Tuesday, Feb. 12, Vice President for Student Life Dr. Celestino Limas gave a few updates on ongoing projects at Elizabethtown College.
First, he spoke on the new social lounge, which was recently approved at the latest Board of Trustees meeting. In the email sent to the campus community, the social lounge was described as a “weekly ‘pop-up space’ in designated campus venues…that would offer food, beverages, social opportunities and, to students who are of legal age, the opportunity to be served alcohol for responsible consumption.”
Events that the lounge might hold include trivia nights, karaoke nights, election results nights and OSA activites; potentially, bingo and the Price is Right events will be transformed into pub-style events. Limas stressed that the social lounge will not sell alcohol, but will offer it free of charge to of-age students. Restrictions will be placed on the amount of alcohol a student may receive in one night in order to support responsible drinking habits.
Limas also said that the social lounge was entering its next stage in the planning process, which includes training, chaperoning and a naming contest that students will get to participate in shortly. He said the College plans to beta test the lounge during senior week, since seniors will not be able to take advantage of the lounge when it’s available for all students.
“We feel it’s one small way we can feed two birds with one seed,” Limas said.
He moved on to address the room and board increase that was announced to students in an email sent out in the fall after the fall Board of Trustees meeting. He said that how the money will be used is still the same as mentioned in the email, with a portion of it going to the Vera Hackman Apartments renovations and to increasing student wages in Dining Services.
Limas also briefly mentioned the strategic diversity plan that will be advanced by Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Title IX Dr. Armenta Early-Hinton. This diversity plan was included in the winter Board of Trustees meeting email as well.
“It is basically an encapsulation of everything we currently do related to diversity and inclusion,” Limas said.
The word “brand” has been used a few times in the last year in reference to Etown. Limas spoke about the rebranding and identity process Etown is currently undergoing, and he examined the topic of Etown’s “brand” through three different lenses that this process must be looked at.
The first lens deals with the current brand. To rebrand, there already has to be a confident definition of identity at Etown. There needs to be a shared understanding across campus about what Etown’s identity is in order to have a successful rebrand.
The second lens is about rebranding. What is our rebranding for? Is it about recruiting more students? What’s the purpose of creating a new brand for Etown?
The third lens has to do with the transition period Etown is currently experiencing. Starting in July 2019, Etown will have a new president, Cecilia McCormick, JD. Different presidents may have different views in how the College brands itself.
“[McCormick] is going to be critical in determining what our vision is moving forward,” Limas said.
Limas then spoke more about the current transition between presidents.
“The thing that you have to be mindful of is that President Strikwerda is still our leader until June,” Limas said. He stressed that there has to be a balance between President Carl Strikwerda and president-elect McCormick during this time, especially since Strikwerda’s term has not ended and McCormick still serves at Thomas Jefferson University. Limas said that the transition has been going well between the two presidents.
“What impressed a lot of us is not just how brilliant she is, but how she can approach an issue from different perspectives,” Limas said about McCormick. He listed different perspectives important to the College, such as the financial, enrollment, quality of life, faculty and co-curricular components.
“Someone like her is exactly what we need,” Limas said.
