Page 77 - Summer 2021

support...they keep my life regular.” It is clear that our peers have found support and small pearls of enjoyment during these difficult times with their families (those genetic, found, and adopted). The pandemic has, in some cases, accelerated personal life choices, such as the deci- sion to forgo wedding parties and simply elope.
It appears that the personal cost of this pandemic has been doled out unequally. Many have found small victories and vast support in the everyday interactions with those closest to them; however, for those students separated from loved ones, friends, and family, the cost is undeniably high.
So, what can we do? Students who have been able to adapt seemed hopeful about the work yet to be done on their degrees. But not all students had this privilege, and it is evident that a year into this pandemic, there are still insufficient systems in place to help them. How do we combat feelings of helplessness in the future? More importantly, what can we do now? And what about the helplessness that falls out of our direct control, such as from government restrictions? These are difficult ques- tions and we do not have the answers, but we hope that we can begin again to talk openly about these issues. Circumstances are different now and it is unrealistic to expect the same modus operandi as in “normal” times.
Overwhelmingly, what we have heard from students is a sense of isolation in their personal life and academic work. If before, checking in on your students and peers on a personal level felt like overstepping bounds, please reconsider this notion. We are all experiencing Covid fatigue and may have become complacent, but it is important more than ever to check in on each other’s mental well-being. We believe this should be part of the “new norm” and encourage you to make it so. Reach out to those around you. Have a virtual lab meeting. Advisors, don’t be afraid to ask your students how they are doing. Have a virtual lunch with friends or a vir- tual family dinner with those outside your household. Ensure that each person has the opportunity to talk and be heard. For all of us, a good first step would be to check in on at least one person today. Better yet, make this a regular occurrence.
We were not sure what form this piece would take when we decided to survey students, but it is clear now that this is an opportunity for us to be aware, adjust, and find ways
to offer a sense of community to our fellow students. We encourage you to check out our peer-mentorship pro- gram, Student Outreach for Networking and Integrating Colleagues (SONIC; available at bit.ly/3e9Ywkq). And we pledge to continue to seek ways to facilitate connected- ness, especially in the virtual world, by adapting existing initiatives and creating new ones. Please stay tuned to our social media for updates about other social programming, including the commencement of a virtual coffee break for informally connecting with acoustic peers and colleagues. If you have any suggestions for ways that the Student Council (see asastudents.org) can help your student experience in light of the pandemic or otherwise, we would love to hear from you (see asastudentcouncil@gmail.com).
For additional information about the impact of the pandemic on ASA student members as well as on other members of the ASA community, please see the essay on page 78 in this issue by Neilsen and Lau from the Women in Acoustics Committee.
To follow the Student Council, see our social media sites: facebook.com/ASAStudents or twitter.com/ASAStudents.
Contact Information
Hilary Kates Varghese
hkatesvarghese@ccom.unh.edu
Department of Earth Sciences
University of New Hampshire
24 Colovos Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA
Kieren H. McCord kieren.mccord@asu.edu
School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment Arizona State University
660 South College Avenue, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
Mallory Morgan morgam11@rpi.edu
Department of Architectural Acoustics Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180, USA
Elizabeth Weidner eweidner@ccom.unh.edu
Department of Earth Sciences
University of New Hampshire
24 Colovos Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA
and
Department of Geological Sciences
Stockholm University
Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
Summer 2021 • Acoustics Today 77