Global, Urban, and Environmental Studies (GLUE)

COVID-19 Resources | A Letter from Global Studies Chair, Alexandra Délano Alonso

Dear Global Studies community,

I hope you are doing well and caring for each other.

The last week has been a challenging time for all of us; in the span of a few days, we have all been asked to make considerable changes to our lives. 

This has required a lot from all of you. In addition to adjusting our lives at home (and for some even figuring where “home” is), focusing on the people we care for and our well being, it has also implied grappling with a number of stresses and uncertainties. 

For now, I want to acknowledge the issues that have been brought up while also reflecting on how to complete the semester in the most humane way possible, given the circumstances.

• Many of you may find yourselves juggling with online classes, unemployment, taking care of elderly or younger siblings. Others may worry about the mental and physical health repercussions that being in quarantine will have on them; neurodivergent folks may find their daily routines disturbed by these sudden changes; some students may find themselves forced to go back to unsafe households. This pandemic demands that we actualize our beliefs in community care and mutual aid; in standing up for each other, physically or virtually. Reach out to us with your concerns; call your friends, and practice active listening. Ask for help and ask how you can help. Replace judgment with compassion.
   
• There has been a lot of conversation on how to stay healthy. Little space, however, has been made for a dialogue between people who have been sick and/or have tested positive for COVID-19. It is crucial to remember that there is no point in attempting to place blame on those who are sick. We urge you to act in compassion with your peers or community members who may be sick. We advocate for physical distancing rather than social distancing. Stay in touch and check in on each other through the many technologies available to us without putting yourselves or anyone else at risk. For those of you who may be sick, we encourage you to trust your body, and we stand by your side.
   
• This is a time for us to come together as a community and support each other. I hope we can find creative ways to do that. In that spirit, we have planned a few virtual gatherings for “Global Studies Coffee Hour” and other spaces so we can check in and stay connected. These will be held on Zoom on:
  • Tuesday, March 31, 3:30-4:30 pm (meeting #106957410)
  • Wednesday, April 15, 1:30-2:30 pm (meeting #310466120)
  • Thursday, April 30, 11:15 am-12:15 pm (meeting #125108669)
     
• The New School has allowed international students to go back home and finish their classes online while maintaining their visa. Time zone differences and blocked access to Zoom and Canvas are challenges for some of you and we encourage you to talk to your faculty about this. We want to reassure you that the Deans have encouraged us to be flexible to decide what makes most sense for our courses, for our students and ourselves, and adapt our courses accordingly. For some, that might mean changing the assignments, revising the calendar for the course, meeting one on one with students instead of as a group, etc. If you have questions about this or want to discuss it, please reach out to your faculty or me. We are here to support you and advocate for you.
   
• At Global Studies, we are particularly concerned with the “war” rhetoric that has been deployed by governments all around the world. COVID-19 is not a war enemy that requires the extension of enforcement mechanisms and weapons; it is a pandemic that demands an adequate health care system, accessible to all, to receive treatment. The response to COVID-19 has also magnified existing inequalities that remind us of the need for structural transformation. In the months that follow we will see the impact of changes taking place economically, politically, and socially across the world, with lasting effects. We will use the tools we have and develop new ones to understand these changes and respond to them with our vision and practice of social transformation and justice. We will pay particular attention to how this health crisis will be used to justify the extension of authoritarian measures and we will organize against them when necessary.
   
• We are particularly concerned with the anti-Chinese racism of the Trump administration, and the xenophobic crimes that have resulted from it. We stand in solidarity with those who have been targeted, both directly and indirectly, by racist and xenophobic words and actions associated with these outbreaks.
   
• We are aware that many of you have been facing financial insecurity due to workplaces closing down. We hope that you can reach out to us with your needs and concerns so that we can help you find solutions. In the meantime, we’d like to share some resources that have been circulating: 
  • The New School Food Pantry will reopen on Friday March 20th. They will be providing a grab and go pickup from Loeb Hall (135 East 12th Street) for students who live within walking or biking distance from campus, or who can otherwise safely get to Loeb Hall. Students MUST email foodpantry@newschool.edu to get information to sign up for a time slot to come pick up food
    
  • The New School’s Student Emergency Assistance Program provides one-time assistance and support to currently-enrolled students experiencing an acute emergency or an immediate, urgent financial need; it cannot be used to cover tuition. To apply for assistance, please complete this form. If you have any questions or concerns about the Student Emergency Assistant Program, please email emergencyfund@newschool.edu.
    
  • There have been demands to suspend rent in New York. You can sign the petition
    
  • U-Haul Offered 30 Days Free Self-Storage for students forced to leave dorms early. You can find more information here
    
  • Spectrum Broadband is offering free wifi for students and homes with children
    
  • Here is a list of COVID-19 MUTUAL AID & ADVOCACY RESOURCES that continues to grow day by day.

I hope you can all take a break, rest, and focus on what matters the most at this moment. We all have to adjust our expectations with generosity and kindness to one another. And hopefully, much learning will come out of that in the long run, reminding us of what is essential. I apologize for my delayed responses because my ability to work from home is quite limited but if you need anything urgently, please feel free to email Shaked (landors@newschool.edu) or Clara (globalstudies@newschool.edu) and they will let me know.

I send you my warmest wishes and I’m here for you.

Alexandra Délano Alonso

Chair, Global Studies

delanoa@newschool.edu