(North Canton, OH – March 24, 2020) – Stark State College cares about community. The College’s respiratory care program recently loaned SUMMA Health Systems two mechanical ventilators and three non-invasive ventilation units from their laboratory. Two additional ventilators and three non-invasive ventilation units have been set aside for Aultman Specialty Hospital in case of a shortage.

“Respiratory therapists are on the front line of caring for hospitalized coronavirus patients, working side by side with doctors and nurses,” said Debbie Haslar, coordinator of SSC’s respiratory care program. “Respiratory therapists set up and manage mechanical ventilators as well as work behind the scenes to prepare for this pandemic, lining up the equipment necessary to care for these patients.”

The College also gave the Stark County Health Department about 13,000 gloves and 60 gowns from its chemistry and biology departments.

“As the coronavirus continues to impact our communities, we at Stark State are glad that our donations can assist those on the front lines,” said Lada Gibson-Shreve, Stark State provost and chief academic officer. “We understand the need for speedy and accurate testing and treatment as well as adequate personal protective equipment for medical professionals, and we hope our donations assist our communities in the fight against the pandemic.”

Stark State students are attending classes virtually until further notice, with faculty and staff offering a multitude of resources for both academic success and personal support.

English professor Duane Dodson, for instance, penned this poem for SSC students:

“The Things I Miss”
(A Teacher’s Lament)

I think that I’m adjusting well…
Don’t really have a choice!
This residential prison cell,
This paucity of voice,

Requires some adjustment, and
I’m cognizant of this,
But certain parts of me demand
I honor what I miss:

I miss your faces—all of you—
Familiar and unknown.
I know our faith will bring us through…
…I know that we’ll have grown…

But still I miss my Stark State friends
And pray they’re safe and sound.
And till this strange seclusion ends
And we are all unbound,

I miss the face—the erstwhile hug…
…The twinkle in the eye…
Now outlawed by some lethal bug
That tipped the world awry…

I miss the “…pass you in the hall
And nod in friendly greeting”;
I miss the “…seated next to you
In conference or meeting.”

I miss the “student face-to-face”
And hope we won’t be losing
Too many who just can’t embrace
A fate not of their choosing…

I miss the trek that takes me to
A place where all are eager
To educate and to renew
Those hopes–both great and meager–

Of those who seek to forge ahead
And elevate their station.
They walk the path that all should tread:
“The Road to Education.”

I understand the urgency
To “meet the moment,” friends;
To battle this insurgency
With grace until it ends,

And that I’ll do! And yet, until
I hear that “Comeback Call,”\
I want to say—and so I will:
“I love and miss you all!”