On December 19, 2019, as the year came to a close, the 113th Masthead of The Choate News published a special issue celebrating the 2010s by surveying the major events the School had seen over the past decade. In the year since then, it seems as if the School, and the world at large, has experienced enough to rival the events of the previous decade. Between the Covid-19 pandemic, the United States’ racial reckoning, the country’s whirlwind presidential election, and more, it’s easy to understand why many in our own community and beyond are eager for a new year. Despite our desire to forget the tragedies of this year and begin anew in 2021, though, we shouldn’t be too eager to leave everything behind in 2020.
As the transition to remote learning allowed us glimpse into each other’s homes through our Zoom screens, we began to understand one another better than we had before. That, in turn, served to foster an increased sense of empathy among members of the community.
Our arrival to campus brought about not only new Covid restrictions but also a heightened awareness of the widespread impacts of our individual choices. Now more than ever, we have become conscious of our actions, sacrificing personal comfort for the sake of the community at large. In many ways, we have witnessed our community here at Choate become more cohesive as a result, a quality we should hold on to even as we ring in the new year.
Since March, we’ve seen evidence of this awareness in students’ efforts to enact change. Despite studying at a well-established institution like Choate, which can seem, at times, hidebound, students this year have been inspired to challenge practices and conventions and to call for change within our community. We have seen people more readily speak up for themselves and others and advocate through social media accounts such as @BlackatChoateOffical, @QueeratChoate, and @LifeatChoate on Instagram or through student-led initiatives like the Independent Choate Student Relief Fund and the Forever True Mentorship Program.
As Covid-19 threatened the health and safety of people around the world, members of the Choate community became more aware of the ways in which they can protect their own health, whether physical or mental. Students and faculty recognized, perhaps more directly than ever, the importance of taking the time to maintain their physical and mental well-being, especially during a pandemic.
But this increased dedication to health and wellness should not go away with the new year or even with the end of the pandemic. This past year, we began shifting toward being a community in which the students prioritize taking care of themselves. In the wake of this global pandemic, the School must continue taking steps to foster and reinforce the messages that student well-being comes first.
Almost one year ago today, The Choate News asked its readers to reflect on the past ten years. Today, we think about what 2021 might look like. Unsure where to begin? Read the community’s six-word memoirs on page 4, and take a moment to consider: which six words can encompass this year? Which of these words should accompany us into 2021?
