April 14, 2023

Summary

Another week, another Friday, another message. What happened this week? It got cold, it got hot, it got a bit less hot. I will keep this message short and sweet because I have noticed that my messages are getting longer and longer, and I think it is a lot to expect you to read them to the end as you move into the weekend. But this one has a very tasty morsel at the end, so I recommend you keep reading.

Full Description

Dear all,

I have only two announcements, but they’re really important.

Day for Admitted Students Tomorrow: Tomorrow is Day for Admitted Students, when we woo students with balloons, food, presentations, information and the beauty of our campus. It really matters that our students enjoy the day, so that they decide they want to come here. We rely on them in so many ways, not least because they are one of many communities we serve. We need them! So thanks to all of you who agreed to do the department chats and sit behind your tables introducing passing students, families and friends to the delights of your discipline. I have sometimes sat behind my table feeling like a lost soul because other tables had more people at them than mine did (which produced terrifying behavior on my part, a la Scylla and Charybdis, as I tried to capture people when they walked past). But we need the lost souls too. Just the sight of your table with its sign reminds students who might come here that they can do almost anything at William & Mary, so sitting behind your table is an important signal of the variety of subjects that we offer. As John Milton once wrote (in Sonnet 19), “They also serve who only stand and wait.” That’s a life lesson, and frankly, you should read the whole poem because it’s short and it will transform you. No exaggeration.

One Tribe One Day: This is another really important day for us, when we reach out to our donor constituencies throughout the day in an integrated and coordinated effort to strengthen the resources of William & Mary. I am proud to say that the A&S Council of Arts & Sciences, our philanthropic advisory group, has pledged more than $80k to A&S as a matching challenge, so every dollar given by others will be matched by their contribution. (Shout-out to Gerald Bullock, miracle-working A&S Executive Director of Development, for making that happen.) We rely on you to get the word out about your departments and programs, and about Arts & Sciences, so make sure to tell anyone you can about this opportunity, and try to entice them to give.

And that’s all for today. I hope you have pleasant and relaxing weekends.

Ha! You thought I’d forgotten. No, today’s riff is on Dog Montessori School. I imagine some of you may be skeptical, but this is in fact a thing (and a very good thing, too). I was introduced to this concept by a member of my family who picks dogs up from day care for a living. As you may be aware, Montessori education focuses on “rigorous, self-motivated growth.” There is a misconception – widely shared – that Dr Maria Montessori, who opened the first Montessori school in Italy in 1907, was interested in educating and supporting children. Not so!! Her true focus was on dogs. All the stuff about children was a decoy. It was really dogs who were polishing silver, sweeping the floor, playing with blocks, and moving seamlessly and at their own pace from one activity to another.

Luckily, the lost history of Dr Montessori’s true passion and focus was finally unearthed by an intrepid researcher, Fido Flappy-Ears, and we now have Dog Montessori Schools around the country, honoring the truth of Dr Montessori’s memory. Signature activities include: canine freestyle dancing (we do this in Ewell sometimes), puppy pool, bacon-flavored bubble catching (we do that too, and Ben always wins), confidence obstacle courses, dog treadmill, ball pit adventures, tea time (definitely my favorite), and fun manners (none of us likes this one). I know you’re intrigued to learn more, and if so, I encourage you to visit this website. The thing is, as I write, it doesn’t even seem funny any more. It just seems like what we all need.

Have a great weekend, all of you.

Suzanne

Suzanne Raitt

Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences

Chancellor Professor of English

Pronouns: she/her/hers