Professor Ezra Temko
What are you doing for self-care?
- I should definitely improve my self-care practices. Without self-care I can certainly experience burnout, but a break such as a long evening of Netflix can often get me back on track. I did recently go to Shawnee National Forest for the weekend, which was certainly refreshing.
How are you bringing sociology into your experience?
- There’s a lot going on right now in the world that can leave me feeling demoralized. Sociologically I am aware that working to create change in these areas can give me a sense of hope, agency, or at least connect me to a collective of people such that we can have a shared struggle. I would say that one way I have tried to practice self-care during these times is to ensure I stay engaged in activism. I was involved this summer in helping defeat a resolution that came forward in an academic association I am part of that would have singled out Israel for an academic and cultural boycott in an effort toward ending the state’s existence. The past few months I have also been actively involved in the campaign to remove a statue of Ninian Edwards from its location in the heart of downtown Edwardsville; Edwards furthered slavery in Illinois and also led attacks on Native American communities. I am continuing to engage with doing what I can to make SIUE a more inclusive and just institution–I served on a working group of the anti-racism task force in August, helped with putting together SIUE's third annual Diversity Day on October 15, completed the Safe Zone’s Training of the Trainers, and worked with a couple colleagues as part of my role as an IMPACT fellow to plan some professional development for new faculty around inclusion, equity and social justice. One of my favorite quotes is by Theodor Herzl, “If you will it, it is no dream. And if you do not, a dream it is and a dream it will stay.” In these times I find that willing a better future through my actions channels my emotions and energies in a way that keeps me going and keeps me grounded.