I am the chair of the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, and I thought I would share this message I penned in the Chamber’s newsletter. I ‘d like to think it captures what many of us are feeling lately.

This is not the spring semester we wanted at Robert Morris University.

Our men’s basketball team had just qualified for the NCAA tournament; our women’s team was likely to do the same. The student production of “Godspell” was gearing up for an April premiere, and preparations were under way for Commencement. It all came to a screeching halt with the Covid-19 pandemic.

And yet, the vital work of the university continues. Our faculty transitioned their courses to remote instruction in four days. Our Student Life staff quickly moved students out of residence halls -- even paying for a plane ticket or two -- and arranged safe campus accommodations for those few unable to return home. The university’s senior leadership team holds virtual meetings daily, and we know each other better now than we ever did before. Working apart, we have grown closer together.

The pandemic has disrupted your lives, too. Many of your businesses are shuttered. Some of you are now out of work and wrestling with an uncertain future. But you are not alone. If anything good has come from all of this, it is the spirit of community that shines through, story after story of neighbor helping neighbor. The Chamber is still here for you, for your organizations, and for your communities. We are one, and we stand together.

To see the entire newsletter, click here.