Sun Devils, keep going and slow the spread
It hasn’t been easy, but Sun Devils have been rising to the challenge of stopping the spread of COVID-19 on our campuses and in our communities. While some students, faculty and staff have been able to be vaccinated, it’s important to keep going: Keep wearing masks, keep social distancing, keep washing your hands. Keep being an integral part of ASU’s Community of Care.
Laavanya Malik, a sophomore computational mathematical science major at ASU, has been participating in student outreach around safety and wellness during the pandemic. She said it’s important to stay diligent to keep the progression of COVID-19 at bay across the globe.
“As a student, I have been mindful of the significance of distancing and following the rules. I think we all need to reflect on our actions and hold ourselves accountable for any mistakes we may have made during this pandemic, especially if these mistakes have had major consequences,” she said.
“For the health and well-being of the world, we need to collectively prevent and eventually stop the spread of COVID-19.”
Malik works as a data assistant with the Sexual and Relationship Violence Program at ASU and is a part of the Association for Women in Mathematics at ASU. As an international student, her drive for getting through the semester is seeing her family this summer.
“I want to use this time efficiently to put forth my all in my academics and self-care. Through my personal growth during this pandemic, I have developed skills to deal with stress positively, which have helped me academically as well,” she said.
Yvonne Chook, a third-year biomedical engineering major and business and statistics minor at ASU, has also been a part of student outreach during COVID-19 and said that although we can feel hopeless thinking about what we’ve lost, we should keep in mind how far we’ve come.
“Keeping a consistent reminder of why health policies are in place and adhering to them is the fastest way we can go back to the seemingly dreamy lives we had before,” she said.
“So if you ever begin to question yourself on whether to get vaccinated, tempted to go out to a party or even traveling, I implore you to stay patient and to remind ourselves that we as individuals can easily create ripple effects that affect others. Whether the effects are positive or negative, those are completely up to the choices we choose to make.”
A peer educator coordinator with the Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention program and a board member of the Malaysian Students Association, Shook said that reaching out to professors and friends and establishing good habits has been the key to her motivation and well-being lately.
“Though it may not seem like it, a lot of us are going through the same rollercoaster of struggles. Especially in trying times like these, it can feel comforting to know that others are feeling the same way and going through the same experiences,” she said. “Set daily goals for yourself and turn off technology once in a while! Take a walk when you need to (masked and socially distanced of course), and give yourself breaks when you're overwhelmed!”
If you or a friend need to talk to someone about how to keep going, visit ASU Counseling Services.
Reporting by Claire Van Doren, ASU Student Life