TO: Gustavus Employees
FROM: President Bergman
SUBJECT: Monday Moments with President Bergman
DATE: March 23, 2020
There are times when the best message is a simple one, and today feels like one of those times.
So here it is:
THANK YOU!
You have stepped up, chipped in, gone the extra mile, and bent over backwards to help our community respond to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation. I am so proud of the way that we are supporting our students and each other. I deeply appreciate your efforts to meet this challenge with a warmhearted confidence and a “We Can Do This” attitude.
You may be trying to figure out how to work from home while also caring for children. You may be working on campus and adjusting to new routines, all while maintaining a distance of at least six feet from the nearest human being. You may feel like you are washing your hands a hundred times a day. You may have wondered if your slightly runny nose is the beginning of spring allergies or an early symptom of the novel coronavirus infection. You may have someone in your family who has already been furloughed. Everything feels strange, unsettled, and a bit surreal. Nothing feels normal.
This week is likely to bring more sobering statistics and new directives at the state and national level to help protect the most vulnerable among us. In spite of all these uncertainties, I know we will lean on each other and press onward. I have witnessed your willingness to tackle this crisis one day at a time. This is the Gustavus community I know and love.
Thank you, good Gusties.
Yours in community,
Becky