This Sunday is a busy day at the chapel. It will be an emotional day, filled with contrasts, complicated emotions, and communities gathering to mark the passings of life.
In the morning, we will honor Joe Radinsky, a 2023 alum who passed away in April. Joe left an incredible mark on Carleton, perhaps most visibly as the founder of our drag community. We will be joined by their parents and brother, along with many others whose lives were impacted and improved for having known Joe. Whenever a life ends too soon, moments like these are especially difficult, but become all the more important. They offer a chance to say goodbye, to find solace in community, to honor a person for all they were. It is also impossible not to reflect on our own lives, remembering that we too, will pass away, and that life for us too is precious, unpredictable, and fleeting. On Sunday, we will hold all these feelings together, celebrating the joy that was Joe’s life and also mourning their passing.
In the afternoon, we will mark another encounter with the passage of time. We will honor our soon to be graduates through our annual senior service. For the 500 Carls about to graduate, the transition from the college years into the rest of one’s life is a monumental one. It is the end of something that will never return – we only go to college once – and the beginning of a new way of being in the world. The experience of post-graduation will be different for everyone, but what everyone will share is the newness of not being together, of not being here, of starting a new journey and chapter of life. For some, we know this is exciting and feels right. For others, we know this is scary and destabilizing. Our service will do our best to hold and honor all of these feelings together.
For both programs, whether you knew Joe well or have just heard stories of their amazing life, or whether you are graduating or still have a long way to go, we hope you will feel welcome to participate. Both services offer encounters with what is profoundly human – the transitions and passings we all will experience. They offer the opportunity to reflect on our own lives, with the hope that we may live with the beautiful urgency that awareness of time’s passing brings.
-Rev. Schuyler Vogel
College Chaplain