Dear Students,

At times it is hard to believe that it has been a year since the Covid-19 pandemic upturned our lives in so many ways. The consequences are serious. In this country alone, 542,000 people have died of coronavirus with hundreds of thousands more who have suffered the disease. The implications are still unravelling in front of us, while bringing to the forefront the depth of social inequities and injustices that we must continue to confront. Our work is more urgent than ever.

Just last week, the racist and misogynist murders and violence that occured in Atlanta filled us with immense grief. The horrific events push us to continue to reflect on: How can this be happening? What must we do next? What we know is that as a community centered in building peace and justice it is now–more than ever–that we have to demonstrate with our words and practices the various ways in which we are prepared to address white supremacy, femicide, racial violence, hate crimes, and so much more.

We affirm President Harris’s recent statement on behalf of the University, and recognize the direct impact that acts of hatred have on our Kroc School community. We ask you to reach out to any staff or faculty you feel comfortable with if you need support. But please reach out if you just want to connect. We are here and stand with our Kroc community and the Asian and Pacific Islander community in the U.S. We support your work in activism and advocacy. A recent example we are proud of is that of our student Marjon Saulon speaking to the San Diego Union Tribune. Let us know more about your own initiatives.

I want to end this note by saying to you how much I am inspired by your courage and resilience. We know it’s not been easy.  Many of you entered graduate school virtually and managed to thrive, excelling beyond all our expectations. It is in navigating this tension of the world around us and its effect on our immediate everyday lives that I commend you for your strength, and also encourage you to continue to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Please reach out for any ways our staff and faculty can continue to support you, as we all seek to remake a better world together.

Soon, we will be providing specific information on the Commencement ceremony. We seek to celebrate with all in whatever ways we can to keep everybody healthy and safe.

Warmest Regards,

Patricia Márquez

Resources:

• Wellness at USD
• Urgent mental health resources: (619) 260-4655, press 1
• Graduate Student Life: No Longer Invisible: Demanding the Space for API Voices in our Community. Anthony Lê, USD alumni, welcomes all to come and co-create a space of courage and voice finding in the face of anti-Asian consciousness. Time will be offered for open discussion and to develop action plans for supporting the API community at this time. Thursday, March 25, 4:00-5:30 pm.