It is a "reading marathon" here in Payson Hall.  For anyone reading this who has applied to SLU:  We know how hard the waiting game is...we are working as fast and efficiently as we can to review files.  Our goal is to mail decision letters on March 19th, so this is definitely "crunch time".

However, crunch time can also be fun time.  Just the other day, nearly everyone in the admissions office sported scarlet and brown outfits.  Do you know why our school colors are scarlet and brown? 

Our school colors have officially been scarlet and brown since 1876.  Three students proposed the idea to our student government (which at the time was a debating club).  There are two stories as to why scarlet and brown were selected.  First story:  Scarlet and brown both represent the beautiful autumn leaves on campus.  Second story:  They allude to St. Lawrence's martydrom on a gridiron in the third century (a much more greusome story!)

I took a few minutes to take some snapshots of our staff wearing scarlet and brown:

Al Gotsch, the "reading machine", is pictured above holding up some of the files he has yet to read.

I caught Tim Akers above, sporting a SLU rugby shirt, checking through applications in front of our filing shelves. Below, you can see my office-mate, Chad Tessier, smiling as he holds up the last of his files to read for the afternoon.  Nice tie, Chad!  

Below, Jennifer McCluskey takes a second to smile as she prepares folders to welcome visiting high school juniors and their families.  

Tonki Downs strikes a pose below with the last of her files to review.  Tonki was very proud of the fact that she even had brown boots to complete her scarlet and brown ensemble:

Below, Molly Williams takes a break from processing applications to smile:

Below, Sara Kent holds up the last of her files to read for the day:

Chris Pazoga-Sleeper takes a quick break from work to smile below:

Our fearless leader, Dean of Admissions Terry Cowdrey, takes a break from reviewing files in the picture below.  (Did you know in our reading process that every file is read a minimum of two times from two different staff members before they reach our Dean or Director?)

At the end of the day, staff gathered for a "scarlet and brown" group shot below!!

I will conclude my post with a photograph below of Carole Jenne, who is very busy working in Financial Aid.  Carole, along with the rest of the financial aid staff, thought it would be funny to be rebellious by wearing Clarkson University gear on Scarlet and Brown Day!  They do say that green = money...and Carole is a Clarkson graduate, so I guess we can let this slide...