By: Dr. Ni (Jennie) Zhang and Shield Up Team
Virtual learning may take students out of the physical setting of campus, but students, faculty and staff are the foundation of what makes a campus community. Since March, San José State University (SJSU) staff and students have worked diligently to create a respectful and cooperative environment. The transition was difficult for many, but unity and perseverance prevailed. It seems easy to be disheartened in these dark and difficult times, but that is why it is crucial to keep encouraging one another. To help inspire this spirit of positivity, a new campaign was introduced―one which not only aims to educate the SJSU student body about COVID-19, but also aspires to support students, build community between one another, and provide various health resources to reinforce support. SJSU’s Shield Up health communication campaign has been hard at work to accomplish all of these goals.
Funded by the Provost’s Office and supported by the Department of Public Health and Recreation, the Shield Up Campaign is a student-centered health communication campaign, designed by Assistant Professor Dr. Ni (Jennie) Zhang from the Department of Public Health and Recreation and a group of public health students, Pranuthi Pagidipati, Jasmine Thai, Hsin Yi Tseng, Sarah Ahmed, Huda Assaf, and Nikita Madan (see below in the picture). As a sub-brand of SJSU Adapt, this student-led campaign has taken up the initiative to invigorate students and build a virtual community with fellow peers. Through social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, the campaign hosts a variety of interactive activities to keep up student engagement, including polls, contests and giveaways. The goal is to foster a positive environment while ensuring that there is a steady flow of information and resources available regarding COVID-19 for students. Shield Up also features a variety of SJSU’s own students’ creative artwork and digital storytelling to inspire the best in others, and motivate students to continue following CDC guidelines and safety precautions.
There has never been more of a need for positivity as there is now. In the midst of this pandemic, there is no difference between one person and another, which is what Shield Up works to demonstrate while promoting the university’s overall goal of establishing unity. The virus affects everyone in one way or another. The general academic anxiety, coupled with the consequences of COVID-19 seems almost impossible to bear, and no one should have to suffer through it alone. For that very reason, Shield Up works day and night to assure that students on and off campus feel a sense of community and solidarity when they log on to our profile. The team encourages positivity on a day-to-day basis, practices cultural humility, and values the diversity of students that we encounter online.
This year, Shield Up has been proud to announce its acceptance into the Symposium for Undergraduate Research at UC Santa Cruz (SURU), a special event held for students from diverse disciplines to celebrate and share their research and achievements. With this opportunity to present at SURU, Shield Up has had the honor to represent and reflect the academic and winning spirit of San Jose State University. And so, Shield Up held true to the campus spirit and brought home the first place award for San Jose State at this year’s symposium. It is hoped that this joy is shared with the whole campus community and that it will bring a note of encouragement as the semester closes.
There is no doubt that SJSU students are resilient. This year has been marked with hardship and, as the world faces the greatest challenge yet, San José State University will come out strong as always.
Please reach out to us:
Instagram: @shieldupsjsu
Twitter: @shieldupsjsu
Facebook: @shieldupsjsu
Email: shieldupsjsu@gmail.com