Hope and Fear

On my way to class this morning, I walked into the Commons - the hub of the University - and was met with an incredible sight. The most bustling place on the entire campus was...frozen! And there, on a huge projector screen, was our newest President of the United States. Larger than life.
He had just started his inaugural address..."On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord..." I, too, stopped in my tracks to listen.
And, as I listened, I looked around. It was almost time for a typical morning class to begin and students were pouring in the doors on 2 levels of this building, and then their steps slowed and they stopped to witness the beginning of a new presidency. Even the stairways were occupied by students who had halted mid-step to hear from the man who will lead us for the next 4 years.

The next 4 years for a college student often means huge transitions in life and dependency on a strong economy and availability of jobs. Now is a scary time to be graduating...and I could almost feel the mix of fear and hope in that space! But, Obama continued on with some motivation for us all: "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done." And, who better to do it than the hundreds of us watching him, eager to be a part of all facets of this nation's workforce?

Applause erupted at these words: "We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do." This smallish town of Moscow is so passionate about caring for the environment and living responsibly, and sustainable living is such a focus of our education nowadays, so to hear that kind of support was very encouraging! Also, with all the recent budget crises and 'consolidating' of programs and resources, it is nice to hear that the schools might not be forgotten...

Our new President also managed to instill some patriotism in the crowd as he said, "For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which see us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."

So we stood there with some fear of what we may face in our futures, but also filled with a hope that, with our help, positive changes will come about and the dreams we came to school to fulfill can still happen. It will take time, as change often does, but I came away with a sense that we will emerge from our current challenges stronger and more determined to make a difference in the world.