I had to start with the dictionary definition to begin to wrap my brain around this one: “the state of being uncertain or likely to get worse” – Cambridge Dictionary. While working through our readings, I felt rage several times. Perhaps I felt Rage Against the Machine. I think that the only way to fix the systems we have in place right now is to completely start over, page 1, blank slate.

What is most scary to me, is that America has become so polarized that no sides are correct anymore. Ever since Obama became president, this seems to have been growing at an exponential rate. Trump worsened these feelings, and fed into what was already there. I don’t think I’ve seen America as the “United States” since 9-11. Even Covid19 didn’t unite us, it drove us further apart since it was twisted into a political issue instead of treated like a real safety hazard. This has made our relationships with friends and family precarious.

These critical issues are so taboo now that we don’t talk about them anymore, at least not enough to incite real change. Plymouth State University is built on indigenous land. Our diversity ratings are abysmally low. Our state is white washed. Moving here from California was a huge culture shock, just looking at a crowd of people in either place shows stark differences. How can we, as a community, advocate for racial equality, when people of color are barely present within the conversation?

The state that PSU is in seems precarious to me. I have heard conversations about how staff are being treated. I have seen staff let go or feel the need to leave. Some of these people are professors that I know and love, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to learn from them while they were still here. I am happy that I only have one semester left here, because who will be left? How much heavier can individual teaching loads get? When is enough, enough?