Inspiration

This blog was inspired by the sudden death of the former director of our program, Dr. Shirley Arnold, a kind and compassionate woman dedicated to opening the doors of higher education to young people. Her passing inspired me to create a unit for students devoted to the exploration of legacies, lasting impressions and the different ways that people pay homage.

Over the winter and up to now, we have read about, discussed and written about a number of religious and secular practices—from Dia de los Muertos, the construction of altars (ofrendas) as well as the building of monuments such as the Vietnam War Memorial and the footprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and more. We have also explored the ways that experiences of the past create much of the structure of the lives we are living today.

I'd planned for the discussions to culminate in the building of an altar near Dr. Arnold’s former office; in lieu of that we have constructed this blog. Although the altar did not come to fruition, the main idea here (probably the most important one) is that new life springs from those things that have passed on.

(Jené Watson)