Texas Woman’s University students in quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic recently received a show of support and words of encouragement from a group of faculty and staff.

Support in the form of snacks and some TWU swag and a note expressing best wishes were included in “care packages” from the Special Committee for the Voices of the Pandemic: The Chancellor Carine M. Feyten Collection. Spearheaded by committee member Phyllis Bridges (English), the gift bags included items donated by the TWU Libraries, Patrice Frisby (University Advancement), and other members of the committee, including Kimberly Johnson (libraries), Katherine Landdeck (history), Mary Anne Alhadeff and Shannon Mantaro (Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership), and Claire Sahlin (Graduate School).

The bags were delivered to the Office of Student Life, which oversaw placing the bags at the doors of students quarantined on campus and mailing the packages to students who are in seclusion at their homes.

The note included in the package also invited the students to participate in the Voices of the Pandemic Collection, if they wish, stating they could provide a valuable perspective by sharing their experiences as students directly affected by COVID-19.

The growing collection includes audio, video, poetry, photographs and other creative works submitted by TWU faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as community members. Correspondence from Chancellor Feyten to the campus community also is being uploaded to the online collection.

There’s always room for more, though.

The project seeks to capture the experiences of the TWU community and people around the world during the pandemic. Not sure what to submit? Artwork and drawings are welcome, as are artifacts such as face shields, hand sanitizer, etc. If you want to write something but aren’t sure how to get started, here are some ideas.

There are no right or wrong ways to document your pandemic experience; just consider sharing your voice. Find out more about the collection.