The autumn semester is well under way! Although COVID-19 has changed much about how we learn and interact, it is going to take a lot more than a pandemic to diminish the spirit of our community! As we welcomed the Class of 2024, the outpouring of support from Big Sibs, student clubs, faculty, and staff was as strong as it has ever been, probably even more so. Welcome to your first Snellen, Class of 2024! We see and appreciate the adaptations and sacrifices students are making to their daily lives to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our students, faculty, staff and patients. Thanks for all you do to keep the vibrant and collaborative spirit of the college going strong!

We have received some great feedback that students would appreciate tips for navigating the physical and mental strains of screen time. We are on it! While we work to compile more resources, here is an article from the Harvard Business Review that includes tips for combating Zoom fatigue https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-combat-zoom-fatigue.

The Ohio State Wellness app is packed with ideas for how to maintain your physical and mental health. Learn more about the wellness app at https://www.osu.edu/downloads/apps/. If you need help, reach out. If you know someone who may need help, ask. If you don’t know where to start, contact Jen Bennett or Dr. Levstek. We are here for you!

If you missed Dr. Delgado-Nixon’s e-mail with information and resources related to both Hispanic Heritage Month as well as understanding the differences between Hispanics, Chicanos, Latinos, and Latinx, please check your inbox and review her message. Also, The Student Life Multicultural Center hosts activities and workshops to honor Hispanic Heritage month. More information can be found at https://mcc.osu.edu/events-and-programs/heritage-and-awareness-months/latinx-heritage-month.

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement, reflecting on how to be a better person in the new year. It is not appropriate to say, “Happy Yom Kippur.” Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar and is a day of atonement marked by fasting and ceremonial repentance. During this time, observant Jews abstain from food and drink and do not wash, apply lotions/creams and spend time in the synagogue

Tuesday, September 29, noon – 1:00 p.m., Via Zoom

Facilitated by Megan Avellana, Assistant Director for International and Graduate Affairs at the Moritz College of Law, participants will learn about various strategies to improve their LinkedIn profile. Participants will also learn how to use LinkedIn to build their personal brand and how to use it as a networking tool. Please register at https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bP1vBidy2kEhuLz

Join the Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth at the College of Nursing for our next Lean In speaker on Sept. 28 from noon to 1 p.m. Collins O. Airhihenbuwa, PhD, MPH, will explore how structural racism is at the core of health disparity and must be dismantled to achieve health equity and social justice. Promoting a culture of anti-racism demands approaches that are transdisciplinary by unpacking health policies and actions that promise to unburden disproportionate disease burdens on Black and brown bodies. Registration is required at https://nursing.osu.edu/event/lean-speaker-series

• Hold each other (yes, even your faculty and staff!) accountable for appropriate mask wear; the Ohio State Wellness app features an article about how to have a conversation about masks with a fellow Buckeye.
• If you are going to be in the buildings, please remember your daily health reporting. If you do not receive a green screen, please contact Dean Zadnik or Dr. Nixon before entering the buildings.
• Contact Dean Zadnik or Dr. Nixon directly if you have been exposed to COVID, are exhibiting symptoms, or have been tested.
• Thank you for not bringing visitors into the buildings.
• Please continue to hold club and organization meetings virtually.
• Limit your time in the buildings to only essential activities, and remember to social distance while in the lunchrooms, classrooms or other common spaces.
• If you are in between clinic, lab or other essential activities, you may use open classrooms for study, being mindful of social distancing and keeping the number of people in the room to a minimum.

Jen Bennett, Shawn Gilbert, Candace Johnson, and Becca Roby continue to work remotely until further notice, and we are available for all of your student service needs. You can reach us via e-mail or phone from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. We also can set up Zoom meetings if you would like to talk in person. Contact us with questions or if you just need to talk. Don’t know who to ask? Start here!

Jen Bennett, 614-292-2973, bennett.1075@osu.edu
Shawn Gilbert, 614-247-6426, gilbert.351@osu.edu
Candace Johnson, 614-292-4247, johnson.5380@osu.edu
Becca Roby, 614-292-0497, roby.77@osu.edu

Dean Zadnik, 614-580-7267
Dr. Earley, 614-519-6435
Dr. Nixon, 614-537-5367