Update for Students: Maintaining Community and Health

03/20/2020

Dear SLU Student Companions,

As we begin to settle into our “new normal,” I want to share some thoughts about maintaining community and health during this challenging time. Some of the tips below are linked to the guidance for in-person gatherings addressed in Dr. Pestello’s March 18 update. Others are ideas many of you have shared for ways to stay connected and keep our community alive and well, even as we are mostly apart from one another.

My hope is to answer some of your questions, while also sharing ideas about ways to maintain community (with those who remain on campus and those who are now back home) and to prioritize health (both for yourself and for those with whom you are in community). Caution: this email may be longer than you want to read; I hope you’ll read it anyway!

Before I move to informational content, though, I’d like first to offer a few personal reflections. As many of you depart campus and our staff and faculty begin to work remotely, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to stay connected to people. I’m an extrovert – not surprising for those who’ve met me! – so this time of being alone more than being with others is going to test me. But I’m also an optimist, so I know good things will come from this time of crisis.

I recently heard that the word crisis has its roots in the notion of sifting. For me, this crisis does represent a sifting – it calls us to consider what really matters most to us, to let those things rise to the top as we allow the mundane annoyances of life to fall away.

So, here’s what matters most to me as I confront an increasingly-empty campus and a mostly-virtual calendar during this time of sifting:

• You. First and foremost, you matter. You matter to me. You matter to us. Every single one of you is “essential;” not one of you is replaceable. Whether you’re continuing to live on campus or have already moved home, You. Matter.
• Your health. Your health and well-being are essential to me. Commitment to these underpins all the decisions we’ve made as an institution thus far. This includes your emotional, spiritual, and mental health, not just your physical health. Below are some tips for keeping yourself and others healthy and tending to your whole self during this period.
• Your education. Equal to your health and well-being, we have prioritized your ability to complete your educational experiences this semester. Whether you are completing a degree this term or trying to stay on track for overall progress, we want to do everything we can to ensure you can complete this semester. This priority is one reason we’ve sought to personalize meeting your needs, whether that involves needing to remain on campus or to access campus resources from a distance.
• Our campus community. Maintaining our connections and relationships is essential if our SLU community is to continue to thrive. Maintaining respect for the health and well-being of all members of our community is an important aspect of “recognizing the inherent dignity of each person,” as The Oath calls us to do, and to contributing to the common good. Below are some strategies for maintaining community and living our values during this period.
• Our neighbors. Continuing to live our mission, continuing to serve those in need, continuing to walk in solidarity with those who are often invisible in our larger communities -- this is essential to our very identity as Billikens. We know that COVID-19 will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable among us, and we know that you will want to be walking alongside those in the margins. Below are a few tips for continuing to serve during this period, whether you remain in St. Louis or are planning to move home.

Lately, folks have talked a lot about the importance of community and of health. Often, the two are treated as though they are in opposition to one another, as though we must choose between them.

But I think Billikens know community and health are inextricably linked: we can’t be truly healthy without community, and to thrive, our communities must be healthy. For me, commitment to the “greater good” demands that I do some things that are good for both myself and others (like use hand sanitizer, and stop touching my face, and keep a 6-foot space between myself and others). For me, “higher purpose” means taking care of myself, so I can continue to work on ways the University can take good care of you. This is cura personalis.

Whatever communities you’re missing, I implore you to stay connected to them. We all have different “people” -- those who help us study, make us laugh, help us organize, teach us theories, make us feel at home, challenge us to do better, to be more. Stay connected to your “people” – you need them and they need you.

In the coming weeks, you’ll continue to hear me, from others in Student Development and around the University. We don’t want you to forget about us, and we want to keep you apprised of upcoming opportunities for virtual connection. In the meantime, please keep yourselves healthy (mind, body, spirit) and keep your communities healthy.

Warmly,

Debie Lohe
Interim Vice President for Student Development

Self and Others: Keeping Healthy

Whether you remain on campus or not this spring, please be mindful of these key tips for keeping yourself and others healthy. Even if you don’t feel sick, your actions and inactions have a significant impact on others. Adopting these health habits is a form of social action to protect the health and well-being of all those with whom you interact:

