Fellow students, faculty, and administration:
Returning after a challenging fall semester, Wesleyan is on the brink of a period of considerable growth. Usdan University Center and Bon Appétit both seem to be running more smoothly, offering dining options that are generally more suited to student needs and becoming more cognizant of the concerns of the UNITE-HERE Local 217 union. President Roth seems poised to spread his wings and act on the ambitious agenda he proposed last semester. The endowment is slowly growing. New academic initiatives are in place, such as the scholarship for veteran U.S. soldiers. Printers on campus are finally set to print double-sided, in an effort to reduce on-campus paper use. Students continue to engage in the outside world through activism, community service and outreach.
However, let’s not get comfortable in 2008. If we’ve made some progress as a campus community, we still have a long way to go.
While last semester presented a multitude of still-relevant campus issues, this semester allows us the perfect window to widen our focus to national and international issues. We are fortunate enough to be in the midst of a presidential race more exciting than “The West Wing,” with fiercely contested primary races within both political parties. The exciting uncertainty of these races should both embolden us to support our candidate of choice and encourage us to more carefully scrutinize the candidates’ policy decisions and public decorum. With the possibility for such substantive discussion before us, we would hope that campus dialogue will move away from the sort of snide, petty quips anonymously launched into the void of cyberspace that too often substitutes for honest communication between and among students.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg: the surge in Iraq continues; the recession affects millions; Beijing gears up for the summer Olympics in light of human right’s violations; and the continual call to environmental stewardship must be answered. In a few days, Wesleyan University will participate in “Focus the Nation,” a national symposium addressing global warming issues. This event allows the University the perfect opportunity to extend its focus outwards, while still continuing to work towards campus change.
So today, with confidence in ourselves and trust in the University’s ideals, let us set forth into a new semester and a new year.
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