
Editor's Note
A New Way Forward
As Minnesota begins its slow reentry into what we had hoped
might be a definitively post-pandemic period, Covid-19 isn’t done with us yet.
Although full vaccinations do provide extensive protection against
hospitalization and death, as highly contagious delta variant cases surge
across the country and the world, all of us are making new accommodations to
cope with this baffling and crafty disease.
Is the pandemic over? Certainly
not. But in this newest stage, we are finding ways to go about our daily lives.
At the University of Minnesota, the doors are once again open to students,
faculty, staff, and alumni. Plans are in place for a more recognizable fall
semester, buoyed by the excitement of welcoming what may be the largest
freshman class in nearly 50 years.
On July 28, President Joan Gabel sent a note
to students, faculty, and staff about preparing for the return to school, 500
days after the University transitioned to remote work and online learning. She
wrote, “The pandemic has challenged us … but we have risen to that challenge in
our work and as a community. As we take another step forward towards the fall,
we are that much closer to this chapter becoming part of our history—but we
also understand and appreciate that there is still work to do and that we must
remain vigilant.”
Earlier this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) announced that masks were no longer required for vaccinated
individuals. But as an example of how quickly this situation continues to
evolve, by August 2, after new CDC guidance, President Gabel sent an updated
note: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, the University has closely
monitored national, state, and local guidance on public health and safety
precautions. We continue to do so, especially as Covid-19
transmission rates fluctuate.” She noted that as of August 3, the University
now requires mask use indoors, but that masks remain optional in outdoor
settings. “We are committed to protecting the health of our community, and to
adjusting as new information and circumstances dictate,” Gabel wrote.
Public
health authorities assure us that masks offer protection as a simple-to-use
tool to combat the spread of the coronavirus and its evolving variants. Masking
up—and a renewed push for the unvaccinated to “Get the Vax”—remain the most
important parts of our society’s collective attempt to ease back into a new
normal.
In this issue, we look at how we’re all adjusting to this confusing
time. We speak with alumni entrepreneurs about doing business during the ebbs
and flows of a pandemic. We outline University plans to welcome alumni back to
campus for the cultural, educational, and entertainment events that make the U
of M so special. And we even take a moment to smile at how Gophers continue to
make us proud, as they did at this summer’s philosophical Great American
Think-Off.
Although the pandemic isn’t over, it is now possible to say, “We’re back.”
Kelly O’Hara Dyer can be reached at ohara119@umn.edu