This program invites all members of the community to participate.  Members of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) supported the initiative by hosting several sessions relating to personal safety and other unrelated activities that explored new interests or offered a chance for self-development.

Sponsored by the Office of Campus Engagement, Wintersession aligns with the “Community Caretaking” mission of DPS and is an opportunity for staff to engage with students, staff, and faculty in new ways.  Staff, from sworn police officers to administrators, were able to connect with others across campus, to share skills, or learn side-by-side with others taking advantage of all the program had to offer.

This year, DPS sponsored three programs, including a perennial favorite, “Basic Car Maintenance and Safe Vehicle Operations.”  This session was preceded by “Create a Vision Board to Manifest Your Goals,” and “Embroidery 101”.  Each session was open to all members of the university community and offered free of charge to attendees.

Full program descriptions of this year’s programs can be found below:

“Basic Car Maintenance and Safe Vehicle Operations” – Taught by Sean Ryder, Community Relations Lieutenant and Michael Mains & Jacob Cortelyou, Garage Mechanics, Facilities

Led by Community Relations Lieutenant Sean Ryder, this long-running DPS program is intended to equip attendees with the confidence to identify and address basic vehicle maintenance items.  From the importance of properly functioning windshield wipers, to learning the fundamentals of checking and replacing fluids, this 90-minute class provided an interactive look “under the hood.”  Beginning with a classroom discussion format, the second half of the program featured a walk over to MacMillan’s garage, where university mechanics NAME1 and NAME2 utilized a DPS patrol vehicle to demonstrate how to tick off the essential vehicle checkboxes for attendees.

“Create a Vision Board to Manifest Your Goals” - Taught by Lisa Linn de Barona, Special Projects Manager

A Vision Board is a collage of words and images that represent a person's goals or wishes and are intended to serve as a beacon to inspire or motivate.  While creating a board at any time can be fulfilling, it can be especially helpful to use a Vision Board for annual goal setting.  Wintersession, held between semesters during winter break, is the perfect moment to pause, take stock, and create a board, which can assist in focusing priorities and setting an intention for the coming semester and year. Guided by Lisa Linn de Barona, participants created board with a singular focus, such as looking towards a family vacation to Greece in the upcoming summer, or included several areas like relationships, career, finances, personal growth, home, travel, and hobbies. With no rules to their creation, attendees of the class made their Vision Boards as unique as possible.  Using materials like craft supplies, old magazines, photographs, poster boards, and printed images, they got their creative juices flowing with this fun and dynamic crafting session.

“Embroidery 101” - Taught by Rachel Sanborn, Administrative Specialist

An introduction to the art of embroidery, this course gave participants the supplies and coaching to begin their needlepoint journey.  Provided hoops, thread, needles, and fabric. The class guided registrants through starting and completing a project after instructing participants to do simple stitches. As an instructor, Rachel Sanborn takes a decade of her own practice and self-study and introduce the passion to others, including a student who reached out following to schedule a “crash course” in the art.  Rachel shares her love of the craft because it takes little skill to begin but takes time to master – the more you put in, the more you get out of it.  Over time, looking back on different pieces you can see progress, and that can be a satisfying feeling.  As Rachel put it, “in a world that gives instant gratification, patience is a trait that often needs to be strengthened.”