Aloha, mahalo

By Kenneth Perrin, Chancellor, IU South Bend

It is hard to believe that almost five years have passed since Shirley and I left Hawaii to join the IU family. Even more incredible is the fact that we will be retiring at the end of the present semester! Candidly, these have been the best five years of our lives both professionally and personally because of all the wonderful people we have had the opportunity to work with and for.

As I thought about what I wanted to say in this column, I decided to use this opportunity to say good-bye and thank you. Soon after putting pen to paper, though, I realized how inadequate the words “good-bye” and “thank you” are in terms of expressing our feelings as we depart. Therefore, I am determined to revert to the beauty of the Hawaiian language and substitute the words “aloha” and “mahalo.”

I want to say aloha to all the wonderful Hoosiers who have touched our lives. I especially want to say mahalo to all of you who have helped advance an extraordinary campus. Since literally thousands of you have supported IUSB in so many incredible ways these past five years, I unfortunately cannot give each of you the individual credit you deserve. In spite of this reality, let me say mahalo to:

•President Jim Morris and the other members of the Board of Trustees, especially Trustee Cora Breckenridge, the board’s liaison to the campus, for their unwavering advocacy for IUSB;

•President Myles Brand and the rest of the central administration for providing IUSB with strong support when needed, yet sufficient autonomy to control our own destiny;

•The state legislature and particularly State Representative B. Patrick Bauer for providing the funds necessary to expand IUSB’s beautiful campus. The newest addition is the magnificent 57,280 square foot Student Activities Center which opened last month and is already dramatically improving life on campus;

•U.S. Congressman Tim Roemer for securing the necessary funds to allow IUSB to build a bridge to its future across the St. Joseph River;

•IUSB’s 23,000 alumni and in particular the alumni board members who unselfishly contribute countless hours to advance their alma mater. Significantly, in the past four years this group of dedicated volunteers has raised over $310,000 to provide much needed scholarship support to 40 talented undergraduates;

•The citizens of Michiana who have adopted IUSB as their own and especially IUSB’s outstanding advisory board, chaired by Ernestine Raclin. Their steadfast belief in the importance of IUSB to the intellectual, cultural and economic well being of Northern Indiana has truly made a difference. Through their efforts over the past five years, IUSB has an endowed chair and a beautiful art gallery. IUSB’s first capital campaign is progressing well as a result of the generosity of many of these individuals as well as gifts from a myriad of local corporations and citizens; and

•Finally, the dedicated faculty and staff of IUSB who constitute an extraordinary community of scholars. Your commitment to excellence shines like a beacon for all to see. You are the best!

We will miss all of you, but we leave knowing that the future of IUSB is secure because of your commitment to this exceptional campus.

See "Today's feature"to read about a few of the good things that are making a difference in the IUSB community.