Around Campus

Savoring the Moment

New issue of Oakland University Magazine shares the best of the past and present

Oakland University students at homecoming

Saying Grace

icon of a calendarNovember 16, 2017

icon of a pencilBy Emell Derra Adolphus

Share this story

alt
Emell Derra Adolphus
Editorial Director

Holidays tend to beckon us back home to break bread with family and count our blessings. In a similar show of gratitude, Golden Grizzlies from past and present turned out earlier this season during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend to celebrate Oakland University’s 60th anniversary.

If there is a unifying theme in this issue of OU Magazine, it is giving thanks: faculty, staff, students and alumni who illustrate their appreciation for our University by getting involved.

Decades later, alumni from OU’s class of 1967 (page 50) can still recount the stories that defined their respective OU experiences as if it were as recent as yesterday. Cherished mementos, seemingly insignificant, have a habit of jogging these memories free. And sometimes it’s the little things that leave the greatest imprint on our lives. Then, there are the big things.

Dean Kevin Ball, Ph.D., of the School of Health Sciences, was inspired to endow $25,000 for the continuation of the Healthology Symposium (page 36) so that students may reap the event’s benefits for generations to come. It’s a big commitment that Dr. Ball says reflects his belief in the University.

At a collegiate level, students show gratitude by giving extra time outside of the classroom. Student Congress President Lena Mishack (page 15) and Vice President Jousef Shkoukani (page 13) are proof of that. Thankfully, there are tangible opportunities on campus, beyond the limits of human memory, where we can see and appreciate our history and how far our University has come.

On a recent afternoon at Meadow Brook Hall, we accompanied President Pescovitz on a tour of the grounds. Along the way, she shared her thoughts on leadership and legacy. Our collective differences make us stronger as a

university, she believes. And a firm sense of pride for where we’ve come from will propel us to where we want to be.

We don’t need a holiday or special occasion to celebrate that.

Share this story