Celebrating Life—Amid a Pandemic

from Our Town 2020

Former MU athletes give back as high school coaches

2020, to put it mildly, has been a year like no other in our lifetimes.

As in the rest of America, the coronavirus pandemic brought much of civic and social life in Columbia to a standstill.

The treasures that we would normally celebrate on the pages of Our Town — our annual guide to all things that make this community special — have been largely postponed or moved online.

The Unbound Book Festival (April) and the Roots N Blues music festival (October) are among the big-name events that were pushed back to 2021. The True/False Film Fest (March) was the last major Columbia event that took place as planned this year.

Those organizations that have not entirely postponed this year’s events have had to adjust to the new reality. For example, the Odyssey Chamber Music Series, which normally performs at the First Baptist Church of Columbia, plans to livestream its fall concerts without audiences in the pews.

If the church opens its doors to the public, Odyssey will consider opening the concerts to no more than 70 people, maintaining social distancing.

“Despite the social distancing, musicians are eager to bring music right to your living room ...,” wrote artistic director Ayako Tsuruta in an email to patrons.

“With some luck, I sincerely hope that things will improve soon, but if not, we are prepared, ready, and excited!”

We share Tsuruta’s excitement about life returning to some semblance of normalcy.

Be sure to check out news editor Rudi Keller’s centerpiece story, which raises a cheer for some of the people who have stepped up in 2020, meeting needs in health care and education in the midst of difficult choices.

Also, don’t miss features editor Aarik Danielsen’s look at the places we’ve missed the most during the pandemic.

As relative newcomers to Columbia, my wife and I plan on using Our Town as a resource for our exploration of our new home. We hope it is useful to you as well.

For life will return to normal. The only question is when.

Jim Van Nostrand is executive editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune.