Students, staff, and faculty gathered on the Shouse lawn on Tuesday for burritos, lawn games like Jenga and Connect Four, and a round of get-to-know-you bingo during the Mission, Values, and Community Excellence office’s annual summertime tradition, MVCE at the Park,

The event began in 2021 in response to the isolation that many were experiencing during the pandemic. "I started working here in December 2020, when the pandemic was happening, which meant [people were feeling very isolated and everything had to be outside," said Director of Community Excellence, Education and Programs Callie Watkins Liu. "So, we used the outdoor space as a way to connect and have done it every year since."

Among the students who stayed to play was Tamara Wason, from the Doctor of Health Sciences program, who traded get-to-know-you bingo answers — favorite colors, pineapple-on-pizza opinions, questions of health equity — with Anastasia Yang, a Speech-Language Pathology student.

As the afternoon wound down and friends said their goodbyes, the MVCE hosts sent everyone off with dinner and an armful of merchandise: blankets, bags, bento boxes, umbrellas. When participants thanked them for their generosity, Watkins Liu had a simple reply: "That's what community excellence is all about."