While things slow down on campus during the summer, COVID made recent months quite different — and thus, some of the things we celebrated were particularly noteworthy.
For example….
- Students returned to campus for in-person events, including paint nights, movie nights, and games nights offered by the Dean’s office.
- St. Mike’s residence students got to enjoy a summer BBQ celebration with the new barbeque purchased by the Dean’s office for outdoor events.
- St. Mike’s Wellness Council hosted its first annual Wellness Convention over Zoom in early July, with presentations from administration, faculty, staff, and Evangeline Cowie, SMCSU’s Vice President of Mental Health and Accessibility, on the priority of student mental wellbeing on campus.
- The university offered its best wishes to Irene Wiseman and Isabel Louro in the Custodial Department. Irene retired August 1 after 16 years of service, while Isabel retired on July 1 after 16 years of service, and has opted to remained on part-time status.
- The Faculty of Theology welcomed Dr. Cynthia Cameron as the newly appointed Keenan Chair of Religious Education and Assistant Professor of Religious Education. Dr. Cameron will be teaching Religious Education courses primarily for our MRE students, who are excited about this new appointment in the faculty.
- Father Andrew Summerson joined St. Michael’s Faculty of Theology as Assistant Professor of Greek Patristics. Fr. Summerson will be working in conjunction with the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies.
- St. Michael’s welcomed Sonal Castelino as the new Director of Campus Ministry. She started her duties in August, and in addition to offering direct support to students out of her office next to the COOP, she will influence the larger direction of the university as a member of the president’s senior leadership team.
- The John M. Kelly Library finished moving its rare book collection from the ground floor of the library to a newly-constructed space on the second floor. The reason for the move was simple: to protect our amazing collection of rare and often irreplaceable items to ensure their long-term use. The ground floor, while offering an eye-catching location for the collection, has some features that fetter the long-term preservation of rare materials: high levels of light; fluctuating temperature and humidity; and, most troubling, proximity to the Kelly Café (it’s amazing what crumbs can attract!). Now, both books and staff can breathe a sigh of relief. The collection’s new second floor home abuts the library’s other special collections, making them much easier to access.
- Fun fact: The movers hired to complete this monumental task – Jim Clifford Moving Services Inc.— have a Kelly Library connection. Mr. Clifford, now owner of the operation, was a young buck back in 1969 and was on the team that moved the books into the library when we first opened our doors!
- Pictures: Carefully packing the books into crates for their move upstairs. Note the original 1969 carpets! The new space affords a more controlled environment where we can take the actions necessary to preserve this unique collection.
