Aloha Yellow Jackets,

I know many of you are catching your breath following the first wave of assignments and exams and are now settling into the rhythm of the semester. For this issue of our monthly newsletter, drawing on the spirit of Valentine’s Day, the theme is about care and love: for self and others. We will cover the following topics:

• Keeping Tech Green Safe for Everyone
• On Hearts, Healing & Hope

Keeping Tech Green Safe for Everyone
As our community continues to grow, more people, four-legged creatures, and wheeled devices now traverse through the heart of campus daily. The walkways around Tech Green have become some of the busiest spaces we share.  Accident and injury reports have increased notably. In fact, it can at times feel like you are risking life and limb to take to the pathways of Georgia Tech. To support everyone’s safety, the Georgia Tech Police Department will soon begin implementing new mobility guidelines. 

During peak hours — typically 9 AM to 5 PM— these pathways will be reserved for pedestrians and those using ADA mobility devices. Cyclists, scooter riders, and other micromobility users will be asked to “walk their wheels” through the zone. A dismount zone is located at each corner of Tech Green. Golf carts will be rerouted to alternate routes outside the central walkways. These changes help reduce the risk of collisions during class transitions, campus events, and periods of heavy foot traffic. 

From social media chatter, we recognize students have mixed reactions. For many, it may mean building in a little extra time to walk to class during peak hours, or finding alternate routes that take you around the center of campus if you want to remain on wheels. This pivot reflects a commitment to community welfare — creating spaces where all of us can move and gather safely.  This may inconvenience some Yellow Jackets, but we ask for your support to address the broader good during this transition.

Over the coming weeks, you’ll also see new signage and pathway decals installed to help guide and protect people navigating the area. Additional details will be shared as the initiative progresses. As always, feel free to share your thoughts about these changes by writing to us at vp_sewb@gatech.edu.

On Hearts, Healing & Hope
This month, we observed Valentine’s Day, which has traditionally been viewed as a day to celebrate romantic love. Over the years, the greeting card industry and social influencers have helped to expand the holiday via Galentine’s Day and Pal-entine’s Day to include a recognition of agapē love that can be extended to family members, fur babies, friends, and even frenemies.

There is another side to the holiday of flowers-and-candy: it delineates those who are (happily) partnered up (even if only momentarily so) from those who are single. Singlehood exists on a spectrum, from people who celebrate their independence to those who experience unrequited affection or persistent loneliness.

Wherever you are in this ecosystem, I wanted to share my story to offer hope. In 2013, I lost my spouse to suicide. Each February when our wedding anniversary arrives, I am reminded of the security of being in a loving, trusting, and committed relationship, and I relive some of the deep hurt, grief, and pain of loss. This year, with the healing benefits of time, I am more reflective – I have gratitude that I experienced a joyful journey with a wonderful soul mate, while embracing the grace that is granted by windows that open when a door closes.

I learned I was able to overcome what I believed at the time was the most traumatic and unbearable thing to ever happen to me. Thrust unexpectedly back into single status, I had to learn again how to be a party of one. I discovered new hobbies and interests, as well as reconnected with old friends and familiar places. I found community with others who had experienced similar loss. If I am honest, I delved into work with fervor as a way to distract myself. Yet, I also found recovery in the reward of being in service to others – my work as a public health professional, as an educator, and as a change leader is motivated in large part by life circumstances.

Resilience is rarely built in grand gestures; it emerges from the ordinary choices we make each day. 

Somehow, I found a strength in myself I didn’t know was there. I came to terms with two important insights: (1) I could be deeply happy in my singlehood, and (2) I could be alone but not feel lonely. (Although, are you truly alone when you are blessed by a cat or two?)

This month, I remember the love I continue to hold for the individual who was my best friend and life partner for 18 years. I also made room in my heart for more than just one: I found a wonderful new partner shortly after relocating here to Atlanta. When I thought it never would, love bloomed again. I am not sure what the future holds, yet I have hope from the realization that renewal is possible.

Closing Thoughts

The spirit of Valentine’s Day is a reminder to nurture self and celebrate the power of positive human connection. As ever, Georgia Tech offers a broad range of resources to support your self-care regimen. We also developed a dedicated guide for fully online students.

The Center for Mental Health Care & Resources offers individual, couples, and group counseling; the Wellness Empowerment Center provides customized coaching sessions to improve one or more dimensions of wellness.

If you are looking for community and connection, Belonging & Student Support, Campus Recreation, the Center for Student Engagement, and Student & Campus Event Centers are good places to start (and keep) nurturing the most important relationship you will ever have – the one with yourself!

For more updates, resources, and ways to stay involved, be sure to follow our SEWB on Instagram @GaTechLife — they’re one of the best ways to stay connected throughout the semester.

Go Jackets!