PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Loyola community, It’s an odd experience writing this message, knowing that in a world rapidly changed and changing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, you will read these words—only weeks old—in a context that has likely changed two or three times since I wrote them. At a moment when we feel vulnerable, I am reminded again how much we can rely on Loyola, on our people and our tradition. We can count on our beliefs to help us find meaning in this surreal experience. We can count on the strong relationships we share with each other to get us through. When the pandemic challenges us with constant uncertainty, we double down on our Jesuit tradition and the things we can be sure of: an ability to find God in all things—even the small things, especially the small things; a stubborn and deep concern for the poor and oppressed, who need us more than ever; a commitment to service; an international perspective that recognizes global problems respect no borders. We practice the Jesuit tradition of “indifference,” clinging to what matters and letting go of the rest. We are busily working through the logistical challenges of reopening our campus, determined not to let a pandemic derail our students’ opportunities. And so we will add technology to our classrooms, find new ways to up our game, and keep our community safe and functional. I know we can do it because to be a Jesuit institution means to be innovative, to solve problems with duct tape and ingenuity. To be Jesuit means to be ambitious on behalf of mission and determined beyond measure. And it means to create community regardless of distance, because our values and our passion get us through any obstacle. We don’t have all the answers today, but we have 500 years of Jesuit tradition to help us find the answers. That is the reason, after all, that Loyola weathered the last pandemic in 1918. That is how we survived two world wars that emptied our campus and then filled it with returning veterans. And that is how we weathered Katrina. We got this.
Tania Tetlow University President
SUMMER 2020 | loyno
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