• If you are sick or have symptoms of an illness, stay home. Don’t come to campus, leave your room/apartment (if on campus), or go to community organizations where you serve. Contact the Student Health Center 314-977-2323 (nurse is available on-call after hours).
• For in-person meetings or gatherings, no more than 10 people. The President expects all individuals who remain on campus to abide by this restriction. Remember this: small groups/large spaces. Small groups of in-person gatherings should take place in spaces that would hold at least 3 times the number of people.
• If you are in spaces with others (such as the BSC, the library, the grocery store, etc.), spread out. Practice the public health concept of social distancing. Keep at least 6 feet of space between you and others. It’s worth noting that our ability to keep the library and BSC open depends, in part, on what you do (for those who remain on campus). If you aren’t practicing good health habits that will protect others in the building, it will be difficult to argue for keeping these spaces open.
• Quarantine yourself -- or encourage your peers to self-quarantine -- if you have traveled to affected areas and/or interacted with individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19. Honoring the quarantine, even if you feel well, is an act of fidelity to our mission.
• Take care of yourself. Get exercise when you can, connect with friends when you can, try to unplug a little when you can. Taking courses online can leave you feeling like you’re always plugged in. Practicing a few minutes of digital disconnect each day can quiet your mind.
• Connect with Campus Ministry or the University Counseling Center if you need additional spiritual or mental health support. Keep an eye out for virtual offerings from the Simon Recreation Center.
• Clean up after yourself and be mindful of others who may clean up after you. Particularly in residence halls and campus spaces, cleanliness on your part is an act of fidelity to our mission. Be mindful of the custodial services staff members who will continue to clean the buildings you’re living in. We want to minimize risk to them and their health, so let’s all do our part.

Self with Others: Maintaining Community

Maintaining connection and community is essential to your health and ours. And we recognize that you’re in all kinds of different communities, from CSOs to affinity groups, study groups to Flammilies, research teams to learning communities. Here are just a few of the ways you can stay connected:

• Student Organizations: Many of you have had questions about the activities and events of your organizations, affinity groups, and other communities. You’ve been incredibly patient. For those in student organizations wondering about your events and activities, SGA VPs Ella Dotson and Alhan Sayyed have created this set of FAQs that may be helpful.
• Identity, Culture, & Community: We are aware that many students depend upon specific identity communities for social, cultural, personal, and academic support while on campus. Our staff in offices and departments that support identity- and culture-based student organizations and programming are busy planning and restructuring in order to continue providing this support remotely. If your group needs support, reach out to the Student Involvement Center or the Cross Cultural Center.
• Student Responsibility and Community Standards: No matter where they live, Billikens make a commitment to and are expected to embody the Community Standards set forth in our Student Handbook. As you live and engage in community with others, please exercise your agency and judgment in accordance with our values. Violations of Community Standards should continue to be reported through the incident report form and will continue to be addressed by the Office of Student Responsibility and Community Standards. For students continuing to live on campus during the suspension of in-person classes: we will be especially mindful of the impact of behavior on our residential community as we consider conduct cases. It’s more important than ever that we live up to our values and reduce risk and disruption to our residential community. Therefore, we ask all Billikens living on campus to serve the greater good of our residential community by living the Oath and upholding community standards.
• Increasing the Collective Power of our SLU Community: Soon, SLU will partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to support the 2020 Census. As a partner, we will be working to ensure our community is accurately represented in the upcoming decennial count. The Census counts everyone in the United States. The results matter. They affect congressional representation, which in turn affects numerous decisions that impact our local community and our university, including health care, housing, education, transportation, employment, and public policy. More information is forthcoming, but we want you to be informed and committed to participation.
• Virtual Connection: There are lots of ways you can stay connected virtually, from Zoom to Facetime to social media to texting. We encourage you to be creative and to share your ideas with others. Additionally, many of the campus resources you rely on are adding/increasing social media presence. We’ll soon be adding social media handles and links to the Resources and Support for Students page on SLU’s COVID-19 website, so check out what’s available!

Self for Others: Continuing to Serve

Service is a fundamental aspect of identity for most Billikens, and we recognize that the organizations and mechanisms through which you serve may not be available to you right now, particularly if you have left the St. Louis area. Here are a few ways to maintain your commitment to our Jesuit value for serving others:

• For those remaining in the St. Louis area: If individual students are looking to remain connected with the larger St. Louis community in a spirit of service, please complete a Service Interest Form, and a member of the Center for Service and Community Engagement will be in touch. The CSCE is currently assessing needs of community partners that can be met virtually or with limited in-person contact. For any questions, please email the CSCE at service@slu.edu.
• For those now outside of the St. Louis area: Explore service opportunities in your local community. Think about the kinds of service you’ve engaged in at SLU/in the St. Louis area, and try to find similar organizations in your own area. Reach out to your local United Way chapter, or visit volunteermatch.org to learn more about service opportunities in your local area. You don’t need to be in this place, at this time, to continue doing the kind of service you feel called to do.
• Expand your definitions: Not all social justice work needs to happen through service. Advocacy and political engagement matter, and can take many different forms from writing letters to calling legislators. Supporting non-profit organizations can involve any number of activities like data entry, processing goods and materials, answering phones, and creating websites. Think about your particular talents and how you might put them to work for an organization or a cause that will advance equity and justice in your own community.