I took an astronomy course this last spring quarter and found it intoxicating. To think on a cosmic scale is equatable to an existential one. Now, I've thought about existence for a long enough time to value the short life I have here on the Earth, and this mindset has begot a solidarity toward mankind. Yes, human beings are silly, arrogant and violent creatures. But we are also amazing, intelligent, creative and beautiful. I want to see us embrace each other and embrace our environment, not destroy it.

I talk about astronomy because I recently picked up Carl Sagan's Billions and Billions. I'm glad I did. It is full of wisdom and sensibility. Sagan's words made me realize that there is indeed a countdown of sorts that we've begun. And it will be our job to become a species that coexists with its environment and coexists with itself. Perhaps the crises of global warming and the ozone layer (to name just two) will bring our species together. I'm hoping so.

It's time to put away our differences and realize our greater potentials. So that's why I'm here.