​​With seniors submitting college applications, students battling restricted assessments, and the country at large grappling with the presidential election, this time of year is loaded with uncertainty for many of us surrounding our own and our country’s futures. Amidst all this chaos, it is increasingly important that we take time to step outside the Middlesex bubble and educate ourselves on the larger world around us. In this issue of The Anvil, we reflect upon changes on and off campus, from welcoming new faculty members to considering the potential outcomes of this heated election. The Anvil is one of many places students can express their concerns and hopes for the future, and we encourage everyone to embody Middlesex’s word of the year, “engage,” when faced with such a turbulent time. It is easy to shy away from involving oneself in increasingly polarized discussions, but this division is exactly why we need to express ourselves and find common ground. Although the election season is a stressful time for many, it is important that we continue to seek out the good in others, and lean into the changing world around us.