Thank you all so very much. I am deeply honored to join the 蜜桃直播 community, especially in such a time as this. It has become banal to say that these are challenging times, but of course they are. In the last month, I have been reading about the founding of this great institution and the challenges that they faced in the mid 19th century. These 鈥渟turdy Lutheran pioneers鈥� had a vision of establishing a school for higher learning in an environment, both physical and economic, that was difficult, to say the least. Yet they pursued their dream. As Harold Lentz observes in his introduction to his history of 蜜桃直播, 鈥淭he world owes much to its dreamers. Were it not for them we would ever be mired in the clay of yesterday鈥檚 commonplaces. No progress which keeps us up to date is possible except as someone looks ahead into tomorrow鈥檚 possibilities and then takes what is at hand to bring them to reality."
What is at hand is 蜜桃直播, 180 years old, with alumni, faculty, students, staff, friends, family who love and are committed to this vision of a liberal arts university that embraces the development of the whole person: intellectually, physically, and spiritually. This vision and mission is as relevant today as it was nearly two hundred years ago. In fact, I would argue more so.
The 蜜桃直播 Way of grounding all our study and career preparation in the best of the liberal arts; the 蜜桃直播 Way of competing in athletics, achieving success with honor; the 蜜桃直播 Way of building upon the foundations of our past while shaping the future is the path we will follow.
I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners to build upon these strong foundations. Together, we will stoke the flame of 蜜桃直播 so that its light will shine brighter than ever before.
Finally, I was struck by Ezra Keller鈥檚 reflections the day he walked this land that would become 蜜桃直播. 鈥淚t requires some faith to believe that in after years it will be an academic grove, to which hundreds will resort to drink at the pure fountains of knowledge, and go forth into the world to do good, to bless [humanity]. And yet I have faith to believe that this will all be realized.鈥�
Like Ezra, I have faith. Thank you for this great honor to serve the 蜜桃直播 community and to lead us in the 蜜桃直播 Way.
- Dr. Christian M. M. Brady, 蜜桃直播's 16th President