A "Safer at Home" Spectacular
Last Tuesday night, along with other members of the Poly community I watched “Aidan Rawlinson’s Birthday Spectacular,” an old-style variety show replete with glamorous guests who joined our host for an evening of comedy, song, and dance. With a bit of Mr. Rogers’s kindness and Judy Garland’s sass, Aidan and his cast of characters provided a welcome escape from the daily news cycle—though it was not a complete diversion as the plot line revolved around the travails of planning a birthday celebration in the quarantine.
One of the things that struck me while watching this event was how well it encapsulated many of the elements that have helped us navigate these past few months together. Aidan’s original senior project looked very different from what we witnessed on Tuesday, as many of the plans he had envisioned evaporated when the "Safer at Home" order went into effect. He showed characteristic pluck while reimagining—brilliantly, I might add—what he wanted to learn and to share. Better yet, his friends, his parents, and several of his teachers jumped in, too. It was a magical evening that celebrated Aidan’s vision and the inspirational community that we have in common.
This has been an historic and challenging spring, and the impact of COVID 19 will permanently alter the way we see our place in the world and in our community. While life at times seemed to stand still and days washed past us with disturbing familiarity, our students and our teachers never stopped learning, creating, laughing, and giving. As Aidan and his glamorous guests revived our spirits, they reminded us of our commitment to the standards we hold and to our responsibility to care.
JWB
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