Staying Connected
May 7, 2020
Even While Separated, the Xavier Community is Finding Ways to Stay Together
Katie Nichols and her roommates had a problem.
The four Xavier students were no longer living together. Instead, they had returned to their respective homes because of the COVID-19 guidelines to attend classes remotely. Slowly, they got used to the new normalcy of going to school while quarantined.
But they also wanted to watch "Tiger King."
The popular Netflix documentary that follows the owner of a private zoo was too salacious to miss. They had to see it, and they had to talk about it. They wanted to watch it all together.
So they found a way. It’s what Musketeers do, right?
“We used the Netflix Party app,” said Nichols, an English and Film double-major from Lexington, Ky. “It allows us to watch and also interact with each other while we’re watching something. It’s like we’re all in the same room again.”
It’s the perfect example of how, even when we at Xavier are far apart, we still stay connected and keep our sense of community. All across the educational spectrum, from producing the student newspaper to organizing food drives, from hosting virtual Mass to supporting our iconic local businesses, we’ve stayed together through this quarantine.
We have remained a family.
As one administrator said earlier this spring, we would never wish to go through something like this, but it is almost like our Xavier affiliation has—in a way—prepared us for it. We remember to care for ourselves, but we focus on caring for others. We stay true to our Mission, even when faced with extraordinary challenges. We have still learned, served and achieved. Together.
So how did we do it, and how are we still doing it?
We prayed
When we needed faith the most, Bellarmine Chapel made national headlines when Fr. Eric Sundrup, S.J., printed out the faces of his congregation and taped them to the pews before hosting a virtual Mass that could be watched online. “For me, actually it was an amazingly prayerful moment,” he told "Good Morning America." “Every time I put a picture up, I could remember the people I was praying for.”
We played
For those who craved a live performance, the Theatre Department streamed a play, The Oxford Comma, on YouTube, for a 24-hour period. “We may be streaming more of our work in the future,” said junior performer Danielle Jacobs.
We wrote
The staff of the student newspaper, The Newswire, produced their first-ever online remote issue, and continued to produce their issues remotely, even though they were separated by hundreds of miles. “These student-journalists have done a fantastic job under trying circumstances, producing a quality newspaper from more than a dozen remote locations,” said John Stowell, the publication’s adviser. “It’s been very cool, for me, to witness that All For One spirit.”
We celebrated 
The Office of Marketing and Communications partnered with other staff to develop All 4/1 Day on April 1—or 4-1. While the public may have been suffering some fatigue from Coronavirus news, Xavier wanted to take a minute to remind everyone why we love being Musketeers. Thus, All For One Day was born.
We exercised
Rec Sports created a wellness kit and streaming workouts to help those stay active during the quarantine. Participants can choose workouts like Resistance Bands and Core, Yoga, High-Intensity Interval Training, Pilates, Total Body Circuit and Ignatian Yoga, among others. “We’re going to be doing a quick warm-up to a song I really like,” group fitness instructor Katie Kennedy says in one video. “Then we’re going to be doing a circuit targeting back muscles.”
We talked
We called every undergraduate student. That’s right—every one—of more than 4,500 of them, just to make sure they were doing okay. We made sure they knew where to ask questions if they needed to. We saw to it that they were ready to learn remotely for the remainder of the semester. “Yes, I received quite a few calls from Xavier checking in on me,” said Aaliyah Davison, a Radiologic Technology major who will graduate in 2021. “They were just letting me know that they were there to answer any questions or concerns I had. They sounded very supportive.”
We helped
Students organized a Facebook page to help each other. That’s right. At 11:07 a.m. on Friday, March 13, Camryn Yacks hit the “post” button on her phone and created a new Facebook group. She called it: Help a Muskie. Her goal? Create a shared platform where any Xavier student could find or give help as the entire student body shifts from campus life to remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
We shared
We shared the stories of those alumni working on the front lines. They’re in hospitals, clinics and offices in greater Cincinnati and places like Indianapolis, Chicago and Boston. They’re nurses and doctors, researchers, administrators and part-timers, responding as needed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We taught
When remote learning became reality, Xavier wasted no time in providing the technology and training materials to assist its teachers. “Given the highly unusual and quick-changing circumstances, the University's response has been great,” said Wendy Maxian, PhD, associate professor and Chair of Communication. “The instructional continuity webpage and instructional technology’s online training sessions were up in a day, which is as impressive as it is selfless.” And yes, they even provided a multitude of Zoom backgrounds.
We donated
A group of Xavier families and alumni reached out to the two-dozen students still living on campus to see what they needed. In the next few days, the students received care packages. “They wanted to do what they could to make the students’ lives easier during this time,” said Lori Lambert, senior director for Student Affairs for the Office of Residence Life.
We worked
Xavier athletes came up with an idea to generate money for the Freestore Foodbank. In just a few hours, they raised thousands of dollars. “We’ve just been blown away all day. It’s been insane,” said Riece Drew, a swimmer who is in his first year at Xavier. Other students performed similar acts of kindness.
We supported
The Xavier family supported our iconic local businesses, including Dana Gardens. “I want to say thank you for the past few weeks of Xavier Nation coming in and supporting us even though we’re not known as a food-to-go type place,” Managing Partner BJ Hayley told The Athletic. “We can’t wait to open the doors and have people rush in and have a drink with us inside and outside on the deck.”
We created
Xavier created a week to honor its graduating seniors, with speakers, Zoom events and an All For Fun Run Virtual 5k. “It was pretty exciting. It kind of took the place of our graduation,” senior Michael Farrere said.
We honored
Campus Director for Photography Greg Rust captured portraits to recognize those workers who are still on campus. These are the ones who keep everything running smoothly while everyone else is gone.
By Ryan Clark, Office of Marketing and Communications