BYO Spring

I fear Mother Nature is not going to get it done; that she’s forgotten how to bring Spring. In my life, I can’t remember another Winter in which I genuinely forgot the feeling of outdoor heat. Sure, we catch little morsels of warmth like a street urchin finding a crust of bread in some post-apocalyptic film noir. But, I fear I have lost the muscle memory of frolicking in a meadow buoyed by a beam of sunshine and warm breeze on my face. To say it has been a tough season would be the understatement of … well… the season. As Mark Helprin wrote in “Winter’s Tale,” “It was a mad and beautiful thing that scoured raw the souls… of man.” If purification is what we needed this Winter, we each are clothed in purest white yet also bear a raw nerve dreading even one more cold blast. We yen for the warmth of Summer because we have become so enveloped with, in Steinbeck’s words, the “cold of winter to give it sweetness.” So, we need to help her along. We must bring Spring ourselves. We must choose to awaken our Spring spirit. We must buoy our own attitudes. We must breathe new life and inject sweetness into our doldrums because I fear we won’t know the good Mother’s warm breath for some time now. Bring your own Spring!

The Olympic Spirit

2/10/14 The Olympic Spirit

You deserve a gold medal. If we had a podium, you would be standing on the top. But, you wouldn't be standing next to physical competitors, you’d be standing next to psychological, health, budgetary, staffing, educational, socioeconomic and demographic foes. You are making a difference for our students because you know that they have so much to overcome. You are winning because you know why you are fighting every day. You don’t dwell on students’ foes, but you give them tools to overcome them. You don’t just recommend a career or advise on a program, you help them finish the race. A sprinter could compete barefoot, but is more likely to win if she has the shoes best suited for the conditions of the race. You are outfitting our runners with the right gear. The Olympic Creed says: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” You are fighting well. You are winning- for yourself, for your family, for the institution, for our students. You are on top. We are standing with you.