In his weekly video address, taped on May 4, Chancellor Michael F. Collins talks about the difficulty in finding solace in the face of losses caused by the coronavirus and the impressive resiliency people show in response.
“Life must go on even if proper closure must come later. For families who have been personally impacted by the pandemic’s smothering grip, they move forward, buoyed by the hope of coming together at some future point to hug and console those who grieve and, at the same time, to remember and celebrate those who have been lost to this deadly pathogen. No virus can or will take our humanity away from us,” Chancellor Collins said.
Collins notes that the situation would be far worse were it not for the social distancing conditions under which we have been living these past weeks.
“One thing all of us can recognize is that our collective actions will determine our ambitious future,” he said. “Together, we can make the solutions to this pandemic as personal as the losses. Drawing upon the special talents and compassion of our UMMS community, we can come together to support each other, to investigate treatments and vaccines, to reduce inequity and disparity, and while so doing, honor the memories of those taken from us too soon.”
