Dear Members of the Campus Community:
The approach of spring break (March 25-29) presents a welcome opportunity in the midst of a very busy semester to step back from the day-to-day and reflect on the deeper meaning of our work and our commitments to one another.
For some members of our community, that deeper meaning may be found in religious rites that take place this time of year. Some are currently observing traditions associated with Ramadan and Lent, while others are preparing activities connected to Holi, Easter, Passover and other upcoming sacred dates. There are also many rich and meaningful secular traditions associated with early spring; look no further than the celebration of the equinox at Wooster Hall for an example of the community coming together and carrying on a custom that has been important to our campus for many years.
Each in their own way, these rituals promote virtues that we associate with our institutional mission: the pursuit of knowledge and meaning in hopes of enriching our lives and strengthening our communal ties, alongside the peaceful acceptance of neighbors who pursue knowledge and meaning in ways that differ from our own. We think of these traditions as ways of making a noise for the future – transcending the day-to-day chatter and expressing our identities in ways that make lasting, positive contributions to the world around us. Spring is a wonderful time for celebrating that.
Wishing you peace and a restorative break,
Darrell P. Wheeler
President
Tanhena Pacheco Dunn
Vice President for Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
