Committed to Well-Being

Dear Colleagues,

Starting in waves at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and retirees gathered by Cannon Memorial Chapel for the Spider Dash, our inaugural 5K event. Having recently recovered from hip surgery, I was thrilled to participate in this fun run — or, in my case, walk! And it was wonderful to traverse our campus alongside so many members of the UR community.

We crossed over Westhampton Lake; encircled our campus buildings; trekked through the Eco-Corridor, under the Modlin arch, and across Westhampton Green; and arrived at the Heilman Dining Center for a group meal and awards ceremony. Volunteers provided support — directing participants, managing water stations, and cleaning the course. And race proceeds benefited Caritas, a local nonprofit that provides safe spaces for healing and recovery for those experiencing homelessness or addiction in our greater community.

This new campus tradition was made possible thanks to the coordinated and dedicated efforts of so many. Thank you to colleagues in Dining Services, Human Resources, UR Well, the UR Police Department, University Recreation, the Center for Student Involvement, Events and Support Services, Disability Services, University Communications, and Athletics for helping to plan Spider Dash. And thank you to our student, staff, and faculty participants and volunteers for supporting and celebrating the well-being of our Spider community.

Well-being is one of our university’s “guiding lights” and will continue to guide our future direction. We emphasize five key areas of well-being at UR: exercise, nutrition, self-care, mindfulness, and sleep. As we approach the summer, I hope you will find opportunities that support these aspects of health and wellness and benefit all dimensions of your well-being.

Thanks so much for all you do to make our university so remarkable.

Please remember to take care of yourself and look out for others.

Sincerely,

Kevin F. Hallock President

Social Buzz

So exciting!! I remember when my daughter opened that email … we both cried!! She loves UR! Best of luck to future Spiders!!

—@quakesphere via Instagram Referring to early-action admission decisions hitting email boxes in January

Will never forget this day!! My son can't get the smile off his face.

—Ann Ranelle via Facebook Referring to regular decision admission notifcations

Genius idea. Also, how can I get a job like Karla’s? I respond well to belly scratches.

—@dominickq via Instagram

Referring to UR’s new well-being dog, Karla