I graduated from Earlham in December 2016. I returned to work for the Computer Science Department here in June 2018. Like so many in the community, I relate to it as more than an alma mater or an employer: it’s an institution and a community I (and so many others) hold in high esteem.
For all that, I don’t think I’ve ever been more inspired by this place than I was by this:
It’s an incredible display. I wasn’t able to attend this event myself but I watched some of its organization unfold on social media in the hours beforehand. It was a breathtaking, awe-inspiring achievement.
This is a time of a lot of fear, heartbreak, and frustration. To briefly lapse into politics, it is horrifying to check the news and to see the President of the United States so thoroughly, spectacularly, and dangerously fail in guiding this nation through the crisis. The effects of COVID-19 may hover over our heads for a long time to come.
But this is also a moment of profound social solidarity. I need look no further than this small liberal arts college to see it. It’s wonderful to be part of a community where this could materialize.
We’re dispersing geographically for the rest of the semester, but we carry this spirit with us wherever we go. I can only hope the people of America and the world rise to the occasion as this community did.