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President's Letter
Dear Alumnae/i and Special Friends:
Imagine for a moment, a good old-fashioned seesaw. One side goes up, the other goes down, but ultimately, it is all about balance—and so go the arts and sciences. Lately we have been talking a lot about the sciences, encouraged by the many splendors of Parmer Hall. But now, with this magazine, I want to rebalance the conversation—and focus on the arts and humanities.
Decades of alumnae/i will attest to the fact that the arts, broadly defined, are at the heart of a Dominican education—graduate as well as undergraduate. The beauty of campus makes an indelible first impression, setting the stage for a transforming and everlasting liberal arts experience. Once upon a time the fine arts, music and theatre were the majors of choice at Rosary College. Today, the disciplines of art, design, photography, theatre and apparel remain among Dominican University’s most robust programs—and of course, all undergraduates benefit from our liberal arts and sciences core curriculum.
As an English major I would be remiss if I did not say a positive word about the humanities. I trace my love of literature and the craft of writing back to my college days, as do so many Dominican alums, who now remember fondly, and with the wisdom of experience, those many hours of reading and writing papers—and rewriting a few. A liberal arts education provides multiple ways of knowing and the resilience to dig deeper intellectually.
Not too long ago I was talking with a graduate business student about why he chose to study at Dominican, and he also spoke of the liberal arts culture of the place, which shapes how professors teach. He mentioned the performing arts series and other campus events that give balance to his professional goals. To that end, I have always appreciated the fact that our theatre arts program does not limit access to theatre majors—on the contrary, students across disciplines are encouraged to participate. In fact, even I stepped on stage in costume a few years ago.
Speaking of the Lund Auditorium stage, over 50 years it has hosted many of the great artists, classical and popular, of our day, from Duke Ellington to Emmylou Harris, Renée Fleming to Edward Albee. This year, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Dominican University Performing Arts Center, we are reminded of how profoundly the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters’ commitment to the arts has shaped the education that we offer today.
In closing, let me return to my seesaw metaphor. The true beauty of a Dominican education is in the balance between the arts and the sciences. While recently the university has focused its efforts on fortifying the sciences, we cannot forget the arts. Why? Because, as Jane Glover, music director of Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, remarked to the class of 2008 in her commencement address, “The arts show the best of what human beings can do, can achieve, and in a world where so regularly we read of violence…, it is utterly necessary to have things in our lives which remind us of the greatest of human achievements.” Thank you, Jane.
Donna M. Carroll
President
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