Reflections on “An Earth Song” by Langston Hughes

April 22, 2024

An Earth Song

By Langston Hughes 

It's an earth song,—
And I've been waiting long for an earth song.
It's a spring song,—
And I've been waiting long for a spring song.
Strong as the shoots of a new plant
Strong as the bursting of new buds
Strong as the coming of the first child from its mother's womb.
It's an earth song,
A body song,
A spring song,
I have been waiting long for this spring song.

Today, as we celebrate Earth Day, the Langston Hughes poem, “An Earth Day,” comes to my mind.

It reminds me that spring is a time of Rebirth. Renewal. Reawakening—for our planet, and for ourselves. It is an opportune time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going, and to envision our future. Olin intentionally chose the phoenix as its mascot to signal its foundational belief in renewal and its intent to reinvent itself just as the mythical phoenix bursts into flames and then rises anew from its ashes.

After over two decades pioneering and reimagining engineering education, we are embarking on a path of reinvention through our framework of College as a Living Lab. We are affirming our commitment to stewarding a healthy planet and society, creating an equitable and diverse campus community, and reimagining what the needs of future generations of engineering students will be. 

As we move forward toward realizing our vision of College as a Living Lab, we are springing to action in inspiring new ways, coalescing around execution in service of our vision and society. We, along with the world we are inhabiting, are evolving, and charting a future path of sustainability. 

Hughes’ words speak to hoping for change and making the change we dream of a reality. As we heed those words, just imagine the beauty of Olin as an ever-changing community, and the impact of preserving that beauty for future generations.

Warmly, 

Gilda