Dear Honors Student, One of the best things about Take Care Tuesdays (TCT) is the sense of community it fosters in Honors. If you're new to the series, each installment features staff, faculty, current students, and alumni. We share how the TCT topics have meaning for all of us, whatever our role in the university, because we have an incredible opportunity to learn from one another. By cultivating individual well-being, we also strengthen and energize our communities. The TCT Community is your Honors Community, and part of your network of support at KU. Never have these goals been as important as they are now during the pandemic. The actions that we take as individuals have great impact on our community and vice versa. And the better our community's health, the greater chance we have to connect again in the ways we miss. While there is much that we still don’t know about COVID-19, we do know that some individuals and populations are at greater risk, and while some experience only mild symptoms, others suffer greatly. We also know that these differences are compounded by systemic inequalities related to healthcare access and other societal factors. These differences are not always visible, but they are no less important. Wear your mask. Observe physical distancing. Care for others as you care for yourself. We know that social interactions sustain us and college is a time of meeting new people, so this installment of TCT features strategies to connect with others in the present moment. The unique opportunity of right now is that there are new and different ways to engage. We hope you will tune in, show up, and find inspiration in this week's topic — and all the topics we have in store for you.

READ

This Harvard Health Blog piece on how to socialize in a pandemic. We know that social connection is critical to people of all ages, but especially to college students. We also know that quarantine fatigue is real, and abstaining from all social contact for the long haul isn't realistic. This piece answers the question: "How can we make decisions about socializing during the coronavirus pandemic?" Read more here>>

This guide to staying connected: If you're looking for even more specific strategies to maintain the social connection we all need to thrive, this piece has you covered. A couple of our favorites include keeping a journal about your experiences during this time, cooking a meal that reminds you of family you can't see and telling them about it, and thinking about what personal and community protection means to you. Read more here>>

WATCH

This super-useful three-minute video from the World Health Organization on how to safely wear fabric masks. We all know how much they help, but we were surprised at how many things we are still doing wrong while wearing masks! For instance, did you know you should never share a mask? Do you always make sure to take it off by the ears? Make sure you're keeping yourself safe by watching the video. Watch video here>>

JOIN

Pictured: Students in an HCA "Pause with Pets" event this spring (note the dog in the upper left-hand corner!)

The Honors Program student association devoted to social connection: the mission of Honors Community Advocates (HCA) is to advocate for and develop an extraordinary community experience for students at the Honors Program of the University of Kansas. Join HCA for social events, group volunteering, and fundraising to provide awards to Honors students. Upcoming events include a Speaker Series with Chancellor Girod on Oct. 12 and a Trivia Night on Sept. 28 — with prizes! Learn more here >>

+ Join Us as we find new ways to connect. Honors staff and faculty fellows, like you, are getting creative about finding connection. This week, a story from Dr. Kathryn Rhine, Associate Professor of International & Interdisciplinary Studies, Social and Behavioral Sciences - African/African American Studies, Geography and Atmospheric Science, Anthropology.

Pictured: Honors student volunteers at the first HHARC meeting.

Honors Faculty Fellow Dr. Rhine found a unique way to facilitate research collaboration between health professionals and scholars in the arts and humanities: she and her fellow colleagues started the Health Humanities and Arts Research Collaborative (HHARC) this spring and connected clinicians, faculty, students and staff with interests in collaborative research on health-related topics. "Ethics, culture, history, globalization, and creative expression are so obviously central to understanding how and why Covid-19 has had the impacts that it has had," Rhine said. "We felt a real sense of urgency to bring researchers together to find common ground and purpose."  Honors students found unique opportunities in this effort: by serving a scribes in break-out sessions in the meetings, they were able to witness the development of research — and contribute to it. For the entire, inspiring story, read on! Take me to the story >>

We’ll be back with more soon, and until then, take good care. 💙