Campus to celebrate the life of Willem Golden

March 21, 2016

Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,

Please join us Tuesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. as we come together to celebrate the life of first-year student Willem "Will" Golden who passed away on Saturday.

In an effort to support each other and send our thoughts and prayers to Will's family, we will gather as a community in Ladd Hall in the Arthur Zankel Music Center and end the evening with a candlelight vigil outdoors in the Thomas Amphitheater. If necessary, overflow accommodations will be available.

The Murray-Aikins Dining Hall will be open Tuesday before and after the event at no cost to our students.

I know this is a very difficult time for everyone on our campus, and I hope this gathering provides some comfort to our students, families, and our community.  Please show your Skidmore pride by wearing our school colors—green and yellow—to our gathering.


Sincerely,

Philip A. Glotzbach
President

Accident claims first-year student

March 20, 2016

Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,

I write today to share the terribly sad news that one of our students, Willem “Will” Golden, of Cohasset, Massachusetts, died yesterday as the result of a fall in Newark, Delaware. Will was a first-year student and a member of the Skidmore hockey team who resided in Wait Hall.

Our hearts go out to Will’s family members, his friends on campus, and those back home. We have been in contact with his family and shared our deep sympathy and offers of assistance. They will notify us when funeral plans are made. In the meantime, we are in the process of planning a campus gathering on Tuesday and will provide more details as soon as they are available.

Will had been a member of the Skidmore community for less than a year but had already made many connections with students, faculty, staff, and teammates who will grieve his loss very deeply.

Let me remind you of the additional counseling services on campus this week that were planned given tomorrow’s sentencing of the driver in the tragic crash this past October. To lose two students in one year is unthinkable, and I know that this most recent death will affect every one of us in our close community.

In addition to their regular services, the Counseling Center will be offering same-day 30-minute consultations with a therapist all week for individuals directly affected by these events. Please call the Center at 518-580-5555 the day you would like to come in.

The Health Promotion Office will be bringing therapy dogs, both large and small, to the Intercultural Center (ICC) in Case Center on Tuesday, March 22, from 12:30-2 p.m.

Wilson Chapel will be open all week for those seeking solace there and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life staff will be available each day. The Chapel will also hold multiple opportunities for reflection, mindfulness, and communion throughout the week – including yoga and meditation. The Chapel schedule is available here.

Because our ties to others are particularly important in times of loss and stress, our Peer Health Educators will also be hosting an event focusing on healthy relationships on Thursday, March 24, in the in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall Atrium from 5:30-7 p.m.

I ask that we all do everything we can to support one another during this very challenging time.

Sincerely,


Philip A. Glotzbach
President