk around the campus; everything is familiar but for the feel of being on a movie set, or an empty stage. We miss the vibrancy, and the tumult; we look for the small groups engaged in vigorous conversations or large groups cheering on the achievements of friends. Instead, we wave to the those out for a stroll (usually with masks), or heading to pick up food at Usdan, or just taking in the sun at Foss Hill. No pings of baseball bats…just a couple of exercisers running up, walking down. Running up….
We’ve been looking forward to spring for months, haven’t we? And now that it’s here, I am looking forward to welcoming our students, staff and faculty back to campus (I hope, in the fall). Our plans are to reduce the risk of contagion and to have the capacity to take care of anyone who does get infected while tracing their contacts. So far, things are going well in Connecticut and in Middletown. But we watch the trajectory of pandemic and prepare. More updates will come in June, and then a decision about how we will proceed in July.
Meanwhile, the campus is beautiful, if lonely. And we have here our new puppy, Lola, whom we just introduced to Foss Hill.
