Hello, Golden Eagles.
Today, March 30, 2021,
marks the 111th anniversary
of The University of Southern Mississippi's
legislative founding.
As we observe this Founders' Day,
I'm sharing this message from the Danforth Chapel,
located in the heart of our Hattiesburg campus.
If you are like me, many of you may have walked
past this Chapel countless times,
but you may not have paused to consider what it represents
as a special place of quiet reflection and meditation.
There is no question the past year has brought with it
more uncertainty than many of us
have experienced in our lifetime.
The pandemic has given me, and perhaps each of you,
a greater sense of purpose,
and its impact on our lives has drawn greater attention
to the things that truly matter.
And so, I wanted to take this opportunity
to bring greater attention to the Danforth Chapel,
which is open to all students, faculty,
staff, alumni and visitors,
whenever you may wish to observe
a quiet moment of reflection.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Chapel.
The Chapel was first constructed in 1957,
through the generosity of William H. Danforth
and students, alumni, faculty and friends of the University,
which was then named Mississippi Southern College.
The Chapel's memorial windows represent seven virtues-
Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice,
Fortitude, Temperance and Prudence.
The three windows behind me highlight: Fortitude,
which we recognize as courage in pain or adversity;
Temperance, which we recognize as moderation in action,
thought or feeling;
and Prudence, which we recognize as acting with care
and thought for the future.
As I visited the Chapel recently,
I was struck by how meaningful
these values are in the context of our world today.
As I interpret them,
these values are not tied to a specific religious belief,
but rather, they speak to the universal necessity
to face adversity with courage, with measured intention,
and with careful consideration for the future.
In the past year, I believe we have done just that.
We have been forced to forge a new path
through uncharted waters.
We have been forced to make the best decisions we could,
without knowing exactly what tomorrow would bring.
We have been forced to remain physically apart
from one another, and yet still,
to consider and to care for each other
in ways we have never had to do.
Throughout my lifetime,
I have witnessed what can happen when people
are faced with odds they believe they cannot overcome.
I have witnessed frustration and failure.
I have witnessed individuals give up on their dreams,
but I have never witnessed those things here
at The University of Southern Mississippi.
I have said countless times before
that the Southern Miss we know is built
upon the unwavering caliber of our people.
We are not afraid.
We do not hide.
We do not stop when something challenges our dreams.
We band together.
We support one another,
and we overcome any obstacle with courage,
persistence and compassion for our fellow Golden Eagles.
In the past year, despite all the odds,
each of you have continued to demonstrate
that nothing can temper the Southern Miss spirit.
You have proven yet again, what we all know to be true,
and that is that our collective success
has never been, and will never be, determined
by one individual or any one group.
Banding together, we have defied the odds
to realize an incredible year of progress
at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Together, we have increased our enrollment
at a time when many institutions across the country
were not able to do so.
We have developed ways to deliver a large portion
of our curriculum in remote formats,
while still maintaining the high-quality standards
for which the University is known.
We have cast a bold new vision for our operations
along the Mississippi Gulf Coast,
anchored in three foundational pillars
to further solidify our position as the leader
in education and research in the Gulf of Mexico.
We have advanced key construction projects
that continue to shape our campuses and our students.
We have far exceeded private fundraising benchmarks,
supporting student scholarships,
academic and research initiatives,
and transformative facility projects.
We have stabilized our institutional finances,
despite the impacts of the pandemic,
while still maintaining progress
toward the IHL Board's expectations
for financial sustainability,
and we have positioned ourselves
for a strong return to in-person
classes and activities this fall.
Our ability to work together, no matter what,
has helped propel us to the bright future we hope for,
the bright future we dream about,
the bright future we are beginning to experience.
We have already shown that together,
we can rise above any challenge
with the same grit, determination and resilience
that has characterized Southern Miss
we know and love for decades.
We are close to making it through this wilderness,
and I know each of you will join me
in remaining committed to the things
we need to do now to continue placing the health and safety
of our Southern Miss community above all else.
Against all odds, together,
we are achieving our vision of becoming
the model for public higher education across the country.
If we can stay the course for just a little bit longer,
I know we will soon see the bright future crest
on the horizon.
I remain encouraged and inspired by each of you,
and I'm so grateful you are our true partners
in creating our Southern Miss legacy.
And so, as we celebrate 111 years
of The University of Southern Mississippi's
impact on our students, on our communities,
on our state and far beyond our borders,
I know that each of you join me
in being grateful for an institution
that means so much to so many -
an institution that has provided each of us
with opportunities we otherwise would not have had.
Thank you.
Thank you for supporting one another
as members of our Golden Eagle family.
Thank you for continuing to demonstrate
the Southern Miss spirit to the world,
and thank you for your commitment
to The University of Southern Mississippi,
as we continue charting new paths
and rise To The Top - Together.