Dear Denison Students,
I hope you filled your winter break with rest, quality time with loved ones, and potentially career exploration. As we kick off the new semester, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead. Whether it’s your second semester or final semester, there’s a lot to look forward to.
New Granville Food Option: We are excited to share that a new Granville business has been added to our list of in-town dining partners who accept Big Red Bucks and Denison Dollars. Seven4Zero serves burgers and frozen treats and is located next to the Granville IGA.
MLK Day 2024: Though January 15 is the federal observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as a campus community, we will celebrate and honor his legacy January 19-22, with most events taking place on 1/22. A committee of students, faculty, and staff planned this year’s theme, “Movement: Mind, Body, Action!” a full schedule of events that reflect Dr. King’s teachings and legacy. We invite you to participate in the many events that provide an opportunity to learn and reflect.
Student Voice: This fall, we engaged students on a variety of topics through RED Corps, including Title IX training, mindfulness on campus, rolling out Canvas, and reimagining how we use Slayter. You can view their findings here.
Dining: One of the projects RED Corps worked on last fall was the dining experience. This was part of a larger project done by the college to begin an evaluation of our campus dining services. Denison is committed to providing a high-quality dining experience for our students. This fall, we issued a request for proposals (RFP) from potential dining partners, including Bon Appetit, to begin services in summer 2024. We periodically conduct service reviews of our current dining services and other potential vendors. The development of the request was based on the information gathered in previous surveys, RED Corps projects, multiple conversations with key stakeholders, review by the Dining RFP Steering Committee (which includes students), and the input of our dining consultants. This semester, we will examine a variety of vendors and decide who our food vendor will be starting next year. There will be lots of opportunities for students to participate in the process. We look forward to hosting potential dining partners this spring and announcing the selected vendor by the end of the semester.
Distinguished Leadership Awards: We are excited to honor our campus organizations and student leaders at the Division of Student Life's Distinguished Leadership Awards on Wednesday, March 27th, at the Mitchell Center. The Distinguished Leadership Awards honor our students' outstanding achievements and recognize their exemplary commitment to Denison University. This newer campus tradition will honor individual students and groups that work tirelessly to enhance student life on campus and work alongside our surrounding community. Nominate today for Organization of the Year, Organization Advisor of the Year, Organization Program of the Year, and Distinguished Service Award. Click here to submit a nomination for the Student Life Awards!
Upcoming Events: The Spring Semester hosts many of our most notable Denison events and traditions. Here are some upcoming events I want to highlight. Find these events at the new WhatToDU.denison.edu and the First Five Weeks calendar.
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January: Fraternity & Sorority Recruitment
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January 17: Huffman Campus Organization Space Grand Opening
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January 18: Winter Involvement Fair
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January 22: MLK Day Observed
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January 24: Basketball Tailgate
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January 27: Swim Senior Day
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February 1: Beginning of Black History Month
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February 3: UPC’s Mad River Mountain trip
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February 3: 27’ Connect Trip
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February 5-9: Interfaith Week
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February 14: Greek Night @ Men's Basketball
We’re excited to welcome you back to campus this week. See you soon, and stay warm!
All my best,
-Alex