Humanities Express

From the Dean

Summer is over! Both on the calendar and on campus, autumn and the beginning of another academic year have arrived at Ohio State. The signs are everywhere. Students and faculty hurrying through campus to catch their next class; information and vendor booths and tables litter the Oval; fliers are going up everywhere advertising public lectures, concerts, roommate vacancies, and the latest gadgets guaranteeing student success; and nature is beginning to weigh in by putting a "nip" in the air and turning the leaves various shades of brown. These occurrences remind us that the university is a vibrant place of active engagement as well as one of continuous change. But perhaps what we value most about this time of year are those things that remind us of the continuity of campus life. I suspect that it is for these reasons that we eagerly anticipate and enjoy the rituals that seem to be so abundant during the autumn quarter. While there are many, the ones associated with football most readily come to mind-tailgates, pep rallies, traffic congestion, and the many activities leading up to the annual encounter with the team from Up-North. As removed as they may seem from the serious pursuits that we identify with a university, these weekly autumnal rituals are in fact one of the important ways that we celebrate and sustain a spirit of community, connect our past to our present, and our campus to a world "out there."

Autumn also brings with it a number of academic rituals designed primarily to welcome and integrate new arrivals into the Ohio State community. This year, for example, the 6,100 students entering Ohio State for the first time participated in Convocation, a relatively new ritual through which the university welcomes first-year students in a quasi-academic ceremony. At this ceremony, students experienced their first academic procession, learned about the history and traditions of Ohio State, and took their first stab at singing "Carmen Ohio." Entering students also had an opportunity to participate in one of the newest campus rituals designed to introduce them to the intellectual climate of the campus, the Buckeye Book Community. This program provides students with a variety of opportunities to participate in activities associated with this year's chosen book, What Is the What by Dave Eggers.

In the College of Humanities, our autumn rituals tend to focus on faculty. The majority are designed to welcome our newest colleagues to the university and to facilitate their integration into the community. In fact, before most new faculty have had an opportunity to unpack their belongings, they have already participated in the College's annual new faculty orientation program and enjoyed the new faculty brunch with college administrators. These pre-quarter events are followed by a full slate of departmental and center welcoming events where the focus is on getting to know one's colleagues. However, the college's premier autumn quarter ceremony is our annual Faculty Recognition Reception. This event is characterized by moving ceremony, grand spectacle, and meaningful ritual that you will have to join us on October 24 at 4:00 pm in the ballroom of the Blackwell Hotel to experience. Or you can read about it in the next issue of the Express.

Have a great autumn!

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