Colgate, we are heartbroken. Receiving an unexpected dismissal from campus near the end of the academic year is devastating to the community for an overwhelmingly long list of reasons. The class of 2020 has been robbed of their senior spring and the underclassmen have been robbed of precious time with their best friends, classmates, partners and professors. The economic security of Hamilton, the village we cherish, will come into question and weigh on each of us. We all now must face the frightening realities of the COVID-19 crisis without the routine, community and resources we trust and rely on while at our shared home in Hamilton. Many of our classmates, professors and staff will be separated from their loved ones and face significant hardship as the global economic fallout and health consequences of this pandemic are fully realized.

We as a staff are feeling the pain of this unexpected departure from campus as much as any other student. We are feeling the amplified anxiety of this moment with every one of our peers, professors and administrators. Still, we know our work is not done. The Washington Post recently published a story about student journalists continuing to work in the face of school cancellations. The hungry engagement of these students is at once inspiring and a reminder of the powerful place of journalism on a college campus. We understand that now more than ever it is our responsibility to work diligently and thoughtfully to inform dialogue and stimulate action within our dispersed community. Our campus can and will work through these frightening times, and we as a staff will work harder yet to ensure the Colgate network remains connected and informed.

As a student body, we are far too bright and far too ambitious to waste the final weeks of our semester. Do not allow crisis to halt progress. Maintaining our growth, vibrance and movement as both individuals and a collective is how we must face this historic moment. As a community, how will we reflect on this in the months, years and decades to come? We will not see that this stopped us in our tracks, that it scattered us across the globe. We should find that it motivated us to think more creatively, approach problems uniquely and connect with one another in new and inspired ways. Some aspects of our Colgate experience have certainly been disrupted, if not lost entirely, but do not forfeit what remains in this time of frustration and fear.

It is most important now to remain connected. We will continue to bring you coverage online through the remainder of the semester, so give us something to write about.