The Pandemic, Priorities, and Pluralism – Reflecting on the Year with Dr. Long

“Surreal”. That’s the word the Head of the Academy, Dr. Jonathan Long, uses to describe his past year with the Academy.  During our conversation, in which he reflected over the past academic year, it became clear that Dr. Long resonates with the feelings of uncertainty and longing that have clouded many of us. The academic year has been full of unforeseeable challenges, strange experiences, and evolving relationships. “I have so much left to learn”, he admits. “- things that should have been learned in year one, that are going to have to wait till year 3 and 4”. His second year with us was bizarre, he reflects,  saying “the Academy that I have grown familiar with is…empty buildings and occasionally bumping into someone!”. Kafkaesque and tumultuous as it was, this year did give him some new opportunities, namely to recommit to old hobbies: rowing and drumming. Now, a  day does not pass without him practicing an hour of rowing, and he has realized that the best way to recover from hours of virtual meetings is by bashing out some rhythms to Pink Floyd on his office drumkit. Every day has been a repetition of the day before, but cathartic little breaks, along with his pockets of exercise, keep his mind clear and running.

Naturally, the circumstances of this year have presented him – and the school – with a myriad of challenges. One of these has been fulfilling his priorities as an educator, which he views as “guiding principles which do not change” – even in a pandemic. He compares this task of meeting priorities in unpredictable circumstances to how sailors “zig-zag” and maneuver through turbulent winds. Such “zig-zags” were demanded of the school this year, as meeting the top priority - empowering ethical, young leaders to make a difference in the world – became particularly difficult, given that new variables such as students’ connectivity and access to technology had to be considered.  Amidst harnessing creativity and energy to ensure logistical inclusivity of the distance learning program, it became easier to overlook the “softer” guiding values of the Academy.

Inclusivity has been a fundamental value in most of Dr. Long’s professional life. His past as an educator is defined by institutions characterized by pluralism, diversity, and multi-culturalism – themes that he is endlessly passionate about. He lights up while conversing on this topic, stating that he is so drawn to diverse institutions because he views diversity to be as potent and important of a teacher as academic curricula.  In the absence of diversity, he says, human beings are incapable of “recognizing our baggage…because so many things become ‘givens’”.  For us to recognize our shared humanity and be open to divergent perspectives, it is crucial to interact with those different from ourselves. Unsurprisingly, he is committed to the Academy’s strong underpinning of pluralistic ideology – a conscious celebration of diversity, of the idea that questions on well-being, development, and happiness can be met with a multiplicity of “right” answers.  He adds that because such pluralistic insights are not inherent to human beings,  students and teachers must play a role in fostering “an environment within which pluralistic thought is the default setting” -  an environment that is incredibly crucial in the 21st century.

Given that the pandemic has made the paucities of healthcare and political infrastructure salient, I was curious as to whether a similar realization occurred regarding deficiencies at the Academy. Dr. Long replies affirmatively, admitting that the pandemic evoked a realization of the need for the extra effort in going beyond academics and caring for the emotional and mental well-being of the school community. Thus, the LEAP program was developed to address the social and mental awareness needs of students. This enlightened focus will undoubtedly carry into the coming years, realigning the Academy as a place where students do not just develop intellectually, but emotionally, ethically, and socially.

Speaking of the upcoming academic year, with India currently engulfed in the second wave of the virus, the topic of reopening school is shrouded in uncertainty.  “It would be foolish not to consider it as a possibility”, says Dr. Long when asked about the prospect of another term online. Naturally, the school has to prepare for all possible outcomes, but to illustrate how he feels about this particular outcome, he paints us a picture of the school like a  loaf of bread floating down a river. As it floats down the river, it is eaten away by little fish, and gradually shrinks – but remains floating. Like the fish, the pandemic has eaten out of our energy reserves of energy and resources, shrinking our loaf, bit by bit.   But for now, there are enough slices to sustain us. We have the energy and strength for another term of distance education – he hopes we won’t have to use it, but it seems increasingly inevitable.

When the school does reopen, however, he envisions the event to be nothing less than a carnival. He imagines aloud, describing the first week to be a “festive time of celebrating what really matters…friendship and the unique community we have the privilege of being a part of.” In what is likely to be a very popular idea, he wants us to “rinse the IB out of our thinking”, and instead exhaust ourselves in a spirit of celebrations – celebrating each other, and all that we have learned to value over the past year. 

Till the days that we can revel in the joy of being together again, Dr. Long urges us to continue to hold onto what is important and find joy in the little things we are fortunate enough to experience.  This year, he became more aware of the value of family and learned to find peace in things as simple as glancing out of his window to see geckos crawling on tree branches. He encourages us to do the same - to cherish our centers of gravity, and use them to power us into what lies ahead of us.

Jacintha Thota, DP1