From:
Breidenstein, Angela
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:42 PM
To: Breidenstein, Angela; Trinity Students FY 2008
Cc: davemansen@alumni.trinity.edu; Tuttle, David; Rakhe, Ankita
Subject: welcome back! a message from your faculty marshal
Dear Class of 2012,
Welcome back! What an great time – you’re returning to campus after what I hope was a restorative break, and you’re reconnecting with friends and staff as well as looking forward to your second semester! (And without assignments and should-do’s hanging over your head! ) Thus it’s the perfect time to wish you a great first day tomorrow and recognize the auspicious ways in which this semester’s start will coincide with some important events.
First, of course, classes start tomorrow! Don’t forget add/drop starts tomorrow and ends Thursday, Jan. 22!
Second, I want to bring to your attention the MLK March taking place next Monday, January 19th. As you may know by now, the university does not hold class on that day so that we might all participate in activities taking place on that day – a day “on” (not “off”)! I will be participating in the city’s MLK March along with the Trinity community, and I hope you will consider doing so too. It could not be easier to do – it simply entails walking over to the Bell Center to catch one of the buses to the site with fellow students, faculty, and staff. We will march together, in our (free!) maroon t-shirts, to honor not only the memory and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights activists of the past but also to continue to bring attention and commitment to the ideas and practices of civil rights, nonviolence, and equity. At least once in your four years – if not all four years – I hope you’ll join the university and city community – why not start this year? Before the day and the march, you’ll see a display in the Coates lobby with information about why people historically have participated in marches and why you might participate this year; the display is called Big Change Starts with Small Steps.
Those of you new to San Antonio will be interested to know that San Antonio hosts the largest March in the nation and that Trinity has traditionally had the largest showing amongst colleges/universities at the March. During the March you’ll interact with students from other universities, community members, and families – who are either marching with you or cheering the walkers on from the sides of the road. It’s pretty amazing! So – logistical reminders: Meet in front of the Bell Center at 8:30 to get your shirt (first-come basis) and board buses to the march (you may want to wear a long-sleeved shirt underneath depending on weather). The bus will bring you back to Trinity at the end of the route. You do NOT have to RSVP to this event, but you can sign up to show support (sign-ups are at the Coates Center info desk).
Later that week, on Wednesday at 7:00 pm in Laurie Auditorium, the 2009 MLK Jr. Commemorative Lecture featuring L. Douglas Wilder, the first elected African-American governor in the United States, will take place. He was elected to serve as governor of Virginia, the headquarters of the Confederacy, in 1990. His lecture is entitled “The Movement: Past, Present, and Future.” There will be a dessert reception and a chance to meet Mr. Wilder following the lecture and the Q & A session.
Finally, between those two events, we’ll be inaugurating the new United States President. This is one of those events where, down the road, you will be talking and the question will come up “where were you when…?” – I’m happy you’ll be able to say you were at Trinity, in your first year, with fellow Trinity students and colleagues, when you watched the inauguration and all that went with it. Be sure to watch, think about, read about, and especially on a college campus talk about this historic moment.
I saw in the student planner that rush events for sororities and fraternities are taking place and Dave and I should likely start to think about a message/info to you about that realm of university life and activities… stay tuned!
Again, welcome back! Continue to make the most of all that Trinity has to offer you – in the classroom and beyond – as you learn about the world, its past/present/future, how others experience the world, and who you are as well as the contributions you can make.
Best,
Dr. Breidenstein
Class of 2012 Faculty Marshal