Dear Nazareth students,
I
hope your travels throughout campus each day have shown all that CAN be
done during these unsettling times when COVID still threatens.
I
hope you’ve seen the many ingenious ways we are now gathering and
interacting while adhering to the important safety measures in place. A
look at the Nazareth calendar shows outdoor events of all kinds —
fitness, advocacy gatherings, social gatherings, games, faith-based
gatherings, carnivals, group art events, and more.
I hope
you’ve enjoyed learning together once again as we fulfill our academic
mission in the innovative environments that have been configured
specifically for safety — classes held outdoors, classes in larger
spaces, new learning modalities like virtual classes, symphonies
practicing with social distancing.
I
hope you are empowered to be part of a community that is an agent of
social justice in the world. The coronavirus feels all-encompassing, but
there are other major things happening in our world. I feel deeply the
continued egregious racial injustices and toxic divisiveness all around
us, the shooting of Jacob Blake just the latest in an ongoing threat to
Black lives. I am grateful to be part of a learning community that cares
about social justice, striving to learn about centuries-old dynamics,
value Black lives, and forge positive difference in our world.
I
hope you feel the full commitment of our community to your future.
Pandemic or not, your future is why we are here. Your future will chart
the progress of our world, especially at this time of revolutionary
social change.
I
hope you’ve witnessed the signs of a community in powerful
synchronicity, protecting and caring for each other by wearing masks as
shown in our #WhyIComply effort; serving as public health ambassadors;
practicing social distancing; enacting sanitizing protocols; being
responsible in our surrounding community; responding swiftly,
transparently, and with care to any COVID threat — an entire community
adhering to Our Way Forward.
I
hope you have felt the palpable spirit of hope, of commitment, of
excitement, of heartfelt support, and friendship that is here for you
within our community.
I
hope you have heard the sounds of what fully engaged, successful
college life sounds like during the pandemic — the sounds of instruments
wafting through the morning air as students from the School of Music
practice safely outside, the sounds of quiet conversations held at a
distance, the sounds of small groups learning together safely, the
sounds of outdoor gatherings celebrating togetherness on our beautiful
campus with new rules being followed. Amidst our current world of
“can’ts,” at Nazareth we celebrate what we CAN do!
These
are the sights and sounds of our college community successfully
navigating the pandemic — and all that is rocking our world — with the
Nazareth sense of purpose, positivity and selflessness fully intact. In
this world, our success is measured day by day and these days have shown
that our community is up to the task. I am deeply grateful to and proud
of our entire community. Let’s keep the momentum going!
This
is our new world, a world that reminds us to remain consistent and
vigilant, to not let our guard down, and to care for one another. A
world that needs our humanity. Let these moments remind us not of what
we have lost but what we have accomplished in creating our safe,
healthy, supportive, and committed learning environment. In a day-by-day
effort of responsibility where we all do our part, where the world is
hoping we achieve a successful semester, let’s keep learning together.
We’ve got this!
Warmly,
President Paul
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