Good morning Truman Faculty, Staff, and Students!

We have come to the end of the first week of classes and it has been quite an uplifting week.  Our campus has come back to life with the energy and joy of being together.  The sounds of lively conversations, engaged learning, and celebrations have returned.  We have eagerly anticipated this time for over 5 months and we intensely want to stay together on campus until November 24.

Your impact on our ability to remain on campus is not an abstract concept.  Your decisions have direct consequences not just for yourself, but for others.  The basic things you have to do – wear a mask, stay at least six feet away from others, and wash your hands frequently – are easy.  Making the decision to do them can be hard.  But Truman does not shy away from hard.

To make the decision easier, look around at the people of Truman and think about those who mean so much to you.  Their ability to achieve their goals and to do things such as perform in music ensembles and theater productions, make art, conduct experiments in the lab, engage in athletic and student organization activities, and potentially for some, keep their jobs, is directly dependent upon what you do.  You can make your on-campus goals and those of your friends and colleagues a reality by making safe, empathetic, and caring decisions.  Don’t let yourself or them down.

All of us are Truman and it is going to take every one of us doing what is necessary to ensure we stay on campus until November 24.  The experiences of other universities do not need to be and should not be our experience.  We are “distinct by design” and we can positively live this distinction in how we deal with the challenges of being on campus during a pandemic.  We can do this!

Wishing you a fun and SAFE weekend,
Sue