Hope
and Rememberance
Beginnings are usually hopeful times. That
is certainly the case with the start of a new school year, and this
past September was no exception. As new and returning students arrived
on campus to pursue their dreams and aspirations, they brought with
them a spirit of optimism and enthusiasm that enlivened the entire
College community. This year, however, the excitement that normally
accompanies the start of a semester was tinged with a little sadness
as the campus community remembered, along with the rest of our nation,
the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
That sobering memorial was a renewed reminder that the world is
now one neighborhood. There is no escaping the fact that what happens
in Bosnia and Rwanda and Afghanistan has meaning for Americans living
in Bloomfield, Aliquippa and, of course, Somerset, Pennsylvania.
And as we watched La Roche students from other parts of the world
express their concern and sympathy for their American counterparts
in their moment of sorrow, it bore witness to the hope that is embodied
in our approach to international education – an approach that
sets us apart from the hundreds of other private, liberal arts colleges
throughout the country.
Our efforts are founded on the belief that education can lead to
multi- cultural understanding and multicultural understanding can
lead to peace. Simply put, if people of different ethnic, religious,
cultural, economic, social and national backgrounds cannot learn
to live together with each other, they will likely destroy each
other. Our mission is to bring Americans and others into a collegiate
learning experience that will enhance respect for each other and
promote the kind of understanding among peoples that lessens tensions
and diminishes the probabilities of wars and acts of terrorism.
This intercultural outreach is a unique dimension of our life at
La Roche College and a unique dimension of our educational enterprise.
As we reflect on the Christmas season, which offers its own unique
promise of peace, and move into another new year, the conviction
that we can make a real contribution to promoting peace and global
understanding continues to give us hope in this time of remembrance.
Monsignor William A. Kerr President
|
|
