2020 has been an unusually eventful year. Wildfires in Australia, Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter accident, and the impeachment of President Trump dominated the headlines before even the first day of spring. Allegations of Hunter Biden benefiting from corruption in Ukraine and rumors of Kim Jong-un’s imperiled health have persisted for months. Black Lives Matter protests swept the nation, and chants of “ACAB” (“all cops are bastards”) engulfed popular culture following the murder or wrongful death of George Floyd, with some cities experiencing protracted protests and riots. Last weekend, Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died after 27 years of highly visible service on the court, prompting a battle over the nomination of her successor that complicates an already most contentious election year. And of course, there is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which in addition to claiming so many American lives affected Hamilton students by displacing us and nullifying a semester’s grades. The shift to a credit/no credit grading scale was especially disorienting to Hamilton students as no one - students or those reviewing a transcript - can discern what grades one deserved for that semester.

These are uncertain times, perhaps remarkably uncertain. Some have been quick to dub 2020 as one of the worst years in recorded history, though it would probably take a lot more death – on the scale of smallpox when it was uncontrolled, or even the Holocaust – for it to clearly bear that distinction. But many people are consumed by anxiety right now. The world feels as if it is ever-changing in major ways, with a new tragedy or outrage creeping into our purview every day. Hamilton students, under the stress that is to be expected from studying at a rigorous academic institution, must also consider the possibility that a sudden outbreak could send everyone back home in a rush, and jeopardize our grades again. And on campus, there is an incessant sparring among ideologues, further complicating our delicately balanced social life.

What is the best outlet for these stresses and anxieties? Where should disparate opinions interact with each other in a proper and respectful manner? As I have told many of my friends, with varying degrees of agreement from them, the answer is Enquiry. It is worth remembering that Enquiry was founded not for a dogmatic pursuit of ideology, but for “free thought and discourse.” A cursory look at our paper edition or a visit to the publication’s website confirms this, with that powerful motto emblazoned across the top. And this ideal is true not only in theory, but also in practice. Our staff writers are at various places on the political spectrum, but respect each other and often “agree to disagree” on weighty issues that otherwise split Hamilton’s campus.

Our contributors share this in common: a belief in the power of discourse. Enquiry exists not to declare but to discuss, not to condemn but to converse. Each piece represents the views not of Enquiry or the Alexander Hamilton Institute, but the individual writer who thoughtfully constructed the short essay, book review, or cultural commentary. By publishing it, we simply say that we believe it meets a certain standard of written and intellectual quality, regardless of its political viewpoint (if any). And Enquiry is not a battleground for ad hominem attacks by or against anybody, including our writers. Rather, it is an intellectual forum where we encourage those who disagree to challenge an idea, not criticize its author.

To that end, and especially under my leadership of Enquiry, I encourage everyone to start friendly, well-grounded debates that reflect not so much the troubling times we live in, and the acrobatic partisanship that many engage in, but rather the beauty of free speech at its best. In this strange year, especially as we are driven indoors by cold weather and inside our minds by stress, I hope we will make a conscious effort to engage in meaningful dialogue with each other. Begin a discussion with a definition, thoughtfully examine the troubling issues of our time, and put your thoughts into words in Enquiry. All are welcome.