Dear Franklin Community,
Welcome back to the Monday updates!
For those of you who plan to return to campus later this week, Franklin can’t wait to have you back on campus. For everyone else who has been here for our cold but gorgeous winter weather, we hope you have been able to enjoy some time outside.
Many of you will return to campus and have to quarantine, per the Swiss government regulations. If so, you should already have meals planned and your room awaiting you. Please make sure you have filled out the arrival form if you haven’t already. Questions about check-in for on-campus housing? Please contact Cristina Elvira Perèz prior to your arrival. Not sure what your country’s quarantine status is? Check the list of quarantine countries here.
Of course, classes begin on Monday, January 18. We will begin the new semester as we ended the last one: classes will meet remotely normally, with exceptions for small seminars, labs, and small group meetings. Because so many of you will be in quarantine on day 1, please plan to start your classes online. Your professors will contact you via Moodle or email with specific instructions, so make sure you check your Franklin account! If you have had to delay travel back to campus due to illness or travel complications, please let Dean Sara Steinert Borella and Dean Deborah know as soon as possible.
A note on the status quo here in Ticino, whereas of Monday, January 11, 2021, the following restrictions remain in place:
- Bars and restaurants are closed. Take-out service remains available until 10pm.
- Stores close at 7pm, on Sundays, and on all holidays.
- Museums, cinemas, libraries, gyms, and sporting facilities are closed.
- Gatherings are limited to 5 people.
These regulations may be updated later this week. If there is a change, another email will be sent with that information. Remember, the authorities recommend that you stay home when possible. Reduce your social contact and activities. Limit travel to that which is strictly necessary. Of course, if you are in quarantine, this won’t be a problem. For students, if you are not feeling well or have questions about your health, please contact Chris Schmid at medical services.
Please remember to wear a mask, social distance, and wash your hands! For those of you in quarantine, there will be lots of activities organized by the OSL and the RAs to keep you busy when you aren’t in class. For those of you not in quarantine, we recommend the take-out hot chocolate downtown when you can. Do let us know where you find your favorite so we can compare notes.
Finally, a word about the assault on democracy that we all witnessed last week. It goes without saying that we condemn the violence that we saw unfold in Washington, DC. At Franklin, we embrace the common values of civil discourse, tolerance, and understanding. Never have our liberal arts values been more important. Kudos to students Spencer Landry, Campbell Pair, and Kat Zender, who said it so well when interviewed by the Corriere del Ticino last week: we all stand together against actions of domestic terrorism and in support of a peaceful transition to the new US administration.