We & I Poems

-composed from (anonymous) official CUNY communications emails sent during Spring and Fall 2020



We write to update you on our planning. 

We are planning for the possibility that The Graduate Center could be closed for the semester.

We share your concern

We are closely monitoring developments

We hope you will find it helpful.

We will set up workshops and tutorial sessions

We want instruction to proceed on a high level and are confident this can be done.


   ***


I am writing to you today to follow up on the announcement from Governor Cuomo

I want to express my thanks and appreciation for all of your service during this crisis

 I truly hope that you or your family are recovering

If you have lost someone to this virus, please accept my deepest condolences

I have received many reports from students having medical issues

I write to share with you some important and saddening news about Interim Provost and Senior Vice President Julia Wrigley

I ask any faculty to consult with their Training Area Head,

I am missing some other issues

I again thank you all for your dedication!


     ***

We plan to be highly flexible in working with faculty members

We will accommodate students’ accessibility needs.

We understand that some staff members may need to avoid traveling to work at peak rush hour times

We can communicate with all faculty, students, and staff at this time

We have been hearing that some of you that do not have experience with distance learning

We know that there are a lot of questions and unfortunately, “we do not know” is our too frequent refrain

We will let you know when

We understand that there is uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation

We are open, and other activities, such as dissertation defense

As our campus remains open


      ***

I wrote to you on May 29

I said that I would follow up

I share with you our equity

I expect that by now you have heard

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised

I wanted to let you know


     ***

We articulate our commitment to racial justice

We recognize how privileged we are

We can to ensure that members of our diverse community

We reinforce our commitment to equity and inclusion

we must do all that we can to ensure that our own institution serves

We are reading daily about the Trump administration,

We will quickly implement a plan

We pledge to confront the ways that our own institution perpetuates white privilege and racism

We will infuse a greater awareness of injustice

We will convene safe spaces for dialogue

We know that many of you will already have heard

We understand the distress and anxiety

We value the scholarship and perspectives

We still do not know enough to give definitive answers

We And I

I know the last four months

I wish I could know what the future will bring

I can’t,

We are preparing for a range of scenarios

We hope to increase

I want to acknowledge

We seek to physically reopen

We will leave no stone unturned

We are extending a degree

We want to avoid these kinds of interruptions.  


We invite you to leave sympathy messages

We will further commemorate their lives

I look forward to that day

We will all be able to meet and reflect on

We have overcome and the goals

we have accomplished together during this period of adjustment.

I will be in touch with additional details

We are on a very tight timeframe

I write today to inform you of our plans

I wish, like many of you, that we could bring students and faculty together in person

We appreciated the thoughtful discussions.

We want to take this opportunity

We also thank everyone

We will have the opportunity.