Below, for your reference, is the full text of President Julio Frenk’s video message (above) to the University of Miami community.
Today, classes begin at the University of Miami. We are getting into a new rhythm and establishing new routines. We are meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
There are nearly 19,000 remarkable students at the U today taking some 3,760 classes. More than 17,000 devoted faculty and staff are guiding them toward their dreams. Hundreds of researchers and scholars across every field of study are pursuing excellence and relevance through discovery, creativity, and innovation. Thousands of health professionals are saving lives and enhancing well-being. Over 400 student-athletes are preparing for another season of competition.
We come from different places and perspectives. Yet, we have a common denominator. We care.
What does care look like? It looks like protecting the most vulnerable. Getting your shot. Wearing your mask indoors. Being mindful of how your choices affect others—some of whom don’t have a choice.
We have come with the enthusiasm of starting a new chapter. And the experience of having lived through one, the likes of which few had imagined.
Many things have changed for the better, from the availability of vaccines to new buildings dotting our landscape to more students living on campus. There are 5,250 of you residing with us this year.
Other things—the pandemic and some of the precautions necessary for our safety—seem to be lingering longer than we had hoped. We are living the adage that the only constant is change. And we know the pandemic will continue to evolve.
So right now is the time to focus on the changes we can affect. No matter what lies ahead, the single most important thing any ’Cane can do is care for fellow ’Canes and the communities of which we are a part.
This week, we welcomed one of our largest, most selective, and most diverse incoming classes. Today’s first-year students are our centennial class. They will be our graduating seniors when the University of Miami turns 100.
For nearly a century, this place we hold so dear has met challenges with a relentless spirit of resilience and renewal. Today, I call on all of us to walk in that tradition. To hold ourselves to a standard worthy of our mission.
The risks we face today can be overcome. At UHealth and in hospitals across the country and around the world, we see vastly different outcomes hinging on one decision. In the vast majority of cases, those who have access to vaccines and opt to get them avoid serious illness and death.
There are many choices before us, and the three most important are: work with tenacity, care for each other by getting vaccinated and following public health guidance, and show respect for each other even when we have our differences.
Let us all make the right choices—for ourselves, and each other.
Welcome back ’Canes. Let’s make this a great year.
We are one U. |
