So much has changed. I look around and I almost don’t recognize it. White tents flood the lawns. Red squares cover the carpets, tiles, and bricks. Yard signs line the sidewalks. Faces are hidden. I almost don’t recognize myself some days.
Wittenberg has evolved with the times, and as much as it might pain us all to live in this format, this evolution is necessary for the preservation, for the hope and for the love of what we once had not even a year ago.
I don’t think anyone saw the dramatic changes coming straight at us. And, to be honest, it’s okay. We have done everything and will continue to do everything we can to continue our education on this campus.
I fell in love with this campus and its aura when I first visited it over three years ago. I knew this is where I belonged. The color of leaves in the Hollow, the overall happiness of the students, the kindness of the professors, and the inviting feeling of being a part of something is what made me want to be a Tiger.
Now, as each day goes by, the Wittenberg I fell in love with slips further and further away. It all could be because of COVID-19, the way the campus is being run, or that I have changed as a person. The latter has definitely occurred, but one thing still remains: hope. I still have a deep hope for this campus, and that one day it will return to the place I fell in love with.
I fear that the Wittenberg I love will not return while I am still a student here, and if that is the case, it will be a wound that I will carry with me for a long time. You came to Wittenberg for a reason or another. You love something about this campus, whether it’s the people, the classes, the programs, the sports or whatever, but you have a purpose here.
So, while we dwell in this evolutionary stage, enjoy what you have, and spread the hope of having our old Wittenberg being returned to us.
