Alumni - Frederick D. Hill Archives - University of Indianapolis

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14 Celebration of the Flags invites you to ‘imagine’ President’s Forum From Dr. Pitts’s remarks at the Ceremony of the Flags, October 5, 2006 PORTiCO WinTeR 2007 The Celebration of the Flags is one of my favorite UIndy traditions. It’s a thrill to see the campus turn out for this special event in the life of the University. “Imagine” is the theme chosen for this year’s Celebration of the Flags. If you’re not familiar with the classic 1970s anthem of this title by John Lennon, you may be wondering why. In fact, if you’re thinking of the lyrics of the first half of the song, you may still be wondering why, considering they ask us to imagine a world without countries, among other things, which is hardly in the spirit of this event. It’s the second half of the song that I believe sums up why we’re here today. We’re asked to “Imagine all the people / Living life in peace,” and to “Imagine no possessions / I wonder if you can / No need for greed or hunger / A brotherhood of man / Imagine all the people / Sharing all the world.” The ideas of “living life in peace” and of “sharing all the world” are at the heart of the University’s international emphasis, not to mention an important part of our service ethic, and achieving these goals begins on an individual level. Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the most important leaders of the Indian Independence Movement and India’s first prime minister, said that “Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can come only to peaceful people.” National boundaries do not have to be barriers to understanding, though they so often are. That’s why our celebration here today is important: it is a symbol of the sharing of cultures on our campus that occurs every day. As we get to know each other and learn that, in truth, we are not all so very different, we learn to be more understanding of each other, and our differences become something to celebrate and enjoy. The American writer Mark Twain wrote that “A nation is only an individual multiplied.” When we come to know individuals of other nations—when an American becomes friends with a Pakistani, when a Kenyan becomes friends with a Brazilian—their respective nations are no longer mere abstractions. Nations are no longer easy to stereotype or demonize. And we find we’ve taken a step toward being able to “Imagine all the people / living life in peace.” Those of you who were here last spring will remember the theme of the inauguration festivities, “Passport to Possibilities.” A major part of those events was the “Passport to the World” travel grant competition, which sent a select number of students abroad with virtually no strings attached. No study was required; there was no specifically academic component. We wanted to affirm that international travel is educational and rewarding in its own right. Our mission statement says the University is committed to fostering “international relationships and programs that promote intercultural understanding, awareness, and appreciation,” as well as “a campus culture that embraces and celebrates human diversity.” In that spirit, the “Passport to the World” grants offered ten of you the opportunity to travel internationally. We are working to find funding that will allow us to make these grants an annual event. The many colorful flags we enjoy so much in the processional are a wonderful metaphor for the amazing variety of cultures that inhabit our world. I think you’ll agree our world would be a drab, colorless place without this variety, and I hope all of you will go on to explore as many cultures and countries as possible. And it’s my dream that all of you will serve as ambassadors of goodwill throughout your lives. And one day, when you’re wrestling with some issue of global conflict, or when you contemplate a new neighbor who turns out to be from halfway around the world, I hope you’ll look back on your time at the University of Indianapolis, when you shared a class or a meal or a room with someone from another culture and learned firsthand that “a nation is only an individual multiplied.” Maybe one day it will be easier for us to imagine all the people, living life in peace. “You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.” You are, too. —Dr. Beverley Pitts
Renewing ‘Passports to the World’ Recipients of ten UIndy “Passport to the World” student travel grants began their scholarly travels to international destinations such as Greece, Taiwan, and Belize during the summer of 2006 (Portico, Summer 2006). President Beverley Pitts is now asking UIndy alumni and friends to consider supporting the continuation of this cultural exploration program during the next three years. The competitively awarded grants offer select students the opportunity to travel to the University’s affiliated sites in Belize, China, Greece, Israel, South Africa, and Taiwan and beyond. Supporting ten student awards each in 2007, 2008, and 2009 will require raising just over $33,000 for each year of the program, for a total of $100,000 over the three-year period. The University is seeking to secure the initial $33,333 quickly so that planning for the 2007 student travel grant competition may begin in January. If you have an interest in obtaining more information or contributing to this program, please contact Mr. Kevin Miller, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, at (317) 788-2070 or kemiller@uindy.edu. Mar Elias halts enrollment after a summer of conflict Mar Elias, the University of Indianapolis campus in Israel, has decided not to admit new students for the fall semester. This is primarily because of the country’s unrest over the past summer. The school will concentrate on current students and on making the campus an institution independent of UIndy. Mar Elias is located in northern Israel. Lebanese bombings this summer dislocated a large portion of the campus’s surrounding population, and many people left for southern Israel. The members of Mar Elias are now trying to rebuild their communities. The dislocation has shifted the focus of the population away from education. “When there’s conflict, you end up suspending the focus on education and move to other, more immediate, concerns,” said Dr. Mary Moore, vice president for research, planning, and international partnerships. The unrest also has hurt campus members’ ability to travel. This is a problem because Israel’s Council for Higher Education requires that a certain percentage of the Mar Elias classes be taught by main campus faculty and that Mar Elias students spend a certain amount of time on the main campus. Faculty and staff are meeting the faculty participation requirement through alternative means. Various methods of distance learning are being researched. Travel to Indianapolis for summer experiences has been restricted for Mar Elias students not only because of the continuing crisis but also the lack of funds. In addition, Moore said the summer experiences, which cram an entire semester into five or seven weeks, are too intensive. UIndy is encouraging donors who have contributed to Mar Elias in the past to refocus their efforts to provide deserving students with scholarships for a regular semester of study. Recruiting also is difficult because the University has become stringent on English proficiency requirements, which are difficult for students already proficient in Arabic and Hebrew to meet. According to Moore, the higher level of proficiency will give the students the foundation to be successful in their coursework. If Mar Elias could become an independent institution recognized by its own government, then many of the difficult requirements would be unnecessary, and the University would be able to admit students into its own degree program. Mar Elias is working with the Israeli government through the CHE to become accredited. The campus is entering its fourth year of existence and is to graduate its first class this year. —Ruth Shirley, Reflector Feature Editor. Used with permission. alumni.uindy.edu 15
Page 1 and 2: UIndy The Alumni Magazine of the Un
Page 3 and 4: If an artist creates characters in
Page 5 and 6: Alumni Night at the Indiana Ice Sat
Page 7 and 8: Alumni Trip: Lakes & Mountains of S
Page 9 and 10: Cool Career Connections Alumni Cent
Page 11 and 12: A bevy of benefits & bonuses TAKE A
Page 13: Greyhound License Plate Order Form
Page 17 and 18: igorous instruction and monitor stu
Page 19 and 20: department was given space for a pi
Page 21 and 22: New endowment supports education of
Page 23 and 24: New deaN For health sCIeNCes brINgs
Page 25 and 26: and progressive company in Carmel,
Page 27 and 28: Pay off that campaign pledge and do
Page 29 and 30: Ross becomes all-time block leader
Page 31 and 32: Class Notes Portico welcomes your p
Page 33 and 34: Danielle Greenwald Burns ’89 and
Page 35 and 36: Effy Popov Euson ’96 and her husb
Page 37 and 38: of their daughter, Avery Nicole, on
Page 39 and 40: Julie Pelletier ’01 ’03 is a cl
Page 41 and 42: Indiana University-Purdue Universit
Page 43 and 44: Stay in the know! The monthly elect

Alumni - Frederick D. Hill Archives - University of Indianapolis

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?