COVID-19 may be here for the foreseeable future, but it won’t be here forever.
Even the Black Death, after wiping out over 300 million people, receded before finally being reduced to a rarity. We only ever hear about the Bubonic Plague anymore when some random hiker in Colorado catches it from a beaver, or some other equally improbable scenario.
The summer and (regrettably) fall of coronavirus will pass, but we, will remain. Regardless of what anyone tells you, people will not go on wearing masks in public and tripping over themselves to stay six feet apart forever. That is because we, as Tennesseans, as Americans, are not ruled by fear. By all means, take proper precautions, but also remember that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
We have all made sacrifices these past few months. No, we did not make any sacrifices comparable to those of the Greatest Generation, but we made some nonetheless. One thing we do not have to sacrifice, however, is our determination.
It was determination that brought most of you back to the campus this fall, and determination that led each freshman here despite all the risk and headache.
Let’s start our strange new year strong, looking towards a future of opportunity beyond the pandemic. Even today, it’s a great day to be a Skyhawk.
