Margaret BauerI am pleased to welcome you, the Class of 2009, to what will be your home for the next four years. We are fortunate that you are joining us, and I look forward to greeting you in person soon. You come to Washington University at a wonderful time in our history. You have been selected from our largest and strongest applicant pool ever. Thank you for making the commitment to be a part of this community!
We are most fortunate to have you join us, because at the heart of every great university are its students, and we welcome you with enthusiasm as our newest community members. We are here to nurture your intellectual, emotional, and social growth. It is my hope that over the next four years you will learn and experience the power of a research university by taking part in the creation and dissemination of new knowledge.
Your work will enhance your involvement with our great faculty and stimulate your own creativity. Even more important, this new knowledge can bring valuable benefits to society. Of course, you will be involved in learning what others know in your classes and other academic activities, but being a contributor to new knowledge adds to your intellectual development in vital ways and is a key element of the student experience at a research university.
Washington University is a community of people dedicated to a world of learning without intellectual bounds, a place where the only limitations on ideas are those that you place on yourselves. The faculty and staff of Washington University, along with your upper-class colleagues, welcome you to this world and ask for your help in making it an even better place.
You will meet and establish rewarding friendships with many new people, and our diverse community will enhance your educational experience. Your education begins in our classrooms, studios, and labs, but it extends quickly to the many and varied opportunities for personal and social growth and service to the community.
Our students come from all across the United States and from around the world. The student body is diverse in every dimension, and this diversity provides a better educational environment for all who come to learn and work here. You will learn a great deal from your classmates, both inside and outside the classroom. This is one of the rewards of a residential college experience.
The years ahead promise to be challenging and exciting, from defining your area of intellectual interest, to playing a role in one of many student groups, to being a participant or a member of the audience in musical programs, athletics, theatre, or dance. Early in the academic year we will be formally launching the Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service, providing many opportunities for student engagement in the issues of our day. Our immediate community is a rich one, and we are fortunate to have a vibrant St. Louis community around us, with great institutions such as the St. Louis Art Museum, Science Center, and Zoo nearby-all having free admission! You should plan to take advantage of all that we have to offer.
Again, welcome to Washington University! Welcome to the beginning of your future, and best wishes for continued success in our community of learning and discovery.