To the Clark Community,

The final hours of this extraordinary election season are upon us. We are witnessing historic levels of participation, which is a powerful outcome for our country. At the same time, the election has generated deep emotions, across the political spectrum. I have no doubt that many of you are feeling anxious. The coming day or days likely will challenge us further as we learn the results of the election or that the results will be delayed for some time.

To bring members of our community together, we will be offering opportunities to process, to reflect, and to begin to look forward to the future. These events include a university-wide, faculty panel discussion, “What Just Happened,” tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1:30 p.m. For details, visit ClarkVotes on Clarku.edu.

As we move beyond election day and seek ways to make progress, we must remember that it is the multiplicity and diversity of views that make us a university community. At Clark, we celebrate the fact that different people, from different backgrounds and experiences, will think differently about the world, including politically. It is a better understanding of these differences and learning from the perspectives held by others that is at the core of our mission—creating new knowledge, deepening our understanding, and searching for solutions.

I am exceedingly proud of our collective commitment to challenging convention and bettering the world. This requires that we challenge ourselves personally, and not just others, to engage civilly in the spirit of finding common ground.

Sincerely,

David Fithian
President