The theme of Presence/Absence is meant to conjure the latent dualities embedded in identity, embodiment, and place. Presence,
according to the late Buddhist monk and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, is attention, is love. Being present is both a practice and a gift. Returning to campus post pandemic has been critical to the rebuilding of our institution and ourselves. But what does it mean to be truly present, and what constitutes its opposite? Is absence intrinsically bound to presence itself?
In the following essays and images students explore these ideas and more. We invite you to engage with their words through your own unique lens as a writer and thinker and maker at Parsons.
