Dear Students,

It’s great to welcome you all back to the Forty Acres for the spring 2022 semester! I hope that you enjoyed the winter break and were able to spend time recharging and reconnecting with friends and family after a busy fall.

Today is our first official day of class following yesterday’s holiday that marked the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King is honored prominently on our campus by a statue on the East Mall. The statue’s story begins with a group of students in 1987 who formed the Martin Luther King Jr. Sculpture Foundation. Four years later, UT President William Cunningham endorsed the project, and then in 1995, student government created a $1-per-student fee each semester for four years to raise project funds. The statue was completed in 1999, 12 years after that first student group formed. This past weekend as I looked at the statue, which depicts King in academic regalia, I was reminded that he wasn’t simply a great man, but also a student and a scholar, someone who loved learning and put it into practice in order to change the world, and someone who inspires students and scholars like us today.

Last year, my MLK Day message focused on King’s visit to UT on March 8, 1962, and I would like to reshare some of the words he spoke to campus on that day: “I do believe there is a difference between saying something and doing something.” For this reason, I’m proud to announce that as of this summer, Juneteenth, like MLK Day, will be an official university holiday. It is one of the ways that we’re doing something in addition to saying something. There are other ways, as well — and, like the completion of the King statue, some will take time to realize. Please know that one of our key priorities is to continue to foster a diverse, inclusive and welcoming campus where we all feel comfortable bringing our full selves to the Forty Acres. Today, as classes begin, it is also my hope, as we go about our research and learning together, that the knowledge we gain won’t just change our words, but our actions too.

As the semester unfolds, I am looking forward to the full return to in-person learning, events and activities. As you know, we’re starting classes online out of an abundance of caution in light of the prevalence and impact of the omicron variant. We continue to monitor pandemic conditions and are still actively promoting vaccination and boosters, testing, mask wearing and hand washing. As with previous waves, we’re going to work through this together, we’re going to maintain critical research and teaching functions, and we’re going to work to reclaim the residential college experience that we value so highly.

We are still planning on a series of awesome in-person events later in the semester. They include the annual Forty Acres Fest on March 26, which will feature live music all day, free food, attractions, rides, photo booths and over 100 student booths on the Main Mall. We’re also planning for the Texas Revue (April 23), our traditional talent show with a grand prize of $1,500; the Longhorn Run (April 23) with 5K and 10K courses that run through campus and surrounding areas; and Family Weekend (April 22-24), a tradition that has brought generations of Longhorn families together for a variety of activities and events including the Orange and White football game.

In addition, I’m especially looking forward to the April grand opening of the Moody Center on campus, our multipurpose arena that will host our men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as first-class musical acts and other UT events. Upcoming events include John Mayer, Justin Bieber, George Strait, and a band I last saw in person in high school – Bon Jovi. The arena looks incredible, and I’m proud of UT’s continued role in keeping Austin the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

My very best to you this semester, and know that we’re in this together. As Gina says in the epic anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “We’ve got each other, and that’s a lot.” You can hear that song and other great ones live at Bon Jovi – I’ll see you there. And maybe at Bieber.

Hook ‘em!

Jay Hartzell
President