In times of political uncertainty, connection is more vital than ever. This was the general message derived from Provost Cramer’s Less Doomscrolling/More Connecting group discussion in the Biblio Cafe with students and members of the academic affairs team.
This meeting comes just three weeks into Trump’s presidency, when many students feel drastic uncertainty about the future of both the College and the United States as a whole. Cramer said, when asked about the reason for scheduling this meeting, that she “talked with students and academic affairs… [and felt a] need to talk about the present moment.” Cramer also felt the college could “really [ask] students to be present and think through what they need,” in order to best address this uncertainty.
Another key aspect of this event for Cramer was approaching it through the lens of a liberal arts education. She wanted to examine and explore how different disciplines approach sources of anxiety in modern life.
To execute this, Cramer gathered a group of faculty spanning a wide range of disciplines, academic departments and roles at the College. They included professors of philosophy, ethics and psychology, members of the academic affairs team, Cramer herself and Chief Diversity Officer Tony Boston. All students were invited to join, and around fifteen attended.
To start the meeting, we meditated, then were presented with the first of three questions: What do you most need, right now, related to the potential uncertainty you’re feeling? After a few minutes of deliberation and discussion, the group reached three thematic conclusions: the need for communication, community and the importance of seeking out conversation. All three of these resulted out of a general group consensus that being alone in times of uncertainty is significantly worse than being with others.
The second question was: What are the spaces where you can find/create the things you’re looking for? Again, the group reached a similar consensus about community. Many people brought up the importance of clubs and communication. The group also stressed the importance of “taking advantage of spaces” to provoke conversation. Another aspect of this question which was discussed was the need for live interaction, specifically “live shared experiences,” in an attempt to distance ourselves from social media.
The final question was: Are there things you learned that you think are valuable? This question tackled the second part of Cramer’s reasoning behind this meeting, which was to approach it through the lens of the liberal arts. The group split into smaller groups of four, as to more effectively communicate their thoughts and experiences. Many of these small groups emphasized the importance of the arts as a form of resistance, specifically poetry, including poets like Mary Oliver and Audre Lorde. Another aspect of the arts which resonated with the group was connections to pop culture. Specifically mentioned was the Star Wars TV show “Andor,” which emphasizes the importance of rebellion against tyranny.
To end, Cramer asked if any students had comments to share with the college administration. The general consensus among numerous students was that it would be nice for the college to reach out and tell students what actions they are taking to ensure student safety.
After the meeting, Cramer said that she “felt good” with the results, and that the meeting “showed the need for… academic spaces to talk about these issues.” She also said that this was not an isolated event, but rather a “catalyst” for future meetings and dialogues.
