Teams were based on the students’ Advisory Colleges, which are assigned upon matriculation to the School of Medicine. The six Advisory Colleges are each named for a past School of Medicine dean or a significant historical member of the medical community.

The College Cup event itself contains few activities requiring serious athleticism, but instead focuses on activating the mind, creativity and spirit. This year’s events included dodgeball, tug-of-war, rock-paper-scissors, an art competition, a relay race, capture the flag, musical chairs and eating competitions.

“We try to host multiple events that aren’t reliant entirely on physical strength and are welcoming to all sorts of people,” said Cynthia Morse, coordinator of student programs at the college.

College Cup reminds students to have fun, take care of themselves, be social, be a part of a community, be a whole person and take breaks from studies to avoid burnout, Morse adds.

“The event is a comradery-building event to foster community among the [advisory] colleges that students are assigned to when they enter their M1 year. It is a great way to get to know people and share in a common goal,” Morse said.

College Cup is one of several events over the course of the academic year involving the Advisory Colleges.

Indeed, the Advisory Colleges are a unique aspect of the School of Medicine, according to Tony Simms, director of student wellness for the School of Medicine.

“Few other universities offer such programs, so when we started it here in 2011, it was a big draw for students to have an automatic built-in support system,” Simms said. “The Advisory Colleges focus on connecting our incoming students with upperclassmen. It fosters strong relationships and reminds students that wellness is extremely important while in medical school.”

Participation in College Cup is voluntary, but this year saw nearly a quarter of the School of Medicine student body population compete.

“College Cup is a great way to showcase all the various talents and enthusiasm that ULSOM students have to offer, but more than this, College Cup is a time for first-year medical students to continue meeting their classmates and be encouraged by upperclassmen to remember there’s a work-life balance to value when entering medical school,” said second-year student Alexis Harris.

“My favorite part of College Cup is when there are events that whittle down to only a few participants, such as musical chairs/paper-rock-scissors tournament, and so the entire focus of all attendees shifts to one place and a few people — everyone circled around a small group of people. It is really fun to see the entire crowd cheering on the remaining participants, start chants and cheer on someone they just met a week prior,” Morse said.

The winning team takes home the College Cup trophy and receives bragging rights for the academic year. This year, bragging rights will be shared by two colleges as there was a tie between Fitzbutler and Moore colleges. 

To view photos from the event, click .

Two program proposals were presented to senators. The proposals included a bachelor of arts in computer science degree program through the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, as well as a master of science in health profession education through the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development. Votes on both proposals were tabled and will be resubmitted to the Faculty Senate at a later date.

Ben Barberie, a representative of the Student Government Association, shared the preliminary findings from the Real Cards campaign organized by the SGA. Over 100 students were given the opportunity to voice their concerns about the past fall semester. Barberie shared the following response submitted by a student, which was said to summarize many student concerns from the past semester.

“I wish they knew that I’m trying my best to give 100% for everything. I struggle with prioritizing taking care of myself, on top of everything going on and everything I have to do. I appreciate professors saying they understand what we’re going through, but actions speak louder than words and I’m not seeing much action. I feel so depleted and anxious all the time. Going to face-to-face classes makes me feel like I’m putting myself in harm’s way and there’s no way around it.”

Executive Vice President and University Provost Beth Boehm acknowledged this concern raised by the SGA and announced that the Student Wellbeing committee, cosponsored by the Provost’s office and the Faculty Senate, has been reinstated. The committee has prepared a list of policy decisions for faculty to include in their syllabi for the upcoming spring semester. These recommendations were forwarded earlier as part of the Academic Scenario Planning committee, and Boehm stated they would be forwarded once more before the end of the year.

Boehm also informed senators that campus buildings will be locked from the end of the semester until and our return in the spring. Research faculty expecting packages over the break were encouraged to coordinate with Physical Plant and/or Canon mail to arrange deliveries and pick-ups. 

