What happens at Tulane doesn't stay at Tulane
At the end of the year, we step back and commend those who have completed major milestones in their lives. They have completed their undergraduate degrees or been awarded masters and PhD’s. They are recognized for their accomplishments with awards and tributes. Members of our SLA faculty and our staff, as well, are selected for their outstanding work and lauded for their achievements.
At this time of year, we also bid farewell to those who have, for a short time, made Tulane and New Orleans their home. In coming here, our students have learned about a place often far different from where they were born. They have come to love the food, the architecture, and the music. They have eaten crawfish and danced in second lines. They have donned knee-high boots in order to cross Willow Street and collected an inordinate share of Mardi Gras beads.
But perhaps what they have truly gained by being here is not represented by Jazz Fest tickets or pounds of crawfish. Rather, as evident in our student profiles, they have gained an understanding of the role of ideas, the power of knowledge, and their ability to shape their communities. They have learned to ask important questions and seek answers both in themselves and in those with far different backgrounds and experiences. They have come to realize that learning does not end with the last exam but is a life-long process for which they are now greatly prepared.
Thus, while we turn the tassel from right to left, celebrating graduation and marking the accomplishments of those who now leave the Tulane campus, we know that Tulane has become a part of who they are and will remain so, as they take their next steps in the world.