Aloha Yellow Jackets,

Happy New Year! I hope you took some time off over Winter Break and implemented some affirmative actions to support your personal wellness that you can now sustain throughout the Spring semester.

In this issue of our monthly newsletter, we will cover the following topics:

• Reflecting on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy
• Reframing Grades
• Combatting the Triple Threat

Reflecting on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy

I was in the audience on Wednesday afternoon when Maya Wiley offered remarks on the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work as our annual MLK Lecture invited speaker. Her emphasis on the concept of advancing a beloved community as a core tenet of MLK’s philosophy struck me as being particularly relevant at this time. If we prioritize a beloved community at Georgia Tech, then we lead with care, compassion, and courage - even when we dissent or disagree. When the beloved community is centered in our lived values, then we strive for the best outcomes for every one of us, not just some of us. Finally, in a beloved community, we prioritize aloha for all humanity – even when what they say or do may anger or even hurt and harm us. It doesn’t mean that we tolerate injustice; rather, we resist even as we reach out to build bridges. (For those unfamiliar, The King Center right here in Atlanta offers a great resource to get a quick lesson on King’s guiding philosophy.)

While 2024 constitutes a new year, many of the stressors and conflicts from 2023 still remain with us. Russia began its invasion into Ukraine in February 2022. The war in the Middle East has escalated and thousands of additional civilian lives have been unnecessarily lost to violence; Israelis, Jews, Muslims, and Palestinians continue to experience the impacts. Conflicts and natural disasters are emerging elsewhere across the globe as well – almost no continent is left untouched.  Here in the US, the federal election cycle officially kicked off with the Republican caucuses in Iowa on Monday. As candidates from every party continue to dominate the media platforms with their campaign and political messaging, the things you hear may be triggering or troubling.  Hate crimes and cancel culture are prevalent and on the rise.

In this context, the risks of experiencing vicarious trauma remain high. It’s a good time to each do our part to advance the vision of a beloved community, which begins with love for oneself. As always, self-care is important, and reaching out to your circle of friends, family and fur babies should be an essential aspect of that toolkit.  If you have not already, please bookmark the Student Engagement & Well-Being webpage so that you can quickly find accessible, caring, and compassionate assistance when you need it.

Finally, in a beloved community, we also need to be mindful about taking care of each other. This can be in small acts of kindness – simply offering to open the door for a person who is loaded down with bags or packages, or suggesting to a classmate that you both study together for the next exam. Or, kindness can entail more extensive, sustained efforts. Regardless, it involves paying attention to those around you, and then reaching out if somebody appears to be anxious, in distress, or in need. All we have to ask is, “How may I help you?” or simply say, “I am here for you.”

Reframing Grades
(an earlier version of this article appeared in the January 2023 VPSEWB newsletter)
Many of you may have spent the Winter Break pondering the grades you received from Fall term. I imagine there were at least two prevailing thought processes: (a) you celebrated, as the grades you earned seemingly reflected the personal investment of energy and effort you devoted towards your academic courses, or (b) you experienced regret, wondering if perhaps more time studying would have served better than binging one more Netflix show. Accordingly, some of you may also have feelings of gratitude or anger towards the instructors who submitted those grades. All of these sentiments potentially reflect some measure of cognitive distortion.

Regardless, when thinking about your personal well-being, it’s important that we do not conflate one’s grades with one’s worth and value as a human being. This is not to say that grades are not important; rather, finding an appropriate perspective on the meaning of one grade – or even one transcript - against the context of an entire life lived is critical to fostering emotional and intellectual wellness.

In college and in graduate school, grades are not a measure of your effort; rather, grades recognize successful learning, mastery of knowledge or skills, and excellence in performance. Sometimes, grades are simply a reflection of some good or bad luck. As such, a grade is simply a snapshot in time of your academic capacities measured against one set of standards established by a given instructor. It is not a reflection of who you fundamentally are – your life experiences, your character, and your contributions to the world are what define you as a human being. Good grades can certainly be a source of pride, a way to honor your family, or the path to a scholarship or internship. From personal and observed experiences, grades that fall short of your hopes (or expectations) can be a catalyst for positive change – an opportunity to reconsider your priorities. 

As you work through this Spring semester, I hope you recognize that the journey (whether difficult or joyful) deserves recognition as much as the final score. And if we can help you along the way, remember that asking for help is sometimes more powerful than succeeding without it. Achievement can be one important value in our lives, and it’s also important to resist a culture of toxicity that can result from a singular, over-emphasis on achievement, to the detriment of wellness. For more on this topic, check out UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center’s article.

Combatting the Triple Threat
Across the US, communities are being impacted by a surge in upper respiratory infections. This season has been earmarked by the triple threat of COVID, flu, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV). These usually last one to two weeks and require rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications to mitigate symptoms. If symptoms persist longer, see a health care provider to ensure it is not a bacterial infection and evolving into something more serious.

Prevention still remains the best cure. If your personal and/or religious beliefs allow it, getting the most up-to-date vaccinations is a good idea. (Re)adopting the personal hygiene habits that many of us utilized during the height of the COVID pandemic is always a good idea:

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue – not your hand!
• Avoid touching your face, especially after contact with shared surfaces such as door handles, classroom desks, etc.
• When possible, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and if soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.  This is especially important to do before eating or preparing food.
• Consider wearing a N95, KN95 or surgical mask to reduce risk or if you are symptomatic, have had recent exposure, or are vulnerable to more severe illness.
• Isolate yourself from others if you exhibit any symptoms of an upper respiratory infection.

Lastly, as of November 2023, free COVID testing kits are now available to order online again. You can get four free COVID-⁠19 rapid tests delivered directly to you by going to https://www.covid.gov/.

Go Jackets!