I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that some of you are football fans. Maybe even Big Red fans. I’m also going to guess that some of you reading this love watching women’s volleyball, and that a lot of you are Huskers at heart.

If you’re anything like me and you love our athletes and want to see them play in the fall, there are three things we can all do to try and make that happen.

Wearing masks. Social distancing. Good hand hygiene.

That’s it. A simple trifecta. Our behavior now affects our student athletes’ ability to play safely down the road. It boils down to a combined and concerted effort to take care of each other. I wholeheartedly believe this is something we can achieve, we just need to unite our efforts and make it happen.

It’s not enough to start wearing a mask when you walk into the football stadium for the first time, or into the gymnasium to watch our incredible women’s volleyball team. The more responsible we are now, the more reward come fall.

There are a lot of questions out there about how best to move forward while keeping overall safety and quality education as our top priorities. While there is somewhat of a black hole with political leadership and guidance around COVID-19, we’re fortunate to have such a thoughtful, proactive President in Ted Carter. His entire team, in tandem with other University of Nebraska leadership, are continually evaluating and adjusting based on the latest information and scientific research.

Even so, I’ll admit I’m personally a little nervous about the upcoming regents meeting in August. It’s the first face-to-face meeting since the pandemic kicked off. Given that I’m part of a vulnerable population health-wise, I’m worried about being in a room for three to four hours at a time, even with a mask.

However, since this is a public meeting, I can’t participate as a regent – meaning I can’t vote, or properly fulfill my duties – if I don’t go. It’s a tricky spot to be in. I know I’m not alone in facing these kinds of choices.

All that to say, I know we are each confronted with a lot of challenging questions right now. It’s a continual adjustment. It’s a struggle for me to decide about one meeting, let alone an entire season or semester. With whole conferences looking at canceling their fall sports, we have to consider what it would take to keep everyone safe.

What if we could all get behind the idea of wanting to keep each other protected?

What if our desire to see our football team, or our volleyball team, were part of that motivation? I don’t think that would be a bad thing. Whatever it takes for us to mask up, keep our distance, and keep our community safe.

*Barbara’s thoughts as written by Kate based on weekly (fascinating) conversations.

*Photo credibility: NU Athletic Communications