End of the first week
It’s the end of the first week of classes. We are slowly getting our groove back. And we will be learning as we go, relying on our campus community to be patient, nimble, and flexible as we get used to the new realities.
There was a really nice story that ran in the Greensboro News and Record last week about move-in, with some terrific insights from student leaders. It was very affirming to read. Our students are smart and they want to be here. I have heard some great things anecdotally this week – students being very mask compliant, and impressive stories of students who have been doing the right thing, even when it meant doing the hard thing. Upperclass students telling our new students that they will be hanging out on the Quad and in tents and if you haven’t met folks yet, come talk to me.
This is very encouraging, especially given some of the less than flattering portrayals of college students and COVID. That’s not to say it is all perfect, and that there aren’t some lapses. But it is a good start. And again this weekend, we have staff who will be on hand to gently redirect if there are students who are a little too close, or not wearing masks, etc. Speaking of, we are all still finding our footing in how to gently redirect behavior. Our Business School came up with a handy graphic with some suggested language. 
In terms of updates: our first batch of students selected for random COVID testing will be notified this Sunday for testing next week, so they should keep their eyes out on their WFU email in case they are chosen. Resident students got a message about cleaning of residence halls. Also wanted to share an update on road closures that went out this afternoon. And a few of you have asked me why the lounges in the residence halls are closed. Our Environmental Health and Safety team and our medical team worked to identify places where it would be difficult to control occupancy or provide appropriate cleaning and disinfection after use, and those locations have been closed. Please understand that this is not meant to be a punitive measure; similar to the reasons why we need to keep the basketball courts closed, this is meant to protect student safety and help mitigate risk of COVID spread.
As we have said over and over, our goal is to have your student on campus with us for the full semester until Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, that means some previously-used spaces have to be offline now. Please know that the Wellbeing Center is converting its gyms to socially-distanced study space; those should come online next week sometime. There are also a lot of great nooks and crannies in academic and administrative buildings that can be great study spaces. I encourage students to look beyond lounges to those kinds of spaces (my favorite study space was on the lowest level of one of our academic buildings – I found a little comfy corner and made it mine).
I was in a meeting this morning with our wonderful Chaplain, Tim Auman. He prompted us to think about some of the anxiousness we are feeling about not being in control because of COVID and the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves right now. This is a moment where the normal Wake Forest perfectionism may not serve us well, because as much as we try to control things, we can’t. So in this strange time, Chaplain Auman urged us to think about what are the things that sustain us? What are the stories of hope that lift you up when you are tired and anxious or fed up? And suggested that sometimes in order for us to experience growth, whether as an individual or as an institution, there are moments of pain and discomfort. But lean in to confidence in yourself, and confidence in each other. Having the acceptance of community can get us through the tough times.
This reminded me of a book that I read for a crisis management course in graduate school: A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster, by Rebecca Solnit. Solnit investigated some of the world’s major disasters and found that one of the unexpected blessings is how people come together during times of need, and that the community that can form in those moments can feel utopian. The optimist in me says that this may be just such a time for us. And if Wake can emerge even better and stronger – despite the craziness of COVID, and given all the ways we are working together toward a common goal – that would be amazing.
Last thought for the week: Fridays are always a great time to call your Deacs and have a chat, just to remind them that there are people at home who love them and who are trusting them to make good choices. Ask them if they are wearing their masks, ask them if they are social distancing, and ask them if they are washing their hands a lot. Then tell them you love them and are proud of them 🙂
— by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)