Grief, Hope, and a Little Stanley Kunitz
That Time of Year In the academic world, this is the time of year full of engagements, picnics and end-of-semester galas and graduation parties. It is a little dizzying, all this celebration, especially in a time of so much pain. The service-learning end-of-semester celebrations—including an art show at a coffee shop, a poster session and recital on campus, a poetry reading at the local nursing home, a picnic at my place, and a mural unveiling at the Salvation Army, in about that order (did I mention I’ve been busy?)—have been colored by the realization that we will be working with a much smaller budget and possibly fewer staff next year due to budget cuts and the looming end of a federal grant, and that two of our most dedicated student workers are leaving the program, one because she’s graduating, and the other because she’ll start student teaching in the fall. All week I have been saying goodbye to many students whom I care for deeply, who have helped build the service-l...