Opinion

WCU ready for these unprecedented times

These are uncertain and challenging times. Our communities, our state and our nation are grappling with an unprecedented set of issues that affect each and every one of us.

As chancellor of Western Carolina University, I believe that institutions of higher education can help prepare our citizens to live through times like these — how to cope, how to manage and perhaps not just survive, but thrive.

On campus in Cullowhee, we begin fall semester 2020 against a backdrop of conflicting emotions. We look forward with enthusiasm and optimism in welcoming students back to campus to begin their studies Monday, Aug. 17. And yes, in these unprecedented times, we also are feeling cautious and reserved as we work diligently to fulfill our mission and protect the well-being of our communities both on and off campus.

A historic pandemic has brought us to this time and this place, which means taking precautions and acting responsibly. Our decisions about this semester are based on science and data, with guidance from local and state agencies, the governor and the University of North Carolina System. Instruction this fall will be a blend of traditional classes, online instruction and hybrid course delivery.

There will be no fall break, and all final exam week activities will be conducted online or via other alternative formats. Dining halls will have limited seating and provide take-out meals. No outside visitors will be allowed in residence halls and only one guest will be allowed in a residence hall room at a time. Classroom and lab space have been reevaluated, with space between occupants increased and capacity decreased. Incredibly, our diligent staff and faculty have rearranged more than 3,000 pieces of furniture to make this happen.

North Carolina remains under Phase 2 restrictions for COVID-19, with advisements for social distancing, frequent hand-washing, avoiding crowds and wearing proper face coverings. Public health is a shared responsibility — and it is one that we take seriously. A total of 15 multi-disciplinary campus committees examined and made recommendations for the start of WCU’s fall semester. Already, WCU has launched a Kelli R. Brown Guest Columnist “Catamounts Care” campaign to assist with acclimating our community to our new normal as we resume campus residential operations. Bags with six reusable cloth face coverings, a large container of sanitizing wipes, a refillable bottle of hand sanitizer, a thermometer and a copy of our expected community standards are being distributed. Our University Health Services has developed protocols, in consultation with the Jackson County Department of Public Health, for diagnostic COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. We have established comfortable living quarters for on-campus student residents to quarantine, should the need arise.

We are providing weekly updates on our fall plans to the campus community and we share those with our community partners, such as Jackson County Public Schools, the Jackson County Manager, Harris Regional Hospital, Southwestern Community College and others. Local media outlets, including The Smoky Mountain News, have played a crucial role in dissemination of factual news and information to the public.

Yet, in light of all our preparation, we also are aware that situations can change. If the past months have taught us anything, it is that any response to COVID-19 requires a high level of flexibility and patience. The well-being of students, faculty and staff, and our off-campus neighbors is — and always will be — a primary concern. WCU will take the necessary steps to maintain health and wellness as needed and adjust as circumstances dictate. But we cannot do this alone. Our community partners are essential allies in ensuring that we successfully navigate these unprecedented times.

Throughout this pandemic, WCU has continued to deliver its mission with quality and excellence. I am proud that the pandemic has not stopped the “Catamount Community.” We have continued to teach classes in alternative formats, conduct outreach to our region and state, produce top notch research and, through some really creative and innovative thinking, we have offered the arts and cultural activities for which WCU is known. If anything, there has been a collective, robust and vigorous response here to maintaining vibrancy in spite of COVID-19.

WCU has a mission — a duty — to provide learning opportunities that incorporate teaching, research, service and engagement. We will not abandon that mission even in these challenging times. We will prepare students to be their best as health care providers, teachers, engineers, scientists, musicians and artists, and many other careers. We will prepare leaders to meet the needs of the future in whatever form that may take.

Western Carolina University is ready for the challenges ahead. Together we can honor our promise to our students, our faculty and staff, and our communities. (Kelli R. Brown is chancellor of Western Carolina University.)

U.S. Postmaster needs to be fired

To the Editor:

I can’t begin to understand the actions of the new Postmaster of the United States Postal Service as he seriously undermines the operation of one of the oldest and most revered institutions in the U.S. Government for reasons that, to me, appear to be nothing more than a personal tiff between the President and the owner of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.

