Notre Dame College celebrated its first Falcon Day of fellowship during the spring semester in February, and will mark a second Falcon Day on Wednesday, March 10.
These days are an expression of the Notre Dame mission to care for the whole student during a year filled with disruptions in the classroom environment, athletics, and co-curricular activities due to the global pandemic. The event offers some down time for students to rest, catch up on school work and participate in enriching activities. The College introduced its first-ever Falcon Day during the fall 2020 semester.
During Falcon Days no undergraduate, remote or face-to-face on-campus classes are conducted. February programming included early release from work for faculty and staff and artistic and community service activities for students. Research indicates engagement with art and volunteer work can brighten individuals’ moods, increase their resiliency and help them realize they can affect positive change in the world.
The February event started with the Dean of Students providing doughnuts for all employees of the College—and some students who happened to find them. Student Engagement organized a Cookies & Canvas event where students could create their own paintings while enjoying a sweet treat.
Campus Ministry hosted a service project for students at the May Dugan Center in Cleveland. The center provides services ranging from food, clothing, behavioral health counseling, adult education services, job searches, victim services and trauma counseling among others. Student assembled bags of groceries and cleaning products for under-resourced families on Falcon Day. Another group of students returned to the Center the following day to deliver the products to homes in several Cleveland neighborhoods.
“Even in this difficult time, students still have a desire to serve others,” state Anita Yoder, assistant director of Campus Ministry at the College.
In the evening, students had the opportunity to attend one of two movies at a local theater. Atlas Cinemas Eastgate 10 in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, provided the College its two largest theaters, which could seat 50 people physically distanced. Students enjoyed the reclining seats and the popcorn and snacks Notre Dame provided. Movie Night options included the “Lion King” (2019) and “Central Intelligence” (2016).
One student said that he and his wrestling “teammates had a good time at the movies. It gave [them] the chance to get off campus and to have a little team bonding.”
Faculty and staff were encouraged to engage in the activities with students to continue to cultivate the campus family atmosphere despite disruptions in connection created by the pandemic and inclement weather so far this spring semester.
February 2021
Campus Ministry contributed to this article.
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information, contact pr@ndc.edu.