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Dear Defiance College Graduates:
It seems like only yesterday that the winter semester was just starting, and here we are already well into February. I am pleased to report that not only are lots of exciting things happening in and around campus, but also that students are visiting the President’s House with increasing frequency.
In just the last week, Anne and I have had the pleasure of welcoming to the house for dinner the members of the Pep Band; a few freshmen who came over for a home-cooked meal and then some ping-pong playing; about two dozen members of the football team who joined us to watch the Super Bowl (and to consume countless pizzas and wings); and the students who visited Belize in December as part of our wonderful McMaster School program.
We spent over three hours listening to the fascinating experiences of the students in Belize, looking at their photographs, hearing about their research projects, and being overwhelmed by their enthusiasm, dedication, commitment, and excitement.
We recently initiated our Rising Stars program in which the College honors students who have been nominated by faculty members as rising stars in their majors. We have already announced Rising Stars in several majors, and there are many more to come.
Our Defiance College Partnership for Jobs (in which the College helps subsidize the pay of students working for local community-based non-profits and small businesses) has gotten off to a nice start. I really think it is a win-win, as it gives students great experience and contacts, provides them with additional financial resources, and also helps the surrounding community.
Last week, we welcomed to our campus the Reverend Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. Reverend Black spent two days with us meeting with faculty and students, being briefed on different DC initiatives, speaking at one of our interfaith lunches, and more. For those of you who have not met him, Reverend Black is an impressive and engaging man, and we were honored to have him on campus. (In fact, I am pleased to announce that he has agreed to preside over our Baccalaureate service that precedes graduation in May.) To view the Crescent News article on Reverend Black’s visit click here.
There’s much more going on, but I have promised to keep these occasional updates short, so more to come in a future e-mail.
Mark Gordon
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