Maybe you know them from your grandparents’ living room, flea markets or antique shops: pendulum clocks. They were invented more than 300 years ago by the universal genius Galileo Galilei and were common until the beginning of the last century when the more precise quartz clocks came up. Once its pendulum is pushed, the mechanisms in the clock are triggered and the hands shoot forward. It has to be wound up every few hours to keep it going.
Winding up a clock can be seen as a metaphor for this issue’s theme, moment[um]: We get inspired by moments – encounters, quotes, aphorisms – and turn them into movements, momentums to change the status quo. We capture the life and spirit encapsulated in these
precious moments. And it is to these very moments we turn to in times of reflection and doubt. We don’t remember dates or times – we remember moments.
In this issue, we reflect upon long lasting friendships that change over time. We tell the story of a group of young adults, who bought a ship to rescue refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean and thereby are helping to further a far-reaching debate about European asylum policy. We discuss effective altruism as a social movement
that develops strategies to improve the world in the most effective way possible. And finally, we try to explore the exceptional nature of a moment in prose and poetry.
It is in this very spirit that we wish to carry on what we began with the first issue of JACK in the Spring of 2016 – as always, we continue to strive in offering an open platform for creativity and diversity. We want to tackle issues from varying angles and delve into the very essence of the Liberal Arts and Sciences community here in the heart of lovely Freiburg. If not in this very moment, then when?
Cosima Klatte & Nora Ederer