An Arvada girl will have a helluva Halloween costume this year, thanks to the Mines Maker Society. Mines students unveiled the one-of-a-kind costume earlier this week, drawing inspiration from Ursula (of Little Mermaid fame). Check out this 9News segment to learn more about the project and hear from the students behind it.
Mines COVID-19 Dashboard update—The Mines COVID-19 dashboard was updated today, revealing 18 active cases on campus. This week, the fifth two-week snapshot was also added to the dashboard, which showed a decrease in the number of positive tests (from 30 to 16) and positivity rate since the fourth snapshot. Additional details are available here.
Message to students: A “quieter, smaller and safer” Halloween—Student Life leaders sent a message to all Mines students on Thursday encouraging them to make use of Saturday’s holiday to pause and unplug—safely.
“This Halloween, Orediggers should stay close to home and mix only with those in their current household—and maybe another set of friends who live and learn together. If you’re hosting a small gathering, consider bundling up (unless you’re already wearing a Wookiee costume) and moving onto a porch—while keeping masks on and a 6-foot distance between households. Watching a scary movie or settling in for a board game? Keep it to you and your roommates.” Read the full message on the Mines Climbs Together website.
Got takeout but it’s too cold to eat outside? Volk Gymnasium is your new socially distanced lunch spot—Starting Monday, Volk will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday for Mines students in need of an indoor spot to eat their lunch, whether that’s takeout from the Periodic Table or something you brought from home. Social distancing rules still apply in the space, and only the building entrance from Illinois Street will be open. The McNeil Room, located on the second floor of the Student Rec Center, is available for lunchtime diners, as well. A reminder: Food and drink is not allowed in in-person classrooms or designated study spaces.
Speaking of study spaces, check out this building-by-building list of available study rooms—Is the study lounge in Brown full? No worries, there are plenty of other spaces available on campus for socially distanced studying. The Return to Mines Task Force recently created this building-by-building list of all designated study rooms on campus—including some larger classrooms that can safely accommodate your study group, particularly in the evenings and on weekends. Check out the full list here, or scan the QR code on the sandwich boards located by building entrances.
CDPHE asking everyone to “shrink their bubble” to stop the spread—In response to an alarming increase in hospitalizations due to COVID-19, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has amended its Safer at Home public health order to limit personal gatherings in all counties at all Safer at Home levels—including Jefferson County. The revised order reduces the size of personal gatherings to no more than 10 people from no more than two separate households. Recent case investigation data show that since July, attending social gatherings and community exposures have become more common among new cases. Read more on the CDPHE website.
Do you know a helluva Oredigger? We want to celebrate them!—Orediggers are doing a lot to support each other and keep our community safe this year, and we want to recognize those efforts. Do you have something nice to say to a classmate, professor, staff member or particular campus group? Do you know someone who’s been following the Oredigger Promise and setting a good example for others? Want to just pass along a word of thanks or appreciation? Share it with us! Drop some positivity here: mines.edu/thanks. Plus, we’ve heard there’s some cool Mines swag in it for you (such as the items previewed here) and whomever you call out for a job well done. So what are you waiting for? Pass on those good vibes.