To the Muhlenberg community,
Within just a few short days our lives have been turned upside down. On Tuesday night, along with so many other students on this campus and across the world, I received the news that confirmed my fears…
Now in a matter of days, our classes will somehow shift to an online format as we sit in different spaces. We are in the middle of the semester and this takes away all of the opportunities from students that we have been so excited about. Athletic seasons have been cut short, theatre and dance productions canceled, and the senior class is losing the final weeks of their undergrad experience. No matter who you are and what you do at Muhlenberg this affects all of us in some way.
What I love about this campus is that during the darkest times we somehow find a way to unite. Amidst the anger and sadness, I have witnessed so many people come together. Just last night in the CA, the entire A Capella community came together for one last hurrah, and it warmed my heart to see all different groups show up to do what they love. Last night, instead of sitting in the Light Lounge or Trexler like I normally would, I went to the men’s lacrosse game for what is possibly the senior’s last game. Though the student crowd in the stands was small, we all sat together in the cold to support the team and cheer as they defeated Oneonta.
To our administration, I can understand the amount of pressure you have all been under over the past few weeks. You’ve been tasked with making a decision that impacts the lives of over 2,000 students, faculty and staff members. While I’m still processing all that has happened in the past few days I want to thank President Harring, Dean Gulati and all members of the Muhlenberg administration for creating a plan of action in such a short time and the support that students are receiving to be able to go home or to remain on campus.
To the students, every emotion you’re feeling at this moment is entirely valid. I am just as angry and upset as anyone else; school is my safe haven, I have another family here and I am heartbroken that I have to leave them. I hope every student on this campus and beyond takes this time to reflect on how a situation considered to be small just a few months ago has evolved into a pandemic. We are experiencing the history of the world that will be taught in schools during the upcoming years. It is up to us, the younger generation, to learn from the mistakes that have been made by those in power.
Muhlenberg, this is not a goodbye, it’s a see you later. Whether we return in one month or in August I know that my time here is far from over and losing a small fraction of the college experience will make me value my senior year even more.
All my love,
Sarah Coffel
Muhlenberg Campus Correspondent