One of the core values at Boston College is inclusiveness—valuing each unique member of the campus and greater communities. The Office of Institutional Diversity offers eight guidelines toward making the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic easier for everyone:
1. Physically distance, yet socially connect. Even as we create the physical gaps that slow this virus, we must in fact remain socially connected. Recreate your social life virtually. Check-in with one or two people each day, especially anyone you know who is alone or undergoing hardship. Create social video chats, text someone a thank you.
2. Be an ally or “upstander” and invite others to join you: Stand up to racist, dog-whistle, ageist, xenophobic, classist or other speech that divides our community into “us” and “them.” We are all valuable and have a role to play. Especially stand up against the denigration of anyone in our Asian community at this time.
3. Call it by its name. Use the correct term for the virus, “novel coronavirus” (or “SARS CoV-2”) and for the disease, COVID-19. No other names are acceptable.
4. Affirm others. When you are out walking, maintaining safe physical distance, do make friendly eye contact with others you meet; a smile or say something affirming. Call strangers “friend” as a greeting. Affirm those who are working to serve you.
5. Share financially. Not everyone can move, work from home, survive without a job or go virtual. All of us benefit in the long run when we help our most vulnerable neighbors now. As you are able, please support nonprofits such as food pantries, charities for those who have lost jobs, community services, or our hardworking medical and first responder communities.
6. Be kind and patient with one another. This is new for all of us, so let’s be extra kind, extra patient. Give each other the benefit of the doubt. Even better, ask others if you can help them with anything.
7. Set a personal goal. It feels better to be proactive than to be stuck in a reactive mode. Set a personal goal (or 2-3) for this time of sheltering. What can you accomplish? With whom can you reconnect?
8. Take care of yourself. We are all under multiple sources of extreme stress. Especially if you have dependents, get rest, eat healthily, do something calming, go for a walk or do yoga. Follow all government health recommendations as well.