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The Auburn Plainsman: Welcome Back 2020
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
August 13, 2020
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Welcome from Woodard
‘Student experience stronger than ever’ A letter to students from the president of Auburn University By JAY GOGUE Auburn University President
Dear students, It is my pleasure to welcome you to Auburn! To those of you who are returning to the Plains, we’re glad to see you back on campus. This year has been unlike any in our lives, and this semester is sure to be unprecedented, too. It is important to remember that by taking personal responsibility for our own health and behaviors, we move closer to an uninterrupted fall semester. As we navigate this new normal together, it is critical that we remember that the simple protocols expected of us on campus — physical distancing, wearing face coverings, completing your daily Healthcheck and others — are essential to keeping everyone around us safe.
We’ve been busy on campus, making preparations and accommodations to ensure your safety. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to visit ahealthieru.auburn.edu to read important information that will help you succeed and stay healthy this fall. You will see that campus looks a little different from how you remember or may have envisioned, but every decision and change made has prioritized your well-being inside and outside the classroom. As a result, the Auburn student experience is stronger than ever. Despite guidance from health officials to maintain safe physical distancing from others, an overwhelming majority of your generation has reported that the pandemic has strengthened your connection to others. For you and your peers, care for others comes as second nature. You have taken the lead fighting for causes that are shaping meaningful change in our world, used this downtime as an opportunity for creativity and inspired us to reimagine traditional milestones. Your resilience and compassion has been truly remarkable, and because of this, your impact stands to be greater than that of any previous generation. Thank you for doing your part to keep Auburn A Healthier U, and remember, commitment is contagious. I look forward to seeing you around campus.
By BOBBY WOODARD Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
Welcome Back. Can I just say that one more time? Welcome back, y’all. I love how that sounds, especially after five months of most of us being away from the campus we love so much. Sure, we’ve emailed and phoned and Zoomed our way through this tough time, but it’s just not the same as being able to walk into Jordan-Hare Stadium or across Samford Lawn, yelling “War Eagle!” to each other – at a proper physical distance, of course -- along the way. We’re back – and thousands of students are here for the first time – but we’re not out of the woods, yet, when it comes to COVID-19. We need everyone to do their part to help ensure that we all stay healthy and safe. To that end, I need you to wear your masks on campus, wash and sanitize your hands regularly and keep 6 feet apart. Remember to complete your Healthcheck assessment each day, too. If we all do those things, maybe we can slowly but surely get back to some semblance of normalcy. As we work toward that, though, we’ve got to acknowledge that things are a bit different on campus. We need to keep our physical distance, so crowds can’t gather the way they used to. Room capacity has diminished, and signs a nd stickers promoting A Healthier U and COVID-19 safety have increased. Student organizations will still meet, events will still occur and classes will still be held – they just may have a different look to them than they’ve had in years past. Try to embrace this new normal, and we really will get through this together. Summer 2020 wasn’t all about the coronavirus. A tragic event in Minneapolis – the death of George Floyd – precipitated pro-
tests around the country, including peaceful protests right here in Auburn. But it sparked more than that. It has become painfully obvious that for too long, we’ve talked about diversity, equity, inclusion and the need to embrace all of our students, but we haven’t taken enough actions to accomplish equality on campus. That is going to change. President Gogue has appointed a task force on equity and inclusion, and I, along with others in Student Affairs, are participating in meetings to explore ways we can assure our Black students feel heard and, more importantly, respected. These conversations must, and I believe will, lead to meaningful actions that will unify us, not divide us. Already, Auburn’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity has conducted a workshop for all Student Affairs staff, Student Involvement has created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workgroup that includes weekly professional development, and the Black Student Union has hosted a MidSummer Mixer Series and plans a number of in-person and virtual events and activities during Welcome Week. In addition, I’ve been reading the Black at Auburn Instagram feed (@blackatauburn), which is shining a much-needed light on some inexcusable incidents on our campus. Hopefully, with students returning to campus for the fall, more progress can be made, and we can continue to build an inclusive, equitable and anti-racist Auburn Family. So we’re coming off a summer that literally pulled us apart, but it’s also a summer that will have ended up bringing us closer together. And one of these days, we’ll be able to stand next to each other, maybe even link arms, and celebrate. The trek to that celebration continues this week with your arrival, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see students on campus this fall. The Student Center and Student Greenspace – heck, even the parking lots – weren’t the same without you. I want to say welcome back just one more time. And I want to leave you with a big, physically distanced ...War Eagle!
