Letter from the Executive Director

You don’t need me to tell you that we’re living in uncomfortable times. What else am I supposed to say that hasn’t already been regurgitated in every public statement? I suppose my duty is to justify your time reading this wonderful first issue of “The Wake” when I know we all have class readings to catch up on or other worries to tend to.

My justification is simple: empathy.

By all means, this is not an ignorant “we’re all in this together” platitude. In fact, I would even say we’re not all in this together when you consider our societal divisions. All I am saying is that what makes society, well, a society, is our willingness to bridge the gaps between our differences, even if it is only by a few measly steps and even if it requires encountering unfamiliar views.

“The Wake” is filled with various points of view, and this is not a call for you to agree with them all. However, I hope you can resonate with the shared emotions woven through each individual’s work—shared fear and anger and joy and curiosity. Each word and piece of art dances across the pages in its own genre, but their purposes are the same: to tell a story, to share a perspective, to bring creativity and knowledge and a pigment of color into the default gray of this world. 

Admittedly, pure sincerity can rarely, if ever, be truly guaranteed, but what I can guarantee is we are doing our due diligence as a platform that uplifts student voices. I hope you’ll find that a tangible sense of genuine expression weaves itself through these pages like a golden thread that reminds you, reminds me, of our humanity and shared emotions. 

Maybe in these times, flowery prose about unity is the last thing you need. However, I hope you also recognize that a little shred of empathy is something we can never take for granted. Soon enough we may find ourselves grasping for it only to find empty air. So why not tug on that thread?

Warmly,

Esther Chan

Executive Director