Dr. J's message for Nov. 22-29, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving Week! A four-day weekend is something we all can be grateful for. Many of you will be spending time with your relatives, eating turkey and pumpkin pie, taking part in your family traditions, seeing hometown friends, catching up on sleep, and perhaps working on a paper or other coursework due before the end of the quarter. Some of you will be here on campus, and I would like to highly recommend the annual Thanksgiving dinner held at RPAC on Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. It's especially designed for international students and U.S. students who are unable to go home for the holiday, and everyone is welcome. You can see photos of last year's dinner here.
In the spirit of giving thanks, this is a great time to reflect on our blessings and to consider how we can help others who are not as fortunate. Last week, we had a number of charitable events associated with Beat Michigan Week, from collecting food for the hungry to donating blood, and your generosity was impressive. As I have to write this column before the big game, I don't know how many of the contests, on and off the field were won by the Buckeyes, but I do know that many in our community will be thankful for your contributions to those causes.
Thanksgiving is about appreciation and sharing, and we tend to think of it in terms of food, but there are other important gifts. Because you are students here, I know that each of you has been given the gift of education and, I trust, a love of learning. That is something you can pass along as well. Soon, we will have information about a student-led program to provide books to students in the Columbus City Schools. The titles will be fiction and nonfiction books that current Ohio State students have recommended as books they enjoyed when they were in elementary school. There will also be opportunities to share your love of reading with the children. There are still some loose ends to tie up and a web site to finalize, but I wanted to plant the idea during this time of giving thanks.
Have a wonderful weekend and drive safely if you're traveling.
Dr. J
Javaune Adams-Gaston
Vice President for Student Life
vicepresident@studentlife.osu.edu
Contact:
Ruth Gerstner
614-292-8424
gerstner.2@osu.edu