Pandemic, protests and presidents
Alook back at some of the most inspiring 2020-centric quotes
This year has certainly been one of the most unique years on record. People were relegated to their homes as a deadly pandemic spread across the country, took to the streets to engage in largescale protests and engaged in one of the most contentious presidential elections in years. We compiled some of the most 2020-relevant quotes from previous stories for a workrelated look back at the year.
On making yourself more hireable during COVID-19
“Focus on gaining the skills that will be valuable when the economy starts rolling again. That is going to differ depending on the field you’re in, but online learning is probably going to be the way to go, whether you are looking to gain skills that will be needed in your industry or if you are looking to transition into another field,”
-Matt Sigelman, CEO, Burning Glass Technologies, Boston, Massachusetts.
On going back to the workplace after the pandemic ends
“I think you are going to find that people are not going to like it. It’s almost like what happens at the end of the summer when you’re in school or at the end of a vacation when you’ve spent all this great time with family and now you need to go back to the office. There’s going to be that feel to it. We’ll re-adjust, for sure, although many of us will do so grudgingly but I really do think that it’s never going to be as it was. We have to be ready for that.”
-Dr. Andrew Shatte, Ph.D., psychologist and chief science officer at meQuilibrium, Boston
On choosing potential employers carefully
“Will I go back and check their reactions on social media to Black Lives Matters? Will I look to see if they’ve actually taken steps beyond those posts and tweets to create a strong workforce by hiring young African-American employees and giving them the same salaries and opportunities to advance that they give their white students? Of course, I’ll be doing that. I’m not spending any money on companies that refuse
to acknowledge as a consumer, or worse, a company that’s hostile to my culture and my beliefs. I wouldn’t want to work for a company like that, either.”
-Gwendolyn Smith, Chicago
On working with narcissists
“If someone needs to be praised for their well-being, that’s fine. But only if they’re still willing to do the right thing for others. If all they want is praise and they insult other people at every turn, get out of there as soon as you can. No job’s worth that trouble.”
-Sara Jackson, career consultant, Chicago
On helping employees feel safe at work
“Employers should consider offering calm zones or rooms for mediation and sensory distractions from their new office normal. Incorporating wellness workshops and guided meditations and encouraging a daily, socially-distanced stretch or exercise can also help.”
-Sheri Damon, mental health counselor and founder of The Foundation for Learning and Inspiring Health and Healing, Marshfield, Massachusetts
On judging companies based on their reaction to COVID-19
“I’ve been looking to see how they handled employees when the COVID outbreak first started. I don’t want to work for a firm that just sent everyone packing as soon as this all started. I understand the financial realities but there are a lot of places that offered furloughs, severance, part-time hours and some other creative options instead of just laying people off en masse. I’d like to work for a place that has that sort of culture.”
-Tamara Reavis, financial planner, Denver
On dealing with a past arrest at a protest when applying for a job
“The elements of the charges have to be met in order for someone to be charged with a specific crime. [If asked], the person should answer honestly, as you do not want to start a job by being dishonest. However, the applicant should pay close attention to what the questioner is asking, as there is a difference between being convicted and found guilty of a crime versus being arrested in the past X-amount of years. An arrest does not equate to a conviction. An arrest may not even let itself be part of your record.”
-Gustavo Mayen, attorney, Boston
On teleconferencing with others
“Obviously body language is different on Zoom mainly because a weird brain thing is happening. When you meet someone for coffee, you nod and smile and react to what the other person is saying. Take that same approach during Zoom. React to what people say.”
-Alison Henderson, body language expert and owner of Moving Image Consulting, Chicago
On talking about politics at work
“You want to talk about the election with your co-workers? Here’s my advice: Don’t.”
-Terry Volkman, executive coach, San Francisco
On new ways of doing business globally
“Because of the enhanced technology, one can easily imagine a white-collar workforce in the New York international division almost never having to travel. Instead, they’d maintain foreign time zone hours locally while utilizing virtual teleconferencing capability to work with their foreign counterparts.”
-Albert Goldson, executive director of Indo-Brazilian Associates, a global advisory service in New York
On declining the call to return to the workplace
“If you refuse the direct order of your workplace, it is safe to assume your career will suffer. If you enter into an interactive dialogue with your employer about when and how to return to work safely, and you determine it is safer to work from home, then I’m hopeful that employees will not be penalized.”
INDIANAPOLIS— Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald seemed like the only person who believed the words coming out of his mouth at the end of a disastrous season a year ago, vowing to take the Wildcats back to the Big Ten championship game.
The players became disciples and as believers fulfilled the prophecy.
But Northwestern wanted more. It wanted a victory against the conference’s flagship program to stop anyone from doubting its own status as an elite program.
The No. 14 Wildcats couldn’t topple the giant, falling to No. 4 Ohio State 22-10 in the Big Ten championship game Saturday. Northwestern (6-2) headed to the locker room, seniors embracing each other, as Ohio State (6-0) celebrated its fourth straight conference title at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“We didn’t come here to play hard,” Fitzgerald said. “We came to win. … It’s a tough pill to
swallow.”
It was Northwestern’s second championship game loss to the Buckeyes in three seasons, extending a streak of falling to Ohio State since 2004. This one certainlywas closer, which should be viewed as a mark of progress.
