If you, dear reader, haven’t noticed, it’s Homecoming Week. And while some may argue that school spirit is low and that being a commuter school adds to the apathy that runs rampant on our grounds, this week marks the perfect opportunity to show our true colors.
This week also marks the unofficial 80th anniversary of the University, and it’s the chance to come together as a community, to meet and get to know each other as fellow Cougar. Granted, this is easier said than done, but there are many reasons on why everyone should be proud of the University.
And take your pick.
The diversity that’s present in our campus is one of the greatest strengths of the University. It’s a perfect microcosm of the city of Houston. And in every corner of the University, students from diverse backgrounds come together for the common goal: higher-level education.
And the facilities the University has are worthy of praise, too. Both the Graduate Creative Writing Program and the Hotel Restaurant and Management program are on the top of the lists in their respective fields.
The Bauer College of Business was recently ranked as No. 1 in Houston for its part-time master’s of business administration, No. 4 in the Southwest region and No. 27 in the nation, according to BusinessWeek.
The University has also played host to elite instructors in a slew of fields, such as professor Jody Williams of the Graduate School of Social work. Williams won the 1997 Nobel Peace Price for her efforts in eliminating anti-personnel landmines. She’s the third woman in the United States to win this award.
The Graduate Creative Writing Program has had a wide array of visiting writers, such as Margaret Atwood, Tim O’Brien, Robert Pinsky, Tobias Wolff, Denis Johnson, to name a few.
But the services that are offered at the University only scratch the surface of the potential that’s available at the University. It’s an institution that went from a swampy area of borrowed buildings to an institution that’s striving for flagship status.
Your education is what you make of it. This institution’s diversity and vivacity will certainly help.Remember that as you celebrate.
