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Hey Friends
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I hope this week feels
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a little more normal than last week,
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and I wanted to welcome y'all
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to our second Facebook town hall.
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As always, if you've got questions
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feel free to add them as we go
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and our team will respond.
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We hope to share a little more details
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about what you can except.
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Before we get into the process of that
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I want to start by saying that
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whatever you’re feeling today
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I think as I've talked
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to different friends and students
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that we're all experiencing
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such a range of emotions
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that could be anxiety,
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sadness or fear,
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or maybe it’s gratitude, empathy, or hope.
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If you’re like me it’s both,
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and changes within the hour.
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Just know whatever you feel
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that that's okay.
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You’re right where you need to be and
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know that we are so grateful as a team
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to be on this journey with you.
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If you missed us last week
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in the first townhall
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you've got details on that below
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but in broad strokes
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we talked about
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the values guiding our decisions
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and how now - more than ever -
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we need your input,
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and your wisdom,
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and your expertise
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to improve PelotonU
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and make this a program
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that effectively serves you
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while we're coaching remotely.
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Now today,
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I'm going to give you details
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on our long-term study plan,
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and highlight some new resources
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that we'll begin providing for y'all
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as soon as next week.
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So, as you know at the moment
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we’re scheduled to open
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a week from Monday
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and that’s far too soon.
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You also know that there's a local ban
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on public gatherings
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until at least May 1st.
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So before I tell you where we landed
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I wanted to walk through
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the priorities that guided our decision
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about when to re-open
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and share just kinda how we're thinking about
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really throwing a dart at the wall
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without complete information.
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So there's four things.
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The first is,
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While it’s tough to know the right time,
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we want to give y'all, the students,
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as much long-term clarity as possible.
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We want to guess out further maybe
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than we feel comfortable.
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And second,
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We’d rather be cautious
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and closed a few weeks too long
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than give you a date in the short-term
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and have to move it again.
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Third,
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and most important to me,
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we want to make sure
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that you to have the chance again
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to build your primary routines in Austin.
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Once the public gathering bans are lifted
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we want you to be able to
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get back to normal life in your work
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and in your family, and then
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add Peloton as the next thing that fits in.
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So we don't want to open
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right when the City does.
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We want to open a little bit after that.
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And finally,
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when we do reopen spaces,
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we know it's going to be
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a gradual ramp-back-up
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to full requirements on hours
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and the norms and routines
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that we built therein.
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Life's gonna look different then
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and we gotta figure that out.
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So in light of all of that
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the decision we have made
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with our Board
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is to keep our
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study spaces closed
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and remain coaching virtually
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until June 1st.
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So I'll say that again.
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We intend to keep our study spaces closed
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and remain coaching virtually
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until Monday, June 1st.
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And I say, "we intend" because
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this experience continues to change
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and if we hear from y'all
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or if we feel that it's in our
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community's best interest
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to stay remote longer,
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then we will.
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And so because of this,
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there are a few implications
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we want to highlight.
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The first is
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We’ll be coaching remotely
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until we reopen
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and that's going to be
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eleven weeks in total.
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Bringing PelotonU online
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means thinking differently
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about how we do things,
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We can't just digitize
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what we did in person
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and we need to rebuild the experience
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to ensure that you have
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the coaching, community, and care
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that you need.
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And the best ideas about how to do that
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are gonna come from y'all.
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More than ever,
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until we get back
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into our physical study spaces,
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we need your help
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thinking about how to make PelotonU
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live and breathe our values
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in different ways online.
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Second,
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we also need to launch
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new supports
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both because of the remote context,
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and how the economic landscape is changing.
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We'll have more details on that
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in a moment.
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And third,
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when we go back
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to studying in person,
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the world's gonna look different.
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And we don't yet fully know how,
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so we need your input
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and your expertise on
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how to plan what study spaces
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look like back in our new normal,
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specifically around how to make sure
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study spaces are safe
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and sanitary for our community.
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And so back to that second point
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about student supports,
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know that we are here
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to walk alongside of y'all,
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particularly as things change,
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in any way that we can.
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There's a few new resources
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that we want to preview
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that your coach will have more details on
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next week,
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that are kind of our first best guess
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at how to do this.
