When I see OneEmerson plastered on walls and headlining emails, all I do is think.

I think of the students who live through police brutality and racial injustice on a daily basis and it isn’t just some liberal game of superior ideals and social media posts.

I think of the students who have to fight back their tears until they reach the comfort of their dorms after another frustrating meeting with the financial aid office.

I think of the sexual assault survivors who will not see justice before they graduate.

I think of the students who told me that I was being a miser and should learn to appreciate the good over the bad.

I think of the students that did not have the choice to come back this semester.

I think of the students who don’t know where their next meal will come from.

I think of the students who live in perpetual fear of becoming infected with COVID19.

I think of the students who told me that it’s really not a big deal.

I think of the students who wonder if they’ll ever stop feeling lonely as they stare at their bedroom ceiling.

I think of the students who are living life as if it was January 2020

I think of the students that wish that The Berkeley Beacon would just get it right.

I think of the students who listen to the slurs and casual bigotry of their so-called peers and feel helpless.

I think of the students who have to endure faculty and administration that speak without
listening.

I think of the students who perceive the new guidelines as an unnecessary pain in the ass.

I think of the students who worry about their accent.

I think of the students who visited the Tam this week.

I think of the students who never feel at home at the organizations they belong to and the students who were never offered the chance to make it their home.

I think of the students who being their true self on campus is a source of exhaustion.

I think of the students who told me I shouldn’t bring up these things because I have a full ride from the school.

I think of the students who gave it their best and still couldn’t complete their planned tenure with the College.

I think of the students whose parents put it all on the line just to give them a chance to learn here.

I think of the students who view COVID19 as just a virus.

I think of the students who are getting away with it and know it.

I think of the students who are getting away with it and do not care.

I think of the students who don’t even know what’s going on outside of themselves.

I think of the students that can’t afford to have in-person classes cancelled.

I think of the students who treat this as some kind of long vacation. I used to be one of them.

I think about the students who never think about these things.

I think about how there can never truly be one Emerson unless we did something about it.
What do you think?

Diego Torres is a Marketing Communications major from the class of 2021. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, email [email protected]. Letters may be edited for style and clarity.