What makes Denison Denison? It is not an easy question. Or rather, an impossible question for the scope of this editorial, but I will tackle it anyway.
My sports editor David Allen just finished his section at the time that I am writing these words, 2:26 a.m. on Monday. He said as he was walking out, “This newspaper is going to be great, I believe in it.” With a smile on his face, he disappeared, just to pop in again, “And so is the future.”
I believe so. And not only for this newspaper, but for this institution that we call home. My reason? Let me tell you another story.
It was 6:13 p.m. last Saturday, and I found my mind going blank for a moment. It was overwhelmed with the scene I had witnessed me 15 minutes earlier.
Never before had I seen so many people creating the moment together. Some three hundred students were cheering at their loudest and happiest in Livingston gym. In the middle of that crowd stood President Weinberg, whose inauguration on Friday signaled to the community that “We are ready for the next big thing.”
If you didn’t know , they were getting together to create the largest lip dub video ever at Denison. In part, it was a promotional video* for D-Day (i. e. Denison-Day, a 70-year-old tradition to celebrate the Denison spirit). However, I like to see it more as a moment where Denisonians come together to give meaning to Denison from the willingness of someone stepping up to make it happen. This is the Denison spirit, this is what we should be priding ourselves in.
I would readily argue with you there’s no other place that such thing could happen. “There’s a will, there’s a way,” and I never fail to find a strong will from students to make what they believe happen, and more importantly, many of them are willing to bring the community together. It is this will that makes Denison, Denison.
Yes, sometimes I get too optimistic. I know there is much room for improvement, but I’m worried that the conversations around campus are frequently framed around our problems. It is hard to keep an optimistic outlook on life with all the everyday negativity. So, in this very historic moment, I want to encourage us all to take a step back and think more positively about Denison with its best, and charge yourself with making Denison’s new best.
Oh, and back to David. He did not stop there. “I am willing to put the time and effort into it to make that happen,” and he wished me a goodnight. I then thought to myself, “Denison, I am willing, too, to put all my time and effort to make it great.”
Dear readers of The Denisonian, especially my fellow students, I wish Denison will have the privilege to enjoy your talent, passion, commitment and dedication to make it great. For ourselves, and for the many generations to come.
*You can find the lipdub video on The Denisonian or the Denison D-Day Facebook Page.