Dear Orediggers,
A parent recently wrote:
“President Johnson, Thank you for believing in our children and keeping them in the classroom.”
And I replied:
“It’s easy to believe in our students. 15 minutes with them will convince you of that. Fingers crossed that they stay that way through May. Take care – stay well – Go Orediggers! PCJ”
While many schools delayed and started their spring semester in remote learning, we came back to classrooms and residence halls on schedule. Other schools scrapped plans for spring break, and we still have ours on the schedule. Our student-athletes are competing again.
We did this because, as the parent noted, we believe in our students. The Oredigger community showed a strong commitment to the Oredigger Promise this fall and many students expressed pride in how well Mines has responded to the challenge of the pandemic.
I’m writing today because I’m worried about whether we’ll make it to May. We have COVID-19 cases on campus, and there are early indications of greater transmission in the places where we live and gather outside the classroom.
Keeping our fingers crossed, as mentioned in my reply to the parent, isn’t a good strategy to get us to May. Yes, the vaccine is coming, but not quickly enough. No, college students are not a high-risk group, but we need to prevent transmission to protect the vulnerable around us and minimize time away from the classroom and our friends.
The best strategy is for all of us to actively recommit to the principles of the Oredigger Promise as that is what made us successful in the fall. Masking, social distancing, limiting interactions outside of our immediate households, and participating in the free on-campus COVID-19 testing are the tools we have to work with, and we know they are effective.
We know this has been a difficult year and the end of the pandemic (and especially the end of the rules and restrictions in place) cannot happen soon enough for all of us. But it’s important that we continue our selfless commitment to protect our classmates, teachers, families, friends and neighbors. We’re very close to beating this thing and we want to all be together when this is over.
We can do this. We’re Orediggers. Thanks for playing your part.
Paul C. Johnson
President and Professor