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First,
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if you're worried about finances,
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or have experienced a loss in income,
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our Board just approved yesterday
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$10,000 in emergency bridge grants to help.
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We'll have more details soon,
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but know that you'll be able to request
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up to $200 to meet any unexpected
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financial needs that have recently come up
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for you or your family.
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Second,
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if you're out of work,
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we want to help you navigate unemployment.
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Adria is our internal specialist
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who is tracking both
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the recent federal bill,
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and all of the complicated stuff
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from the Texas Workforce Commission
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about how to apply for unemployment insurance.
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So let your coach know if you need that,
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and we'll connect you with her directly.
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Third,
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if you're worried about paying for school,
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we're working closely with
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Southern New Hampshire,
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Brandman, and Western Governor's,
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and they're all creating plans
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to best support their students
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because of covid-19.
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We know the details there now,
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so if you have questions or concerns,
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reach out to your coach
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and they'll give you specific information.
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And fourth,
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we know that there's lots of things
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you're experiencing that we haven't mentioned.
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So our coaching team,
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spearheaded by Cynthia Suarez,
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has built a whole, growing list of resources
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about all of the different things
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you can connect with in the community.
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You can find that both on our website,
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or your coach can walk you through it
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immediately whenever that's most helpful.
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And finally,
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the Student Support Coordinators,
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Karen, Saul, and Josue -
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are continuing to brainstorm
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new ways to strengthen our community.
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So if you have ideas,
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we want this to be a place that y'all
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can continue to help us think about
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what kind of community feels helpful,
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and what might feel like it's too much
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as you're continuing to find
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the new normal in your life.
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We want to make sure
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you're not just succeeding educationally,
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but that you've got
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a community that you're a part of.
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So let Saul, Karen, or Josue know
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how to do that best.
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So,
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going forward,
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you can expect regular communications
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from us as we learn more
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about community resources,
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and get a better sense
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for how best to walk alongside you
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while we’re remote coaching until June 1st.
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We’ll continue to host weekly town halls
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here on Facebook
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to answer questions
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and share more stories from our community
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And you're lucky because
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it won’t be me going forward.
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There are folks
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much more qualified
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who will contniiue to hold this space
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and answer your questions.
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And now while we're working from home
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and continuing to master those projects,
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we ask that you keep clocking in those hours,
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so we know more about
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how y'all are doing
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both with school
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and finding space for studying.
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And we really just have one request.
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Please tell your coach,
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or anyone on the team,
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what you need.
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Whatever it is,
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we'll make sure
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to get you those resources directly
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or connect you with a resource
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in the community that can.
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In conclusion,
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as we thought about what we wanted to say,
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there's a poem I wanted to read.
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It's one that hangs on the wall
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in our central study space
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just to the left if you walk in
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and I was there this past weekend
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to pick up the mail--
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I always hope
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there's gonna be a big check in the mail,
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and there hasn't ever been,
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and there wasn't this week,
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but I saw the poem.
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And it was weird to be there
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on a Saturday when it was a quiet space,
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and I remember that it was one
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that one of our coaches wrote.
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Reagan Pugh, who worked with us in 2016.
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He was our second coach,
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and he wrote it about the walk
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when you're coming back
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from a mentor meeting
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along that back hallway.
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And it's a poem that's about life,
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the things that matter.
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It's about the spaces that we pass through
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not just physical spaces but
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emotional spaces.
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This place that we're
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passing through together
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right now as a community,
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these spaces hold gifts
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that we don't always see in the moment.
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So the poem is called,
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'This Hallway Now.'
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And it goes like this.
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This hallway now -
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Is the kindest it’s been to me.
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Today I passed through
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New and old shadows,
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My reflection against the glass.
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And this must be healing -
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Passing through the same place,
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But with softer breath -
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A shining light inside of me
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Nudging me forward,
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Past the stretch where
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I used to stop and long.
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Through we go now.
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Together. Through.
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Y'all, we’re in this together,
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and here to partner with you
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however we can.
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So on behalf of the whole team,
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know we couldn't be more grateful
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for the privilege to work
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alongside of y'all.
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Let us know
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how we can help,
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what you need,
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what it is you have,
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and we'll be there.
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Looking for to the next weeks ahead.