April 19, 2007
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In This Issue
Message from the Vice President for Student
Affairs
This has turned out to be a sad and scary week especially for the higher education community as we have watched the unfolding news about the events at Virginia Tech. As our thoughts go out to our colleagues, students and all members of the Virginia Tech community, we know in our hearts that no campus is immune from this sort of violence. And so across the UTSA campus, as across the country, we take time to learn from this and to review our systems and practices to make sure we are doing our best to take care of our community. Over the coming weeks many of you will take part in this important work and all of us must do our part to know our responsibilities for safeguarding ourselves and our campus.
I’d like to share a story with you as told in Margaret J. Wheatley’s book Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future.
A Story from the Aztec People
It is said by our Grandparents that a long time ago there was a great fire in the forests that covered our Earth. People and animals started to run, trying to escape from the fire. Our brother owl, Tecototl, was running away also when he noticed a small bird hurrying back and forth between the nearest river and the fire. He headed towards this small bird.
He noticed that it was our brother the Quetzal bird, Quetzaltototl, running to the river, picking up small drops of water in his beak, then returning to the fire to throw that tiny bit of water on the flame. Owl approached Quetzal bird and yelled at him: “What are you doing brother? Are you stupid? You are not going to achieve anything by doing this. What are you trying to do? You must run for your life!”
Quetzal bird stopped for a moment and looked at owl, and then answered: “I am doing the best I can with what I have.”
It is remembered by our Grandparents that a along time ago the forests that covered our Earth were saved from a great fire by a small Quetzal bird, an owl, and many other animals and people who got together to put out the flames.
My thanks to each of you, for every day, with every student, every parent, and every colleague doing the best that you can with what you have. Indeed that is all any of us can do and, as in this story, when all is said and done, it is what makes the difference.
In times like this words often fail us and it seems to be the role of poets and poetry to give voice to what we can not speak, to help us understand the incomprehensible and so I leave you with a poem. It comes from my collection of books for children. The poet is John Marsden, who is recognized as Australia’s leading author for young adults:
A Prayer for the Twenty First Century
May the road be free for the journey, May it lead where it promised it would, May the stars that gave ancient bearings Be seen, still be understood. May every aircraft fly safely, May every traveler be found, May sailors in crossing the ocean Not hear the cries of the drowned.
May gardens be wild, like jungles. May nature never be tamed, May danger create of us heroes, May fears always have names. May the mountains stand to remind us Of what it means to be young,
May we be outlived by our daughters, May we be outlived by our sons.
May the bombs rust away in the bunkers, And the doomsday clock not be rewound, May the solitary scientists, working, Remember the holes in the ground. May the knife remain in the holder, May the bullet stay in the gun, May those who live in the shadows Be seen by those in the sun.
With my thanks and appreciation,
Gage
"Visiting With". .....Office of Housing and Residence Life
Here are a few things we would like you to know about us: Our mission is to provide clean and comfortable accommodations, which will nurture personal growth while contributing to each student's academic and social success. We will foster a sense of community, civic responsibility, and an appreciation of diversity through the staff and residents.
Everything we do is focused on aiding a student's ability to achieve academically and to thrive in the community in which they live. We are a place for students to live and learn.
More "Visiting With"......Housing and Residence Life Staff
Announcements/Reports
Be sure to wear your orange and maroon colors to show support for Virginia Tech
on Friday, April 20th.
University
Center will be undergoing a series of life and safety upgrades.
As a part of
the UC Expansion Project, the current University Center will be undergoing a
series of life and safety upgrades. These life and safety upgrades include
renovations to the current sprinkler and fire alarm systems and remodeling the
bathrooms in the UC to meet current ADA standards. In order to complete
this huge project by the goal date of August 2008, we will need to take several
meeting rooms and spaces off-line.
More Information and Schedule
Call for May 2007 Commencement “Volunteers” - Last Day As is our tradition, Student Affairs staff work either Fall or Spring commencement ceremonies to ensure a seamless and meaningful celebration for our students to share with their families and other significant people in their lives. We very much appreciate those of you who work both the Fall and Spring commencements, even though it is not required. Your commitment is commendable! And, we would like to encourage as many of you to be “repeat” commencement staffers as possible. If you did not sign up for last Fall commencement, please contact John Kaulfus (click below) at your earliest convenience to sign up for the most convenient time for you. If you did work last Fall ceremony, we thank you and ask you to consider signing up for a Spring ceremony. As always, appropriate compensatory time should be given by supervisors. Commencement Volunteers Fall 2007 Rowdy Ties Family Orientations Volunteers Needed! Join Housing and Residence on May 2, 2007 for a midnight breakfast to celebrate the end of the Spring Semester and to let our students know we support and encourage their successful completion of finals! Midnight Breakfast Directors' Reports As per Executive Council Meeting, February 13, 2007, VPSA will not require monthly reports. However, departments are encouraged to provide updates of their events, activities, etc. to the VPSA office for inclusion in the bi-weekly newsletter, Student Affairs Staff News. Please send updates (as a word document attachment) to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu
Employee Advisory Council Report - Legislative Issues - EAC Web Site
Departmental Events/Schedules
Campus Rec Events
Find out how to determine your physical fitness, develop fitness goals and implement a fitness program by linking above.
UTSA Sport Schedule Highlights - San Antonio Area
See GoUTSA Sports Weekly Schedule for more information.
BB - Baseball MG - Men's Golf MT - Men's Tennis MTF - Men's Tennis Finals SB - Softball WT - Women's Tennis WTF - Women's Tennis Finals
Student Activities
Annual FIESTA UTSA Celebration next Friday from 11am-3pm.
Weekly Events Starting April 16, 2007
Weekly Events Starting April 23 2007
In The Loop Prize-Winning Newsletter
Student Health Services Blood Drive at the UTSA Downtown Campus April 23rd and 24th All presenting donors receive a T-shirt, refreshments and great giveaways
Kudos To Carmen Alexander This email is from a customer who was very appreciative of the help he received from Carmen Alexander, Enrollment Services Officer, in the ESC Call Center.
I just wanted to say that I was amazed at the level of excellence in which she gave service. I work in the customer service field and usually even there people are not nearly as patient and understanding as Carmen was with me on the phone. I had a heap of questions I asked, some even more than once, and there was not a single moment in that conversation I was given the impression I was wasting her time or burdening her with worthless questions.
I guess you could say, I could hear the smile on her face. She even went as far as to read into the forms I had questions on and went line by line to help me figure out the information I would need. I just wanted to take a moment and let you know how appreciative I was of her help and that I only hope the rest of the employees in the office are as kind and understanding as she. Sincerely, Daniel F. Cangany
UTSA AlcoholEdu Receives National Recognition
Gage E. Paine and Sam Gonzales, representing UTSA Student Affairs, receive the 2006-2007 Prevention Excellence Award from Outside The Classroom, Inc. The Prevention Excellence Award honors higher education institutions and Greek organizations that have achieved excellence in their alcohol prevention efforts.
Reminders Please remember to encourage students to link to the Student Affairs Student Ombudsperson web page and Student Concern Form. Send newsletter items to Vivis.Lemmons@utsa.edu by Monday, April 30, 2007. |
