Despite most Greyhounds leaving their dorms at the end of the semester last spring, Moravian and Bethlehem kept busy.
For those who missed it: here’s what Moravian got up to this summer.
On June 26, a massive thunderstorm hit Bethlehem, with winds up to 60 miles per hour. It resulted in many of Moravian’s beloved trees completely snapping, losing branches, and even affecting buildings, such as Zinzendorf Hall, where fallen branches scratched the brick facade.
Moravian’s facilities workers immediately cleaned up the wreckage and returned Moravian’s campus to its pristine condition.
Luiggi Paonessa ’25, part of the crew cleaning up, said it reminded him of his experience with Hurricane Maria [2017] in Puerto Rico. “I was living on campus during the storm,” he said. “It felt like a small deja vu.”
The storm also resulted in many power outages in the Bethlehem area.
During that time, Moravian was hosting its Advance Into Moravian program, which is a summer bridge program that introduces first-year students to campus living and the expectations of college courses.
Shannon Thomas ‘28 participated in the program this year.
“I noticed I was a lot less anxious for this transition than I thought I would have been, and I credit that to the insight AIM gave me,” she said.
Noah Wallish ‘28 was also a participant.
“Every day was completely packed with stuff to do. [There was] never a boring day,” he said. “It gave me a super good feel for campus.”
Another program for first-year students, the 1742 Experience, also took place this summer, with students serving the local Bethlehem community through different service projects.
Some students spent their summer conducting research through the Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) program. Each of them worked with a faculty mentor and received a stipend. The students then presented their projects to the Moravian community over the course of the summer.
On July 26, it was announced that Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements would join Gracehill, Northern Ireland, Hernhut, Germany, and Christiansfeld, Denmark as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Included in the Bethlehem distinction are Moravian University buildings on South campus.
A World Heritage Site is a natural or cultural site that holds outstanding value for either its natural or historic nature. The selected sites are protected and receive funding to maintain their natural or cultural heritage.
President Bryon Grigsby was in New Delhi, India, when the World Heritage Committee announced that Bethlehem would earn this distinction.
“I hope you will share in my excitement as this is a monumental moment in the history of the Lehigh Valley, the City of Bethlehem, and Moravian University,” he said in a statement sent to the Moravian community.
Also: For the second year in a row, Moravian University welcomed its largest incoming class of 530 students, along with over 80 transfer students. Previously, the largest incoming class consisted of 514 students.
This summer, our campus community mourned the loss of one of its most beloved members, Mo. Mo was one of the President’s family’s two greyhounds and the live mascot of Moravian. Mo, who had been a part of the Moravian community since 2013, was 13 when he passed.
He was a symbol of Moravian warmth and loyalty and could always be found fondly interacting with students, faculty, and staff as he attended university events and strolled North and South campuses.
Rest in peace, Mo. You will always be in the hearts of every Greyhound.
