Dear Students,

The semester is in full swing, and it’s wonderful to be able to spend time with one another in person. I especially enjoyed seeing many of you—and your families—for the opening of the Fernandez Center on Sept. 24. What a beautiful celebration of that new space.

Campus Health Update
If you’ve been watching the COVID-19 dashboard, you can see that we are currently in a good position with COVID-19 cases within our community. We have you, our students, to thank for that, and I am so grateful to you for making healthy decisions for our community.

I want to encourage you to remain careful and vigilant, washing your hands, masking unless outdoors or in your personal living unit, using the symptom tracker, and not attending classes or in-person events if you have any symptoms. At this time of year, as the weather turns colder and people spend more time indoors, we can expect to see more sickness.

Each of us can—and must—do our part to keep ourselves—and our community—healthy. Let’s keep this wonderful trend going, so we can continue to enjoy being together in person as the semester continues.

Conclusion
Today, we mark the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, whose life and spirituality continue to inspire us to work for peace and to care for our common home. I invite you to take time today to enjoy the natural beauty of our Evergreen campus and think of how each of us is called to be an instrument of peace in our community—and our world.

Sincerely,

Amanda M. Thomas, Ph.D.
Interim President