Alumni generosity, an education for the public good, and more news in brief

Swag

Beloit swag is now available in two places. The college’s new online bookstore vendor, Akademos, offers Beloit-branded merchandise at bookstore.beloit.edu. Walnut Creek Apparel & Gifts, a local Beloit retailer and college partner, has Beloit merchandise in stock in its store at 408 E. Grand Ave. By mid-2021, Walnut Creek will open a new Beloit apparel and gift shop on the main floor of the Powerhouse.

Generosity

Beloit’s mini campaign to help defray costs involved in bringing students back to campus this fall was a huge success. The single-day effort culminated in 437 gifts from Beloiters around the world, totaling more than $120,000. The largest portion of gifts—66 percent—came from alumni.

Riverwalk

The city of Beloit has received a $250,000 Community Development Investment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to help develop the Beloit Riverwalk next to the Powerhouse. Expected to be completed by the end of 2021, the project also received funds from the Department of Transportation and Department of Natural Resources.

Juneteenth

In 2020, Beloit College observed Juneteenth as an official holiday for the first time. June 19 is the annual commemoration, also sometimes called “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day,” of the date in 1865 that American slaves were finally emancipated in Texas, marking the end of slavery in the Confederate states.

Poetry Prize

Poet Marilyn Chin, Beloit’s 2020-21 Mackey Professor in Creative Writing, received the 2020 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in August from the Poetry Foundation. The lifetime Achievement Award honors a living U.S. poet in recognition of their outstanding lifetime achievement. It is one of the most prestigious awards given to American poets and one of the nation’s largest literary prizes.

Student Athletes

The Midwest Conference made the decision in late July to suspend all Division III competitions through the end of December to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission of Covid-19. However, Beloit’s student-athletes continue to practice, work out, and eat together at a safe distance using the Powerhouse facilities.

Johns Hopkins

The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Beloit College signed a three-year letter of agreement in June, recognizing and formalizing the schools’ longstanding academic relationship. Both schools agree to promote, communicate about, and guide qualified students through the admission process for Johns Hopkins’ Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Entry into Nursing program.

Public Good

Washington Monthly, one of U.S. News’ top competitors, evaluates and ranks colleges based on their contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service. Its 2020 Liberal Arts Colleges rankings placed Beloit No. 30 out of 218 liberal arts schools.