End of the Week
In this Issue:
- Election message from Dr. Shea
- Leadership and Character led courses for spring 2025 and bonus article
- Cybersecurity Awareness Month message
- Secrest Artists Series coming up Nov. 7
- Native American Heritage Month
- Diwali greetings
I have run a couple of posts this week that took up the whole column, so today we are playing a bit of catch up from things that have been queueing up in my Inbox.
Also, wanted to let our P’27s know that we will feature a ‘going abroad in fall 2025 considerations’ column coming up on Nov. 18 (we did the currently-abroad post this week because there is a Nov. 3 deadline for the Off Campus Lottery.)
As always, take what you need and scroll past what you don’t.
Election message from Dr. Shea
This week’s issue of the student e-newsletter WFU Should Know opened with an election message from Dr. Shea, Embracing Show Humanitate this Election Season. Here is an excerpt:
“The journey to Election Day can generate a range of emotions. Our diverse perspectives and lived experiences shape our political views and sometimes illuminate places of agreement and points of tension and dissonance. While the outcome of the election may be delayed, it will be important to approach the days and weeks ahead by upholding the values of Pro Humanitate. Kindness and respect define our community, and it is my hope that we practice these values in our relationships and communication as we navigate the results together.”
Leadership and Character led courses for spring 2025 and bonus article
I got an email from the Program for Leadership and Character and there were a couple of key items. First, they have a list of spring 2025 courses that are led by faculty who are associated with the L&C program, so that might be of interest to your Deacs as they plan for registration. Second, they are offering a post-election gathering, as described below:
“We are hosting a post-election event called, Living in Ambiguous Times: A Leadership and Character Open House on Wednesday, November 6 between 1–4 p.m. in Starling Hall. Whether we know the full election results by then or not, it seems nearly certain that Wednesday will be an ambiguous time as many in the United States and around the world wait to see what comes next following the federal elections the day before.” Read the full message.
We also have a bonus article for you: Michael Lamb, F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character, Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character and Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, wrote an article entitled “St. Augustine was no stranger to culture wars – and has something to say about today’s;” this article was published in The Conversation today.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month message
The final weekly message for Cybersecurity Awareness Month was about how to be proactive in securing your accounts. With phishing and other cyber-shenanigans on the rise, this message is doubly important.
Multicultural sorority interest meeting Nov. 6
The sisters of the Delta Xi Phi multicultural sorority reached out to me to ask if I can share information about their cupcake decorating and interest meeting on Nov. 6.
Many of our young women go through traditional Panhellenic (i.e., sorority) recruitment, but they also might want to consider our multicultural sorority. Sisterhood comes in many forms, and every group can offer friendship, fellowship, service, and fun. I hope some of your young ladies will be interested.
Secrest Artists Series coming up Nov. 7
I also received an email from the Secrest Artists Series about the Nov. 7 performance of Cuarteto Casales. The string quartet will be performing works by Haydn, Beethoven, and Shostakovich. Tickets are free for students and can be reserved in advance via the link in the email.
I say this a lot but once students graduate, they will have to pay (and sometimes pay significantly) to see world class performances like this. So the wisest students will go to some of these amazing offerings now while they are free!
Native American Heritage Month
The Intercultural Center observes Native American/Indigenous Heritage Month (NAHM) in November:
“This is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the Native Nations and Indigenous communities that exist throughout what is currently known as the Americas. We look forward to hosting events throughout the month that highlight Native & Indigenous leadership, values, and cultures.”
There is a variety of terrific events throughout the month, which we hope your Deacs will attend if they can. See the calendar of events.
Diwali greetings
Diwali is being observed right now and I want to offer a belated Happy Diwali to our families who are celebrating! If you want to know more about Diwali, NPR shared an article earlier this week to explain this festive holiday.
We’ll close out the week with a gentle reminder that Friday afternoons/early evenings are a good time to pick up your phone and call your Deac! Happy weekend to all!