by The Cowl Editor on March 18, 2021
Campus
by Kyle Burgess ’21
News Co-Editor
With the arrival of spring comes a renewed sense of hope and excitement in the Friar community. On March 6, a school-wide email from Dean and Vice President of Student Affairs Steven Sears announced that a gradual return to normalcy would be coming in the next few weeks. Some of the major changes that the email highlighted were outdoor and in-person meetings for clubs, the re-opening of club offices and McPhail’s for seniors who are 21 and older, and even hosting school-wide events like a spring concert and Clam Jam.
Another ground-breaking change that students can expect this semester is the ability to remain on campus during Easter break. Typically, such privileges are allotted to student athletes or students who need to travel great distances to return home, but this option has now been offered to all students who wish to remain on campus. Meals will continue to be provided on campus for such students and facilities such as Concannon Fitness Center will remain open for their use as well. Additionally, Friars who stay on campus are welcome to attend Triduum liturgies and take part in Easter festivities. Regular testing and social-distancing protocols will remain in effect during this time.
For those students who plan on leaving campus, the College has asked that they share their break plans via the Google form linked in the recent Continuity email regarding Easter break. The College has also encouraged students traveling to limit contact with others over break for the safety of their roommates and the larger PC community.
Lastly, the College has shared their intentions of holding an in-person commencement ceremony for the class of 2021. While this ceremony will not take place at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, the traditional ceremony site for graduating Friars, an alternative location is to be revealed at some point. Such developments are in line with previous statements made by commencement ceremony planners on Facebook and elsewhere as the College anticipates celebrating the hard work and achievements of both the classes of 2020 and 2021.