by Gina Merys, Director, Reinert Center
There is something quite remarkable about the beginning of a new academic year—there is a veneer of hope over everything. Anything can be true and everything feels possible. Even the most skeptical among us can find inspiration in the wide-eyed look on the faces of new students, relief in the slightly cooler breezes and still lush garden beds, and promise in the freshly redesigned course and favorite lecture.
We know that the year ahead will be filled with as yet unknown challenges, the likes of which we may not have ever encountered before. It is probable that we will need concentrated reserves of fortitude and stamina, empathy and kindness to carry us through May and beyond.
Perhaps in these first moments of the academic year, we can nurture the trust we see all around us so that it will bloom as deep-rooted resilience when we need it most. It is during this time of returning to routines that we reconnect with colleagues and reengage our most cherished commitments to teaching and learning, research and scholarship. The possibility to rebuild and repair relationships that strained, committee work that lagged, and projects that fell apart is enlivened again in these days of open horizons. If we seize the opportunity to complete this renewal work now, our community will be strengthened for whatever is ahead. As we see in Pope Francis’ encyclicals of Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti and in the first messages from Pope Leo, despite the enormity of the tasks at hand, we can actually accomplish great things when we are part of a strong community.
As always, the Reinert Center is part of the SLU community to support you in any of your teaching needs. If you would like to receive regular communications about upcoming Reinert Center events, please fill out this form and choose which options apply to your interests.
The Notebook 