Northwestern lost to the Buckeyes 52-3 in 2019 during an ugly 3-9 season. The Wildcats were thrashed 45-24 in the 2018 Big Ten championship game.
They were 20-point underdogs Saturday but didn’t play like it — especially early as they took a 10-6 lead into halftime.
The Wildcats rose the bar higher. They just couldn’t clear it.
“We try to play with a
blue-collar mentality,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re going to fight for every inch on the field. We just have towork hard to get better.
“Being here two out of three years is special. The next step will be even more so.”
Northwestern had its chances but missed opportunities on offense, and a defense that finally broke against a supreme running back eventually doomed the Wildcats.
Northwestern’s vaunted defense, the best in the nation at keeping opponents from scoring, held the Buckeyes to their lowest point total since 2018. The unit didn’t let Ohio State into the end zone until the third quarter, breaking a 25-game streak of first-half touchdowns.
Brandon Joseph came down with a one-handed interception in the end zone near the end of the first half as the Wildcats hit the locker room full of optimism.
But Trey Sermon’s recordbreaking day tarnished Northwestern’s strong early play. He rushed for a Big Ten-record 331 yards and scored both of the Buckeyes’ touchdowns on 29 carries, winning the game’s most outstanding player award.
Fitzgerald bemoaned uncharacteristic fundamental and assignment breakdowns on defense.
“The front seven didn’t play as hard aswe needed to,” linebacker Paddy Fisher said. “We gave up several big runs that led to points.”
ReceiverRamaudChiaokhiaoBowman interjected during the joint videoconference with reporters.
“It doesn’t help whenwe don’t put up points as an offense as well,” he said.
The Wildcats were outscored 16-0 in the second half.
Quarterback Peyton Ramsey completed 24 of 37 passes for 224 yards, connecting with Chiaokhiao-Bowman for 103 yards on eight passes. But he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the third quarter. He hit more Buckeyes in the end zone than his own receivers as Justin Hilliard snagged a Ramsey pass when Northwestern was within striking distance.
And Wildcats kicker Charlie Kuhbander, who in the second quarter nailed a 47-yard field goal, missed a 46-yard attempt in the third.
“Offensively, we’ll look at this and see missed opportunities,” Fitzgerald said.
He praised Ramsey and even (somewhat tongue-in- cheek) asked fans to tag him in tweets to
encourage his return for another season. Ramsey said he hasn’t thought about his eligibility.
“Wewere able tomove the ball well,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought he played outstanding. He’s been guts, man. He’s been nails. He‘s been awesome all year.”
The Wildcats came out in upset mode, scoring on their first drive with a 9-yard touchdown run from Cam Porter. Ohio State, which only gave up 95 yards on the ground per game this season, buckled down to hold Northwestern to 101 rushing yards.
Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields didn’t dazzle, throwing two picks and getting sacked three times. But even not at its best and missing 22 players, Ohio State simplywas better.
College football fans will speculate whether the Buckeyes deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff. A season-low points total in a conference title game isn’t overly impressive, but they are unbeaten and own the Big Ten trophy, which could be enough to earn an invitation.
After dealing with three COVID-19-related cancellations — two games because of outbreaks on their own team— Ohio State’s resume is not as robust as other candidates, but the CFP committee said total games would not factor in its decision.
Fitzgerald lobbied for the Buckeyes.
“It wasn’t like they skipped a beat with a lot of those guys out,” he said. “They have as much talent as anyone to compete for a national championship. If you’re a Big Ten champion, you deserve the privilege to play for the national championship.”
Some Buckeyes reportedly missed the game because of positive COVID-19 tests. The Buckeyes didn’t have wide receiver Chris Olave, linebacker Baron Browning and punter Drue Chrisman. Chrisman confirmed on social media he tested
positive forCOVID-19.
The Buckeyes also were without linebackers coach Al Washington and receivers coach Brian Hartline.
Some of those players could be unavailable for a bowl game, including a CFP semifinal should the Buckeyes be selected, because Big Ten rules require players with COVID-19 to sit out 21 days. The conference is talking about altering that rule to allowa quicker return, citing evolving knowledge about recovery time, according to a source.
Fitzgerald said the Wildcats will start preparing for a bowl gameinvitation. He’s also looking “forward to the day” Northwestern makes it the playoff.
If they do, it will be a different era.
Athletic director Jim Phillips, who has served in the role since 2008, is leaving to become ACC commissioner. Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz will retire at the end of the season after 51 years on college sidelines.
Saturday’s game concluded a bizarre BigTenseason— onethat started with a decision to delay the season only to reverse it a month later. Twelve games were canceled because of COVID-19 protocols.
At massive Lucas Oil Stadium, empty blue seats provided a backdrop as only family memberswere permitted to attend— a paltry 1,597 people in the stands.
Northwestern players said they savored the moment as they left the field, hoping the next round of players can achieve even more.
“It’s one of those ‘good, now let’s go be great’ mentalities,” Chiaokhiao-Bowman said. “It felt good towintwo BigTenWest titles. I’m appreciative and grateful of guys before us to help us reach that part of ourNorthwestern goal. I’m honored and humbled to be part of the wave that sends us to the next goal.”