{"id":60,"date":"2020-04-21T02:47:40","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T02:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/?page_id=60"},"modified":"2020-05-08T23:52:59","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T23:52:59","slug":"chair-letter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/chair-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"Chair Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"60\" class=\"elementor elementor-60\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c97e116 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c97e116\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c87f7f4\" data-id=\"c87f7f4\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-036fa4a elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-238 elementor-widget-theme-site-logo\" data-id=\"036fa4a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-site-logo.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\">\n\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1412\" height=\"282\" src=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/cropped-Commtracks.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-802\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/cropped-Commtracks.png 1412w, https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/cropped-Commtracks-300x60.png 300w, https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/cropped-Commtracks-1024x205.png 1024w, https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/cropped-Commtracks-768x153.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1412px) 100vw, 1412px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a0df342\" data-id=\"a0df342\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4c44b2 elementor-nav-menu__align-end elementor-nav-menu--dropdown-tablet elementor-nav-menu__text-align-aside elementor-nav-menu--toggle elementor-nav-menu--burger elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-235 elementor-widget-nav-menu\" data-id=\"b4c44b2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;submenu_icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;layout&quot;:&quot;horizontal&quot;,&quot;toggle&quot;:&quot;burger&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"nav-menu.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav aria-label=\"Menu\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu--main elementor-nav-menu__container elementor-nav-menu--layout-horizontal e--pointer-none\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul id=\"menu-1-b4c44b2\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-62\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children menu-item-730\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"elementor-item elementor-item-anchor\">Stories of Change<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu elementor-nav-menu--dropdown\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-74\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/student-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">Student Stories<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-83\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/department-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">Department Stories<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-77\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/inside-the-industry\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">Inside the Industry<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-80\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/fenway-then-now\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">Fenway Then &#038; Now<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-297\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/covid-19-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">COVID-19 Stories<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-65\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/students-and-staff\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Students and Staff<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-63\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/chair-letter\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Chair Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/welcome-letter\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Welcome Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-68\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/about\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-990\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/commtracks-2022\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">CommTracks 2022<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1032\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/ailia-rochefort-photography\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Ailia Rochefort Photography<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1033\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/2022-senior-showcase\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">2022 Senior Showcase<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-toggle\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Menu Toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"elementor-menu-toggle__icon--open eicon-menu-bar\"><\/i><i aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"elementor-menu-toggle__icon--close eicon-close\"><\/i>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"elementor-nav-menu--dropdown elementor-nav-menu__container\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul id=\"menu-2-b4c44b2\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-62\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-has-children menu-item-730\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"elementor-item elementor-item-anchor\" tabindex=\"-1\">Stories of Change<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu elementor-nav-menu--dropdown\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-74\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/student-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Student Stories<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-83\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/department-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Department Stories<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-77\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/inside-the-industry\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Inside the Industry<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-80\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/fenway-then-now\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Fenway Then &#038; Now<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-297\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/covid-19-stories\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">COVID-19 Stories<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-65\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/students-and-staff\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Students and Staff<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-63\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/chair-letter\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Chair Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-66\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/welcome-letter\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Welcome Letter<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-68\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/about\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-990\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/commtracks-2022\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">CommTracks 2022<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1032\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/ailia-rochefort-photography\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Ailia Rochefort Photography<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-1033\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/2022-senior-showcase\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">2022 Senior Showcase<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ec3d110 elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ec3d110\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-714d4aa\" data-id=\"714d4aa\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2730e57 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-254 elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2730e57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d2ac01f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d2ac01f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Chair Letter<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2597851 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2597851\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-42368ec\" data-id=\"42368ec\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff4d853 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff4d853\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Changes. When the Commtracks team first came to me with the theme for their 2020 senior magazine my impulse was to complete the lyric: turn and face the strange.<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changes. This was of course months before our strangest change of 2020: the emergence of Covid-19. This was months before the impact of this historic pandemic, the sudden displacement of our physical Simmons community, and ultimately the many remarkable community responses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Institutions of higher learning across the U.S. and the world, including Simmons, moved online. Ceremonies, celebrations, and events we look forward to for years became uncertain, grievable losses. Understandably, many of us are phasing through feelings of anger, grief, and resolve.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Simmons, students responded by organizing mutual aid maps to assist each other and the community. Student journalists continued to report on the virus and on community response. Student athletes found ways to connect and build virtual networks of support. Students across the University met the crisis with leadership, resilience and care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As faculty and staff took on the gargantuan task of moving courses, including lab-based and studio courses, to remote learning formats, the CommTracks team embodied resourcefulness, creativity, and poise in quickly imagining CommTracks, for the first time, as a web-based magazine. The editorial team worked on building content to address the impact of Covid-19. The design team pivoted the photography, layouts, and design that they had developed for a print issue to web-based approaches. A student from an affiliated major in web design and development joined the team, working to map and code the issue. The promotional team crafted new strategies to get the word out about CommTracks and plan its unveiling. Teams worked together offering feedback, critique, and support to each other throughout the process. They did all of this remotely, from afar, and amidst challenging and quickly changing times. As they\u2019ve crafted this issue about Changes, they changed us and each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To riff further off the lyric than Bowie perhaps intended, change is also an ethic, an ethic caught up in how we encounter the other. Among the many things this crisis has proven are the preparedness of our students for such encounters and a need for the kind of change they can bring.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>\u2014Briana Martino, Assistant Professor of Communications and Acting Chair<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6436486 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6436486\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e91ad09\" data-id=\"e91ad09\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53a50cd elementor-view-stacked elementor-hidden-desktop elementor-shape-circle elementor-widget elementor-widget-icon\" data-id=\"53a50cd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"icon.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-icon\" href=\"http:\/\/ns.edu\/index.php\/chair-letter\/\">\n\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-arrow-up\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-83bc00d elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"83bc00d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;,&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-826df49\" data-id=\"826df49\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d8687fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-global elementor-global-364 elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d8687fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Made by the 2020 senior communication students at Simmons University\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chair Letter Changes. When the Commtracks team first came to me with the theme for their 2020 senior magazine my impulse was to complete the [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_canvas","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-60","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":837,"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/60\/revisions\/837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/commtracks.simmons.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}