��������

A Message from the Vice President of University Advancement 

Schools are fundamentally institutions of hope—but not necessarily perennial optimism. At Loyola, our hope comes from the belief and the lived practice that truth is discoverable and knowable; that though there are many right solutions to problems, there are also even more numerous wrong solutions to problems; that solidarity is better than the self-centered pursuit of pleasure; that forgiveness and reconciliation are better than alienation.

Hope does not demand that we look away from problems, suffering, and even evil. In our home city of New Orleans, Loyola students and faculty live with streets that don’t always treat our cars and bikes well, violent crime, a justice system that doesn’t always serve us well, and concerns that global warming may make living in south Louisiana a serious challenge in the coming decades.

A reactive optimist might just assume that things will get better. A Loyola campus rooted in hope has clear-eyed realists working on each of the challenges I’ve listed above—political science and sociology faculty and students working on solutions to city issues, law school people working to graduate judges and other professionals who will make our justice system better, an Environment Program that trains students in a broad array of skills, from basic science to environmental communication.

I get occasional questions about “young people today.” Loyola students truly do give me hope. They see the problems around us, and they show up on campus ready to tackle their studies and make each other (and us old guys on the faculty and staff) better and readier to make our city and world a better place. Come see us, so that you can feel the hope here too.

���Ѷٳ�,��

Chris Wiseman '88