The stress, fear, incomprehension of March 2020 reminded me of September 11 (my second semester at NYU Prague) when we gathered together, mourned for New York, and wondered what the future would bring. Of course the attack on the Twin Towers had very different repercussions, and we didn’t have to send students home. But this current crisis has also strengthened the bonds between students, staff and faculty as we stumble through uncharted territory together.
I thought that it would be a shame not to chronicle our experience of this strange time; hence this special “pandemic” issue of our newsletter. Initially I thought it would only consist of articles by faculty, but I soon realized that this newsletter wouldn’t be complete without the voices of staff and (especially) students. These pieces evoke the frustrations experienced as we struggle with Zoom, the heartache felt when this group of students had to leave, and the relationships that have continued to develop despite the distance between us.
I am still in touch with many of the students from fall 2001 – much more so than most other semesters – and over the years, they also have reported that they are in touch with a large number of their Prague classmates. I expect – hope- that that will also be one of the silver linings of this oh so memorable semester.
-Leah Gaffen