“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart For many of us, Thanksgiving is a day set aside for food, family, parades, and football — or maybe the Westminster Dog Show. Many will take a moment before dinner to share what we are thankful […]
Category: Letters
Remembering the Reformation
“Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.” — Martin Luther Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: This weekend and next Tuesday mark an important time in the Christian tradition — a time when we remember 500 years since the first beginnings of the Protestant Reformation. Whether we are Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic, […]
Welcome
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” — Nelson Mandela Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: Good morning, Valpo! Today marks the beginning of a new academic year at Valparaiso University. We gather in this place because we are called to seek Truth, serve generously, and cultivate hope. This […]
Spring Break
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” — Woodrow T. Wilson Dear Students, […]
A House Divided Cannot Stand
“A house divided cannot stand.” Jesus first spoke these words as he addressed a crowd of followers and critics — many of whom disagreed with each other about the ways to embody both their religious and political identities. We have also come to know these words because Abraham Lincoln uttered them in a speech he […]
Christmas
“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: On that first Christmas night, ordinary shepherds were the first to witness the birth of Jesus Christ — and the first messengers of God’s peace and […]
Thanksgiving
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” — Johannes A. Gaertner When many of us hear the word “Thanksgiving,” we think of a day set aside for food, family, and football. Perhaps we will take a moment before dinner to […]
Spring Break
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: Spring break is just days away. The demands of the semester are set aside so students and faculty can refocus and refresh, can reconnect with family […]
Welcome
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust, 20th century French novelist Good morning, Valpo! Today we embark on a new academic year at Valparaiso University, where we continue our individual and collective voyages to pursue truth, and we welcome our new students who […]
Christmas
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff: On that first Christmas night, an angel […]