I have no dog in their fight, but this administration’s insistence on hurting the USPS with intentional mail delivery delays because of a personal vendetta is hurting me and hurting my neighbors. Please consider calling our US Senate representatives daily and objecting to this disgraceful abuse of power that is crippling communication throughout the country using the example below:

Dear Sen. Richard Burr (202.224.3154) and Sen. Thom Tillis (202.224.6342).

I will be calling every day until you and your colleagues have publicly fired Louis DeJoy from his post as the postmaster of the United States Postal Service for malfeasance in office. His intentional and malicious delay of the United States mail has already significantly impacted your constituents in Western

LETTERS

North Carolina since the U.S. mail is often the only communication choice for people here in this internet-compromised area. As a wealthy senator, you do not suffer the financial consequence of late payments not of your doing, but the people here are monetarily penalized and are suffering for it. Many critical medications are delivered by USPS here and delay hurts those needing the medication and many times actually affects the efficacy of the medication. Please fire this despicable person immediately before he destroys a service that 90 percent of the citizens of this country favor and, until now, depend on for reliable communication. Thank you. Roy B. Osborn Cullowhee

Cawthorn doesn’t deserve youth vote

To the Editor:

Madison Cawthorn, newly 25 and a GOP candidate for the 11th Congressional District, may be a young voter himself, but he certainly won’t be earning the youth vote this November.

As the WNC Regional Organizing Director for NextGen North Carolina, I’m working with a team of organizers to run the largest

youth voter registration program in the state. A Gen Z’er myself, I love to see my peers voting, getting involved with politics, and running for office — and yet I couldn’t be more excited to cast my ballot for 62-year-old Moe Davis for Congress.

While Cawthorn has been spending his time on the campaign trail making divisive, racist comments and rebuffing CDC guidelines by hosting maskless gatherings, Davis has shown that he’ll make real progress on the issues that young voters care about. He is committed to expanding affordable healthcare access, protecting our environment with a Green New Deal, and raising the minimum wage to $15 — and he has the plans to back it up.

Cawthorn’s scant website doesn’t tell us much about what he stands for or what he’ll do about it, other than he’s got a bone to pick with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman elected to Congress and a leader whom I personally look up to. This November, young voters in NC-11 will make sure he doesn’t join her impressive ranks as the youngest man in the House. Nicole Skinner Asheville

Trump trying to end your benefits

To the Editor:

Got Social Security? Got a back-up plan for living without it? Payroll taxes fund Social Security.

Trump, manipulated by right-wing extremist-anarchists trying to destroy Social Security for decades, just issued an “executive action” to “suspend” (kill) the payroll tax.

I’ve paid into it since my first job in high school. Everyone reading this who has ever worked has, too. Want to save your hard-earned F

A strange back-to-school season for everyone

From my earliest memories, the backto-school season has been a flurry of excitement. Both my parents were teachers. I worked in the field for 10 years and have two children who have been in the public education system for seven years. Shopping for new outfits and backpacks, anxiously awaiting supply lists and taking last minute summer trips have been a part of my life forever.

But, not this year.

In 2020, students, parents, teachers, politicians and community members are all fumbling around, trying to navigate this bizarre time in history. Several weeks ago when Gov. Cooper Susanna Shetley Columnist announced plan B, I was hoping Haywood County would opt for a hybrid model where my boys would do virtual learning part of the time and in-person learning the other part of the time.

This was my desire because it’s what my boys need and want. They yearn for normalcy, to see their friends, connect with teachers and coaches and bee-bop down a hallway laughing and catching up. All kids need the vibe of a school atmosphere.

After some thought, my mind shifted. While I would love for my children to have any sense of normalcy right now, it’s hard to figure out what’s safe and what’s not. In states that have gone back to in-person learning, things aren’t going very well. Granted, it’s unclear if that’s because school systems are being too lax with COVID guidelines or because the virus is truly too dangerous to chance traditional learning.

Right now I don’t know what I think. My mind feels simultaneously empty and clogged, like it can’t form a solid opinion on the matter. Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.

