Dress by Laura Ashley, hair by watching too much MTV. I really love the guy in the back. He can’t bear to see me go.
Dear graduating seniors,
Back in the old days (a few weeks ago) when I’d never heard of “social distancing” and likely touched my face all day long, I was in an indoor cycling class. This may be surprising to some of you, who know me mostly as a fan of not sweating. Nevertheless, I was.
In the middle of this particular class, when my heart was racing and my legs burning and I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, the beat of the very loud song slowed a little and the volume got a little quieter. Good! I thought. This song is over. But then the instructor cheerfully said, “Don’t let up! This song isn’t over.” Great, I thought, and probably touched my face again.
“The song is not finished,” she said. “It’s just changing.”
It’s not finished. It’s just changing.
At the time I had no idea what the next few weeks would look like. I definitely wasn’t thinking that a global pandemic that seemed to come out of nowhere would disrupt our academic and community life together on campus, sicken some of us, and send us out into the world in such an abrupt way. But for some reason, through all of this, the words from that instructor stayed with me – like a warning, or maybe a promise. It’s not finished. It’s just changing.
You’ve experienced a great disruption in what should have been a season of celebration, yes, but also a season of grieving, of collective anxiety, of long goodbyes, of rituals, of ruptures, of healing, of closure. And now without all of those crucial experiences, you enter into a world full of uncertainty.
But know this – the experiences you’ve had here- your coursework, your projects, your groups, your relationships, your triumphs, your struggles, your failures, all of your learning- have prepared you for a moment like this. You may not believe me, but I believe in all of you, and your ability to leverage the lessons of the good times, the bad, and all that is in between as you go into the world. As you translate all of these previous experiences into language and action that advances your mission. As you contribute to the development of responsible, responsive, and ethical communities and organizations.
Your college experience is not finished as long as you stay curious about the things that unnerve you, stay present amidst uncertainty, and lean on your developed communities of support; instead, it’s just changing. I, for one, look forward to staying in touch with you and supporting you in whatever ways I can, reminding you of the lessons we’ve learned together.
And when all of this is over, maybe we can cycle together? That would be a change, right? I like you all so much. From the bottom of my heart – congratulations.
All best,
Professor L
A P.S.:
I just read this wonderful piece by George Saunders - a letter to his students. I love it and share it with you as well. xo