“Spring break” greetings
11th April, 2020
Dear SHSS Faculty, Students, and Staff,
We have just concluded nine weeks of the spring semester under exceptional conditions, both regionally and globally. The first couple of weeks were particularly frustrating given the uncertainty of when and whether we would be able to resume our normal lives.
Unfortunately, it is now clear that in-person classes will not occur this semester. Perhaps it would have been easier to know that at the outset, rather than hoping that travel restrictions, self-quarantines, and social distancing would be short-lived. We have been disappointed. Repeatedly. We all had different plans for this semester and the spring break that just started.
Have the weeks started to slip by for you? Have you (reluctantly) settled into a daily routine during our quasi-lockdown times? I have, apparently. This morning I went to my empty office like any other day and turned on my computer to a calendar full of Zoom meetings with faculty, staff, and students. At some point, I realized that it is a public holiday: Good Friday. The clue was when multiple e-mail messages ended with, “Happy Easter!”
Although there is nothing “happy” about the shock of living during a global public health crisis, every single day I have moved by the perseverance, humanity, and humor that a member of SHSS has shared. Sometimes it’s a simple, silly text. Other times, I have learned about your hard-earned achievements. But mostly, it is actually “business as usual,” despite truly unusual circumstances.
We are still teaching and learning and functioning remarkably well as a community. I am proud of our resilience. We will meet again soon, in person or by Zoom.
Stay safe and take care,
Kellee