Tuesday News-day
There were a couple of emails today that are worth mentioning. Dr. Hatch sent a message to the campus community about the tension between uncertainty and confidence and some of the unique twists and turns of the world we now find ourselves living in. It’s a really affirming message in a time where I think we can all use some reassurance; you can read it here. I especially liked this thought:
Goodwill, resolve, love and dedication – these are the bedrocks upon which I have confidence for the future. We will weather this storm. Let me encourage each of you to take heart, to focus on making the most of this new reality and to continue to be creative in assisting those in need. Thank you for all you will do in the days ahead for each other and our community.
There was also a message to students about some planned maintenance in Bostwick and Johnson that will require the current students living on campus right now to relocate to another building, and will necessitate all rooms in those residence halls to be packed and stored. Read it here.
It’s important to put a couple of things into context. First, the maintenance that they are doing is necessary (and had been contracted a long time ago). Each summer, we do upgrades and repairs in our buildings, and this summer was Bostwick and Johnson’s turn to put systems in place to provide fresh ‘make-up air’ (aka air from outdoors) in the building; we did similar work on the residence halls on the Quad in past summers.
We also notified all students of this, not just the students directly impacted, for a couple of reasons: 1) to be as transparent as possible, and 2) because we know residents of other halls want to know what the plan is for retrieval of their belongings. Unfortunately, we do not have any information on what the plans will be for the other residence halls yet. We need to work in alignment with public health directives that will be unfolding in the coming days and weeks; we also just found out this morning that Mayor Joines of Winston-Salem has extended the stay-at-home for the city until May 7th, so we are processing what that means.
So that’s the official news I have. Want to turn to some virtual events coming up. I got an email yesterday from the Office of Civic & Community Engagement about upcoming virtual events, and will pull out a few to highlight, but you can see the whole message here.
During this pandemic, we are witnessing a rapid change in our economy and job market. What does this mean for college students as they prepare to venture out into the uncertain marketplace? How can questions of meaning and purpose direct how we think about our careers during this challenging time? Join The Veritas Forum at Wake Forest on Wednesday, April 15 for “Considering Career in COVID-19: How Important are Purpose and Meaning Now?” with Andy Chan (VP of Innovation and Career Development) and Dr. Michal Sloan (Professor of Classics).
In a time of social distancing and uncertainty, it is normal to feel anxious, isolated, and scared- you’re not alone. Join us each week for a different topic around community. This week we will have a conversation on what it looks like and means to sustain community during this time. The Critical Community Hour is open to faculty, staff, and students on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30 PM Eastern.
Get involved with Project Pumpkin – Wake Forest’s largest and longest-running campus-wide service event by applying to be a Co-Chair! Co-Chairs report to the Steering Committee and oversee a group of volunteers they are responsible for recruiting. Questions about being a Co-Chair? Please contact Sidney Matthews or Catherine Heindel.
Remind your Deacs that if they can’t be there in person, they can still engage with a lot of great programs and student organizations in a virtual manner, or can video chat/eat/meet with their friends. Keep fostering those connections to others. I am convinced the ability to connect with others is one of the things that will get us through this tough time.