Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
If you are like me, you probably don’t associate Thanksgiving Day with the giving of gifts. There’s the food and drink. There’s the desserts and the conversations. There’s the watching of television and the consumption of social media. And there’s the chance to rest, hopefully.
But this year is unusual to say the least, and we now have the opportunity to give thanks and to give the most special of all presents – good health.
We’ve made it this far. YOU have made it this far. We are about to end in-person classes and will return fully remote after Thanksgiving. We have made it this far because of your efforts. We have made it this far because we followed our Flashes Safe Seven. We have made it this far because we developed our plan, and then we followed our plan.
Some of you experienced quarantine this semester. Thank you for doing so with a positive attitude and thank you for protecting the rest of us. I know this could not have been easy, but you made us safer because of your actions. Think about that. Is there any more powerful gift than that? You made us safer.
Thank you to all of our employees for making us safer as well. Custodial workers, cooks and staff members in all areas worked hard to protect, serve and even feed all of us. Our professors stepped up and taught students with enhanced training in online instruction and with their continued commitment to students’ success. And all of our employees did their jobs, did them well and did them while facing the pressures of the pandemic at home and with family members.
And so now we all have a golden opportunity to give the cherished gift of health during this Thanksgiving season. Please limit your interactions with others in the days leading up to the end of in-person classes. Please continue wearing your face coverings. And please continue practicing the Flashes Safe Seven. Eliminate social gatherings in the days before you return home. And, most importantly, please get tested for the virus before leaving campus. Doing all of these things will be a gift to family and friends, and to yourselves.
Stay safe. Practice the Flashes Safe Seven. We are here for you. You make us better. And Go Flashes!
Sincerely,
Todd Diacon
President