Page 8 - Kentucky State University - Onward & Upward

FOREVER FORWARD
Kentucky State remains Thorobred strong in the wake of COVID-19
By: President M. Christopher Brown II, Ph.D.
Charles Dickens, in A Tale of Two Cities, writes: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
I nd myself wrestling with the words of Dickens as I re ect on another day of marathon Zoom meetings, responding to emails and sending text messages to do
wellness checks on colleagues, family and friends. I invite you to pause for a moment and walk with me through the meandering maze of my mind. I am appealing to you as Thorobreds to do what is fair and kind, to be compassionate and loyal in your endeavors, and to not take ourselves too seriously during this unprecedented season.
The Best and Worst of Times
Within one day, I learned on a conference call that one of our fellow students is battling COVID-19 and I
learned via email exchange that a parent of another student died from COVID-19 complications. Around 2:30 p.m., I received a text from the wife of an alumnus stating he was now breathing on his own and has been removed from a ventilator. In a conversation with a co-worker on campus as I was heading home, he con rmed that his father is now fully recovered from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. On my drive home, my mother called to share that we now have three family members in the hospital (one of whom is on life support) battling COVID-19.
How should I feel? How do I parse the happiness for the recoveries with the angst of those who remain unwell and the death of the parent of a student trying to complete their classes online?
5 #KSUFORWARD