Happy Friday, DHC! It's a gorgeous sunny day on the Oval. Fall is in the air.
Sunday was our annual raft trip down the Clark Fork River's Alberton Gorge with many of our honors first-years. We survived rapids including Tumbleweed, Split Rock, Fang, and more — with an ideal mix of whitewater excitement, mellow paddling through stunning scenery, a bit of bird watching and geology, along with lots of laughs and bonding with our guides from UM's amazing Outdoor Program. Director Elizabeth Fricke 'got groovy' with us at lunchtime, challenging us to manifest our goals for the semester. Tobin even skipped a rock more than a dozen times across Fish Creek. It was an awesome day!
Our work week started strong with one of the best-attended and most exciting DHC Trivia games in recent memory. Junior Jaxon Caufield stepped up as host for the fun and Lucille wrangled all the details for the and festive evening. It was a close battle for the top spot heading into the final round but after lots of big wagers in the final category of 'Spy Kids,' the rankings flipped and we even went to a tie breaker for winning the top prize of a pie from Bernice's Bakery! Our next Trivia Night is coming up October 9.
Introduction to Honors welcomed Bethany and Lucille for an informative 'All About Honors' presentation, gearing them up for the academic plans and honors narratives. Awe and Curiosity students began work on their awe journals/books of delights, inspired by field journals of renowned Missoula artist Claire Emery. Provost Lawrence joined us for our final hour with a stirring and very personal presentation about curiosity in her life and one of her long journeys 'down the rabbit hole.' As one of our students, Justin, commented, 'you have to have courage to be curious...' It was another awesome moment in the honors classroom. Meanwhile, our sustainable agriculture students heard the grower's perspective from livestock and vegetable producers in Texas and South Dakota. I also had the chance to guest in Dr. Benes' class on the work of our first President's Lecture/Mansfield Lecture, Robert Putnam, who will speak on 'Making Democracy Work' on Monday, September 15 at 7:00 PM in the UC Ballroom. Kylla's class was lively and fully engaged in the subject matter. The question I left them with: how can the DHC help its student build their social capital while they are at UM? What do you think?
Thursday evening was the last of our fall 'welcome wagon' events — our traditional DHC Spaghetti Supper. Turnout was great and our wonderful students were as engaged as ever. Last year's Friends of the DHC Jim and Norma Kolokotrones (fresh from a family trip to Greece) joined the fun. One of my favorite conversation starters from the night: if you could have anyone as a dinner guest, who would it be? Among favorite quotes: 'All of the answers are in the sauce' and 'life is about love and pasta.'
Now approaching week four of the semester (already!?!), we are in the thick of it. Here's some of what's coming up in the DHC through the rest of the month.
9/15 Boren Awards meet and greet and information session
9/15 President's Lecture/Mansfield Lecture, Robert Putnam, Making Democracy Work
9/16 Student Session with Robert Putnam
9/17 Beinecke, Goldwater, Truman and Udall scholarships information session
9/18 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Kickoff
9/18 Tea Time with Tim
9/18 Honors Student Association
9/19 UM Family Weekend Reception
9/22 DHC Student/Alumni Mixer
9/23 Critical Languages Scholarship information session
9/25 Donuts with the DHC
9/25 Advising for Spring 26 begins!
9/26 All Honors Summit
9/30 DHC Scholar Reception.
We enjoyed a lovely hike up Blue Mountain this morning. Some of the memorable lines: '...we are likin' the lichen,' '...nothing off the top of my dome,' and '...the DHC is dripping with opportunities.' It was a special treat welcoming Spring ‘25 grad Riley, and December ‘23 grad (fresh back from his master's in Economics from Cambridge, Dylan Cherullo, back to the squad. The Ponderosas were stunning and, as we came down the mountain, we were serenaded by meadowlarks and greeted with a Missoula signature cotton-candy sunrise. Daniel even shared a poem from Emily Dickinson. What a wonderful beginning to the day.
Many in our community were shaken by the events of the past week. I extend my heartfelt compassion to all and encourage folks to seek the support and care they need. Our team is here for you.
Here is Naomi Shihab Nye's Kindness.
Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things,
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
how you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
The passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.
Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.
Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak it until your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
And sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only that kindness raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or friend.
Be kind, DHC; that's all that makes sense anymore.
