A Letter to Earth
Concerning education, wreckage, and responsibility
Dear Earth,
My university is almost intelligent. Many of the offered courses have been converted to online options, but many are still to be held in person. Despite the changes, tuition fees remain unaltered. Could the cost of running remotely really be equivalent to the cost of maintaining a course on location? Could the school be trying to lessen its recently growing amount of debt? Like many students, I am brimming with questions and concerns.
Thousands of kids across the country are stuck deciding whether or not to put their degrees on pause. Do we take gap years and make sandwiches at the local deli during this pandemic? Do we push through school and hope our pricier-than-ever education is substantial enough to provide us proper skills in our fields? It seems as if there are no right answers.
Sports are being postponed and cancelled. Facilities are closed and inoperable. At what point will classes be taken seriously too? Is the monetary price tag worth the cost of community health? I will let you know when I find out.
The simple truth is that you are changing. We have to adapt or stay trapped; it is a case of sink or swim. I am eager to see where we end up. With any luck, systemic flaws will come to light and our world will heal the way a forest replenishes after a fire.
What if coral reefs flourish, plants reclaim their space, some stupidly-large corporations burn out, animals live uninterrupted, the air gets a fresh breath, art continues to spread, and people learn to focus on themselves? Those all seem like potential upsides to me. If enduring a problematic education system is the price I pay, so be it.
I hear your screams and I see your scars. I will gladly take on this environmental education.
Sincerely,
Taylor Woods
