I saw something so impressive on my way to work today. I passed a group of our athletes, the cross country team perhaps?-- running with their face coverings on. They made it look almost effortless, and I immediately thought about how often I fussed about my mask a few months ago when I first started wearing one--how it seemed harder to breathe, how muffled people sounded, how cranky I felt about the barrier I felt it imposed.
Yet, there they went, running along in their masks like it was nothing.
I felt positively inspired! If they can run with face coverings on, we can surely wear them as we sit or walk.
You know, I realized recently that I don’t notice my mask so much anymore. I know it’s not easy to set aside our comfort. We have to reframe how we breathe, how we operate, and how to find the satisfaction in doing so. But I believe we can be satisfied because we are helping others, because we are doing the right thing, because we are protecting our own and our classmates’ ability to keep moving toward their academic goals and dreams even though we’re in the midst of a pandemic.
Bengals, keep roaring behind those face coverings!
Let’s do it for each other.
Let’s do it together.
Roar, Bengals, Roar!
Lyn Redington, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
