After seeing daily reports from other colleges about cancelled semesters, students sent home, and outbreaks on campus, it’s reassuring that so far (and that’s a big so far) the University appears to have taken the proper precautions and preparations for in-person classes this fall.
With their planning cycle starting in May, the administration has done a thorough job preparing for the fall, working with Student Health to set up testing and isolation facilities to handle the inevitable cases that do arise—hopefully, keeping it to a manageable level during the next few months. As you are probably aware, some Virginia schools have already cancelled in-person instruction, because the number of new cases were growing faster than they could react.
An outbreak of new cases was feared in the Charlottesville area when students returned. However, the initial data indicates that the trend of new cases appears to be manageable. If you, too, are obsessing about local conditions, see the UVA Covid tracker.
Last week the IFC and ISC recently announced the suspension of all in-person activities until guidance from the administration changes. This includes parties, initiations, and any social gatherings.
The most challenging scenario to Xi Chapter would be a premature end to in-person instruction during this semester. While many brothers might opt to stay in the house and continue the semester on-line, inevitably some would return home. To that end, the board is closely scrutinizing expenditures to maximize our reserves by carrying out only those projects that we feel are necessary.
Aware of the planned restrictions of fall activities, the active brothers have taken steps to insure that the University guidelines for the fall semester are being followed. Here’s a report from Georgi Solar on how the brotherhood is coping with these new restrictions.
Troy Knowlton ’92 has now fully assumed the responsibilities of Treasurer, taking over from Patrick Higgins ’10 who has served in that position since 2018. The office of Treasurer carries a great deal of responsibility and we thank Patrick for serving loyally and, most of all, accurately, as he has monitored our financial condition while insuring the invoices get paid and taxes filed in a timely manner. Thank you, Patrick!
Don’t forget that our Annual Fund is now closed. We now have an Annual Giving program which can be accessed here. We sincerely appreciate any donations, as they will be used for maintenance, house projects, and the retirement of our mortgage.
While we unfortunately will not be able to hold our annual homecoming tailgate in-person, Miles is organizing a virtual brotherhood tailgate for the Saturday, November 7 game against Louisville.
I was hoping to be able to greet you in Charlottesville next month, but all I can wish for now is an interruption-free fall semester and a return to normal activities in early 2021. Keep your fingers crossed!
Mike Jones ’73