Tuesday, January 21, 2009
Dear Students:
As the presidential Inauguration Day approaches, I write to share a few thoughts and to urge you to take a moment out of your busy lives to reflect upon this pivotal moment in our countryÕs history.
The groundswell of new participants in the recent elections Ð including so many young people at Ohio State Ð underscores a collective resourcefulness, energy, courage, and compassion that I have not seen on our campuses for too many years. All at a time when it would be easy to turn inward. Daunting challenges surround us, to be sure. But rather than seeing only a world freighted with danger and turmoil, today we are focused on the future that is ours for the making.
More than ever, it is critical to recall our unique history, our great spirit, creativity, and confidence. That American optimism -- crystallized at this pivotal moment -- both defines us and binds us together in common intent. Through civic engagement of all kinds, we must build on that momentum and recommit ourselves to a national purpose. MondayÕs holiday in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr., is fittingly also a national day of service. Opportunities to extend hands-on help abound, and we must all seek out new ways to commit ourselves to improving the lives of others.
To be clear, this is not a partisan declaration. I have said that my politics are purely scarlet and gray. They are also thoroughly red, white, and blue.
Sincerely,
E. Gordon Gee
National MLK Service Day -- Columbus opportunities
Copyright 2009, The Ohio State University
This page is maintained by: Office of the President
205 Bricker Hall | 190 North Oval Mall | Columbus, OH 43210-1357 | Phone: (614) 292-2424 | Fax: (614) 292-1231
If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact webmaster@osu.edu.