As a parent, the hardest part is continually looking my children in the eyes when they ask what’s happening and having to say I don’t know. It’s strange to not reassure them everything will be OK and life will eventually go back to normal. It’s starting to feel like nothing will ever feel normal again. I’m in the throes of significant COVID fatigue, trying to grasp for any semblance of optimism, despite the dark cloud hanging over the entire globe.

I’m not a person who is easily defeated. Even though school will look strange this year, I’m trying to stay positive for my boys. My older son starts middle school and my younger starts third grade. When they received their schedules and saw the names of their teacher(s) and which friends they have in their classes, they both became elated. In their minds, they envisioned the school year as it’s always been. I have to keep telling them, “Let’s stay hopeful that you go back at some point this year when things feel safer.”

Next Monday, Aug. 17, is the first day of “school.” Even though we’ll be at home watching teachers on a computer, I’m going to wake the boys up at a decent time, cook a healthy breakfast and have them put on nice outfits as if they were going to an actual building with legit human teachers and students. They will hold signs in the front yard that say “First Day of 6th Grade” and “First Day of 3rd Grade.” They may even wear masks as a sign of the times. At some point in the future, I pray we look back on those pictures and think how far we’ve come from the days of the coronavirus. That we can shake our heads in disbelief and say, “Wow, I can’t believe we experienced a pandemic.”

When I watch the news or look around, the world feels heavy with worry, disease and division. In an effort to not slip into a dark space, I’m trying to find a silver lining. Remember the early days of the coronavirus when the shelter in place orders forced us slow down, reconnect with loved ones and enjoy the simple things in life? I’m trying to circle back around to that.

There are a million quotes and quips encouraging people to live for the moment and not worry about what’s to come. One of my favorites from Albert Einstein says, “The best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.” In a way it sounds morbid, but in another way it sounds practical and relevant.

There is a possibility students won’t go back to school at all this year. They may not play a single sport. There may be no school programs or dances or concerts. We may be virtually learning for all 180 days.

My new perspective is to see the future as water. It could sit calmly and do what we anticipate, or a surprise storm could arrive and produce damaging floods. I may dip my toe in the water. I will watch the water cautiously. I will enjoy the water today for what it offers, but I put no expectation in what the water will do tomorrow. (Susanna Shetley is a writer, editor and digital media specialist for The Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain Living and Mountain

South Media. sussanna.b@smokymountainnews.com)

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Ingles Nutrition Notes written by Ingles Dietitian Leah McGrath

FINDING LOCAL AT INGLES MARKETS What does "local" mean to you? Often when people talk about buying food and beverages one of the top of mind preferences is to support locally grown/made/produced products. Unlike other terms like "certified organic"; local has no legal definition and so it may mean different things to different people. For some "local" is a geographic designation... from their state, county, region or even within a certain distance (e.g. 100 miles). Some may also attribute local products to being family owned or smaller in size. Others may also think that in order to buy local food products you have to shop at a farm stand, a farmer's market or a tailgate market. Fortunately at Ingles we offer a variety of locally made, crafted, grown and produced products throughout the store: Produce in season produce grown in NC, SC, TN and GA. NC kombucha, NC sprouts, NC meat alternatives from No Evil foods and Smiling Hara Meat/Seafood meat from local (NC) farms, sausage from businesses in NC, SC, TN and GA, NC wild caught shrimp and NC farm-raised (aquaculture) trout Dairy Laura Lynn milk comes primarily from dairy farms within 150 miles of Asheville, NC Breads Many of our stores sell local breads from nearby artisan bakeries like Annie's Breads and City Bakery In addition we have a variety of NC products from companies of different sizes from large and well-known companies like Mt Olive Pickles to smaller businesses like Firewalker Hot Sauce, Sunshine Sammies Ice Cream Sandwiches and Mimi's Mountain Mixes. Be sure to look for the LOCAL display when you shop your Ingles Market.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN Ingles Market Corporate Dietitian @InglesDietitian Leah McGrath - Dietitian 800.334.4936