Update:
Friday, October 10, 2016
There are no classes today. Classes will resume tomorrow, October 11, 2016.
Update:
Friday, October 7, 2016 – 7:24 a.m.
Overnight Thursday, 40 Beacon College students sheltered at Beacon Commons and 30 students hunkered down at the Villages.
Meanwhile, 70 or so students weathered Hurricane Matthew at the Student Center.
Residential Experience Coordinator Gavin Palmer said overnight, students at the Center boogied during a dance party and watched movies, while he and President Hagerty rooted on their favorites in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
So too was Palmer, busy whipping up breakfast powered by less than an hour of sleep.
Update:
October 6, 2016 – 10:55 pm
Morgano shelter in place with students.
Dean Kerry Greenstein reports students are in good spirits and no problems to report.
Meanwhile, President Hagerty and Sodexo’s Sam Morgano are enjoying their hunker-down time with students.
Note from Dean of Students Kerry Greenstein:
October 6, 2016 – 5:30 pm
Staff and students are getting ready as the storm makes landfall in Florida.
Students are reminded they should be where they plan to shelter in place. For students remaining in their apartments, please call the RA phone if there are any problems.
Additionally, again because a number of students are vacating campus to travel home or stay with friends elsewhere, we ask that parents who are collecting their children contact Dean of Students Kerry Greenstein at 352-638-9796 or kgreenstein@beaconcollege.edu to ensure that we have an accurate inventory of which students are sheltering in place on campus.
School operations
Based on the latest information from emergency management officials and weather forecasts, Beacon will close its normal operations at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 to ensure student safety. Classes after 4 p.m. Thursday are cancelled.
Classes also are cancelled Friday Oct. 7.
Students are encouraged to shelter in place Thursday night together in the Compass Center or the Student Center. Off-campus students too are encouraged to hunker down with their peers at the Student Center.
Dinner and drinks will be provided. Students should bring a pillow and blanket and ride out the storm during a hurricane party. A counselor and life coach will staff the centers while the storm passes through.
Should Hurricane Matthew jog westward — intensifying its forecasted impact — sheltering in the Compass or Student centers may become mandatory. We will advise students and parents via email, Facebook and the Beacon website should that need arise.
Parents Weekend
Parents’ Weekend is CANCELLED. All events associated with Parents’ Weekend are cancelled.
The Inaugural Beacon College Navigators 5K Run/Walk is postponed. The date is to be determined. We regret any inconvenience the postponement creates, however, our primary concern is for the safety of participants.
Please be aware that further changes are possible.
We continue to monitor the track of Hurricane Matthew as it wobbles toward Florida.
We will re-evaluate the plan as needed to ensure the best decisions are made to keep students safe and to provide you with timely updates via email updates, Facebook and our website.