Senators were updated on COVID-19 testing protocols for those returning to campus in the spring. Boehm announced plans for four required testing periods for the upcoming semester, with the first testing period taking place from Jan. 4 to Jan. 15. All students, faculty and staff will be required to either participate in the testing period or submit a form stating they will not be on campus.

Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer for UofL Health, presented information on the current state of UofL Health’s COVID-19 response. Nearly 100 COVID-19 patients are currently receiving treatment through UofL hospitals. While only 10% of beds are being occupied by COVID-19 patients, Smith informed senators of the dangers that the state-wide surge in cases has imposed on smaller institutions.

He stated, “we’re seeing a lot more of transfers in from the outside, so we’re starting to see smaller hospitals become full with patients and they’re sending us non-COVID patients that they typically would have kept themselves and been able to take care of but there’s just a lack of beds overall within the community.” Smith went on to say that last year’s healthcare acquisitions have made it possible to accept the overflow of patients during the pandemic. 

As of Dec. 2, UofL Health has performed almost 95,000 tests across Louisville. Smith reported an increase in positivity rates, with a 23% positivity rate in the last week of November. To combat this surge, UofL Health has coordinated care with other healthcare systems in the Louisville area on treatment protocols, testing opportunities, and community-wide bed placement to ensure the ability to provide care for the community.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be accessed on the . The next faculty meeting is scheduled for Jan. 13 via Microsoft Teams.

“I’d describe it as dungeon-like,” said graduate student Bria Staten-Favors, about the previous facility. “It was old, it was dark. The equipment was old. It wasn’t inviting.”

Four years later, the SRC is thriving. Debby Woodall, fitness director in the Intramural & Recreational Sports Department, has witnessed the entire evolution, having worked in the department for 20 years. The new(ish) facility, located on the west side of the Belknap Campus, boasts multiple group fitness studios, six basketball courts, a gaming area, 14,000 square feet of strength training areas, a golf simulator and more.

It also offers about 30 different classes, from group fitness and cycling, to power yoga, restorative yoga and yoga with live music. It even offers belly dancing. When the department was housed at the SAC, there were about 12 classes a week. Yoga wasn’t even on the map.

“We couldn’t offer yoga because we didn’t have the right facility. We couldn’t offer cycling because we didn’t have the bikes,” Woodall said.

Now, those are among the most in-demand classes. Some yoga classes generate 35 students.

“Cycling and yoga have surprised me the most. We have been challenged with keeping up with demand and have had to turn people away. We had to order more bikes,” Woodall said. “Our (classes) numbers have gone up well over 100 percent.”

However, it is not just the classes that are drawing in the students; it’s the facility and location. Kylar Ware, a junior from Mount Washington, said that, though the SRC was intimidating at first because of its size, she loves going now.

“I think because it has two floors, it helped me get over the intimidation factor. I also love the windows because it gives me a feeling that I’m not missing out on my day by being inside of this building and being removed from everything,” she said. “I usually hate gyms, but the SRC is really nice and I’ve noticed a change in myself where I want to go now.”

Since she lives in the Pi Beta Phi house across the street, it’s also easier for her to go. Staten-Favors agrees that the SRC environment and location motivate her more.

“I don’t have to worry about going across campus to workout at night,” Staten-Favors added. “I also like that it’s two levels so I can work out in a more private place if I want.”

Woodall said this is the type of feedback she’s been getting from students across the board.

“We’ve done surveys and I can say going on our fourth year that I love where we are,” she said. “It’s a totally different program than what we used to have.”

The SRC will continue to “trial and error” new programs, such as lectures and classes. In the next year or two, some equipment will be replaced as wear and tear sets in. Woodall said they’re also working with new vendors to test new pieces of equipment, such as a Zero Runner, an Incline Trainer and a “soft-powered treadmill,” that uses less energy. Finding the right classes and equipment to resonate with students has been what Woodall calls a “fun challenge.”

“The fact that our students avoided the SAC bothered me. It’s a shame they didn’t feel like they had a place to go,” she said. “But I love that they have all of this now. It’s important we give them this positive outlet.”

Check out more photos from the .