October 01, 2024
I usually use this space to highlight something that caught my attention over the past week that made me think of our community. Today I want to look ahead.
Next Monday marks the one-year anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel and the start of an ongoing, and growing, conflict. The next ten days or so may be rough for many in our community. There may be memorial services, protests, counter-protests, and events. Some of you may want to protest, participate in services, or attend events. Others may want to keep their focus on classes, internships, or jobs. A lot of you will fall somewhere in between. Those are all OK things to feel and do.
Next week also marks the halfway point in the semester. That means papers and exams, more stress, and less sleep. In addition, we’re about a month away from an important election. The war in Ukraine continues. On top of it all, COVID and colds seem to be going around. Wildfires in southern California are expanding and Helene has devastated areas from Florida through the Carolinas, places some of you or your loved ones may call home.
Any one of these individually would strain nerves. Combined they can add up to a really rough couple of weeks.
Be passionate and active if there is something about which you are passionate on which you want to act. Study and turn in your papers. Volunteer for candidates in whom you believe. Register and vote. I have two requests as you do all of those things: take care of each other; and take care of yourselves.
As you use the skills you’re learning in SMPA to try to bend public opinion and policy in your direction, remember that you’re doing it with - and sometimes at - other members of our community. Your fellow members of our SMPA community are supporters, political rivals, conflicted or undecided observers, or journalists. Others are just trying to get to the short break at the end of next week. They are also your classmates. Like you, they are here because they want to study, shape, and tell the stories that matter. Like you, they are trying to do the best they can in a challenging time. The same is true of the faculty and staff in SMPA. Never lose sight of the person holding the sign, behind the camera, at the desk, or in front of the class.
And remember to take care of yourself. Fatigue and stress take a toll on your mental and physical health. Sometimes we need to grind through, but that’s not sustainable. Fatigue and stress attract poor decisions, and they also make you more likely to get sick. Get sleep. Drink water. Take a breath or take a walk. Get some exercise.
Take care of our community, take care of each other, take care of yourselves. And keep studying, shaping, and telling the stories that matter.