A mysterious white van sighted around campus has actually been the vehicle of choice for University President Peter Salovey’s pre-Inauguration “rounds.” In the first three days of the week, Salovey is traveling to 27 academic departments and other offices across Yale to make departmental drop-ins.

On Tuesday morning, Salovey spoke with Yale faculty and staff affiliated with the arts at the University Theater on York Street. He spent about twenty minutes at the gathering before driving away in the distinct white vehicle to the next drop-in at the School of Nursing on West Campus.

Laura Torino and Laurie Coppola, two senior administrative assistants in the School of Drama, said it was their first opportunity while working at Yale to interact with the University’s president.

Despite the brevity of the visit, sentiment was overwhelmingly positive after Salovey left and Marilyn Weiss, an administrator in the School of Architecture, went so far as to characterize the University President as “very human.”

“He had a very refreshing approach,” Weiss said. “He tried to relate to the audience.”

Meanwhile, an enormous white tent is being laid across Old Campus in anticipation of the “Inaugural Ball” on Sunday.

White tent on Old Campus

MATTHEW LLOYD-THOMAS