This year my job is to help ensure the health and
safety of our community but I can't do this alone. While we can't
eliminate the risk of returning to grounds,
we can each do our part to keep each other healthy.
Together, we need to advocate for a culture of responsibility
not only for ourselves, but for the safety and well-being of everyone.
We are finally back, but we know this year is going to be a different one
and it's going to require us to reimagine what our daily lives on
Grounds look like. We all want to go back to the lives we
remember, but pretending like everything is normal will put people's lives at
risk. We need to strike a balance between
being safe and being human. I'm still planning on connecting with
friends, celebrating the 'Hoos, and enjoying grounds this fall. We just
need to find ways to still do the things we love,
like eating lunch on the lawn six-feet apart.
Social interaction is a central part of the university experience,
but we will need to change how we socialize in order to reduce the risk to
the university and Charlottesville community. I still
want to socialize so I do so outside in small groups and I'm careful to stay six-
feet apart. I can enjoy myself more knowing that I'm
keeping the people i love safe. I've also realized that spending
time in smaller groups can be a great opportunity to get even closer to the
people who really matter to me. With that being said, protect others and
protect yourself. Possible assumptions about whether the people around you are
at risk, don't mean you aren't putting them in
harm's way. Are you willing to put your friends,
classmates, and professors in danger? As UVA students,
it's our responsibility to follow university and public health guidelines.
Behaving in a way that repeatedly, intentionally, or recklessly endangers
the health and safety of others will result in disciplinary action. Unity
is one of the five pillars of our men's basketball program and we have to do
this together. Look out for your fellow 'Hoos. Get
tested if you have symptoms, report to student health, and quarantine.
Over the summer we've been working hard to make sure our buildings and
classrooms are as safe as possible for your return
to Grounds. We've marked places to enter and to exit
buildings in order to minimize contact as well as reordered seating
arrangements and set signs for required separation.
We've always known cleanliness is important but now more than ever
good hygiene is a must. Make sure to wash and sanitize your hands,
cover when you cough or sneeze, and stay home when you're sick.
One of the most effective ways to stop the spread of coronavirus
is by wearing a mask. This year all students will be required to wear
face coverings. And I ask that you not only wear them when on grounds, but also
when in the Charlottesville community. When thinking about coronavirus we have
to talk about equity. And it's important to note that black,
brown, and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by
coronavirus. So, when we talk about being a good
neighbor to the Charlottesville community it's so important that you
wear a mask because you could be saving lives. Like many of the faculty and staff
at the university we all go home to families and we all
want to be sure they stay healthy. Many of our family
members include high-risk individuals and it is
our job to protect them. Real talk it's important that during
this outbreak we're able to determine who's been
infected by or has been exposed to the virus
that's how we can properly contain it. So listen up!
Cooperate with the health department if they contact you about a potential
exposure. it's just as important for you to protect your friends
as it is for me to protect my family. Every day please think about how your
actions will impact others. UVA isn't complete without you.
Do your part to keep us together, to keep us learning,
to keep us building long lasting relationships, to keep us healthy.