A Long and Historic End to the Election

Dear SAIC Community,

Though there is likely to be some recounting, and certainly an electoral college vote and congressional ratification, before the 2020 Election comes to its final conclusion, it is now projected that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be the next president of the United States, and Kamala Harris will become the first woman and first person of color to hold the office of vice president in US history. Given our politically divisive moment, the protracted vote counting process, and the historic outcome, you may be feeling a mix of emotions. It is also true, as in every election, that not everyone’s favored candidates or positions were victorious in all of the many races and referenda that were decided this week. However you are feeling—glad or disappointed, exhausted or galvanized, optimistic or ambivalent—I look forward to continuing to practice an everyday kind of citizenship with you at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As I wrote on Election Day and again the day after, this kind of citizenship is not about voting eligibility. It is about the sense of responsibility and mutual respect we bring to living and working together, helping everyone to be their best and explore art, design, and scholarship that seeks to be a part of—not apart from—our shared society.

Elissa Tenny
President