Tuesday, May 01, 2012
The Departure
Last night, the faculty here at St. Thomas had a reception for our outgoing Dean, Tom Mengler, who is heading off to be President of St. Mary's University in San Antonio.
As often happens, part of the reception involved standing in a rough circle and giving remembrances and tributes. I'm new here, so I did not have one, but it was one of those times it was probably best not for me to talk anyways-- nothing I could have said would have improved on the perfect spirit of it.
There were funny stories (lots of those) and poignant ones, and allusions to difficult moments, and in all it swirled together into a very human portrait of what this place is. It made me proud to be here, and grateful for Tom Mengler.
Here was one of the stories: In 2006, the dean got some amazing and wonderful news-- that the school had received full accreditation, way ahead of schedule. He wanted to announce it some dramatic way, so he left mysterious signs around that everyone should gather in the atrium one evening for a special announcement. For reasons no one really can explain, the rumor went around that the surprise was that Oprah was going to show up. Instead of dispelling this rumor, they fed it. They made the security guys look like they were smuggling someone into the courtroom, then kept people out of there. When it came time to make the announcement, they teased it out... i.e., saying that it "had to do with the color purple..." etc. Then, once everyone was straining for some glimpse of Oprah, Tom Mengler made the announcement about the accreditation, and they shot off the confetti cannons, and everyone cheered. And then they did some musical theater. That's how it goes here.
I would imagine that there are times an architect like New Christine will stand quietly and look at a building she designed with a quiet and righteous pride. That was the spirit last night as my colleagues reflected on what they had built, and it was wonderful just to stand on the outskirts and watch, knowing that now I am a part of that creation.
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A while ago I thought of being an outsider as undesirable, ostracized in a permanent state of exile. Over time I came to realize that being an outsider is not so bad. As a no threat entity, by being an outsider who blends in somehow, those who don’t know me think I literally don’t understand them, those who know me gauge my level of understanding according to who I am. I found that both groups end up a lot more candid around me which makes it that much more interesting an interaction. People can be very different when their invisible guards are down. I realize that it is not the case for your experience; I think you were more a witness than an outsider, a witness to a story you’ve now become part of.
# posted by 
: 1:29 PM
: 1:29 PM
Looking forward to making the new president's acquaintance and welcoming him to the great American city of San Antonio! Sounds like St. Mary's got a good 'un.
Bob
Bob
# posted by : 4:56 PM
: 4:56 PM
It is the "quiet and righteous pride" Mark exudes, as do so many others, that St. Thomas Law and the Razor Family have introduced me to that encourages stepping out of comfort zones while seeking to transcend limitations.
In our own way, we are offered opportunities to influence and shape the world we share. In differing ways we all create, though to compose is seldom more rewarding than when we are fortunate to conduct and initiate the movement(s) allowing another the feature performance - the most precious of moments filled with a "quiet and righteous pride."
The pride of each contractor creates the spirit that dwells within the most acclaimed designs and lends credence to the quotation:
Architecture, of all the arts, is the one which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul." - Ernest Dimnet
It is an honor to be included and be apart of what all of you have "built" here and continue to "build" upon...
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In our own way, we are offered opportunities to influence and shape the world we share. In differing ways we all create, though to compose is seldom more rewarding than when we are fortunate to conduct and initiate the movement(s) allowing another the feature performance - the most precious of moments filled with a "quiet and righteous pride."
The pride of each contractor creates the spirit that dwells within the most acclaimed designs and lends credence to the quotation:
Architecture, of all the arts, is the one which acts the most slowly, but the most surely, on the soul." - Ernest Dimnet
It is an honor to be included and be apart of what all of you have "built" here and continue to "build" upon...
# posted by : 5:38 PM
: 5:38 PM << Home
