To Our University Community,
The first week of classes has just passed, and we enter into the first week of September with cooler weather and the life of 麻豆传媒 in full bloom. It has always struck me as a lovely tension that our academic year starts just as the natural cycles begin to wane 鈥� the air turns cooler, the plants and animals begin to hibernate, and soon the leaves will turn ruddy and gold. It is not a coincidence, of course, that the American educational calendar was shaped by the necessities of a rural life of planting and harvest. Yet, that knowledge does not remove the romance, at least not for me. As the daylight grows shorter, the light of knowledge is sparked and shared, down through the generations.
It was my privilege to speak at this year鈥檚 Opening Convocation, and those who were present or viewed it online heard me speak about 鈥渉ope.鈥� Hope is necessary for our very existence and is what enables us to move forward in challenging times. It is what motivates us to study and to train. Hope is the necessary first action of any endeavor. It also lives in tension with pragmatism, that realistic assessment of our present circumstances so that we may make practical plans for our future. Recognizing the limitations of ourselves and our team enables our coaches and players to build upon their strengths and train for a successful season. The combination of hope and realism is what is present as first-year students work with their advisors to create their academic plan such that their goals of medical school, teaching, or owning a business can become a reality.
Our students embody, quite literally, our hope. They are living and building today for their future and ours, and it is a future full of hope.
Yours,
Christian M. M. Brady, DPhil (Oxon.)
President