Dear STCL Houston Community:
I wish you all the best as classes begin for the new semester tomorrow!
Last week, as I welcomed our new 1L class at Orientation, I shared that a new semester is a time for commitment, renewed purpose, and a dedicated focus on what matters most. Similarly, a new year brings the opportunity to move confidently toward long-held goals and priorities.
In that vein, I made a bold move last week. As I said good-bye to 2020, I also said good-bye to the hair that went with it! Here’s proof:
Let’s be honest. 2020 threw challenges at us that we never anticipated. There was no playbook. We were surrounded by unknowns. We were reacting to developing scientific information, uncertain economic realities, and external factors over which we had very little say. As a result, 2020 often could feel overwhelming, out of control. And as we largely were in a reactive mode, we may have let some things slide. Maybe it was the healthy diet. Or the exercise regimen. Or in my case, trips to the barber … (Who knew I could grow a ponytail?)
I am proud of how our South Texas community – faculty, staff, students, and alumni – responded to all of these challenges last year. And we learned a lot: that our actions matter, that we can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks and can rise to any challenge, that our community matters.
As we start this new year, I remain an optimist. I understand that the pandemic continues and that the number of cases is increasing. I understand the human, economic, and social tolls the pandemic has taken. I understand that we have not as a nation addressed long-standing racial issues. I understand that economic displacement remains a significant reality and threat. Things are not back to normal, and may never be.
And yet, we know so much more than we did last year about the virus, and vaccines are in the field. We are better prepared for the challenges, and can be more proactive. We have begun having more, and deeper, conversations on race. And we know what we together can accomplish. This gives me hope.
So, as the calendar turns to 2021, I wanted to make a very clear and visible declaration that I am looking forward. We have turned the page on 2020. It’s over. It’s a new year. As I sat in the barber’s chair last Tuesday (for the first time since February), I told Ron that I wanted a “statement haircut” – one that demonstrates that I commit to being proactive about this coming year. One that makes clear that I am preparing for the post-pandemic world (whatever that looks like and whenever it arrives). One that shows that I take ownership of my actions and my attitudes in the new year.
As we start classes tomorrow, I encourage you to spend a few minutes thinking about what worked well for you last year – and what potential changes may benefit you, your family, and our South Texas community in this new year. And then I might suggest that you commit yourself to making this semester and this year successful. What will your statement be? Professionally and personally, what is most important to you? In what area of your life do you need to buckle down and devote time or energy in order to find success? To what will you commit?
I’d love to hear from you, and I look forward to catching up in the new year. In the meantime, best wishes for a healthy and productive and safe 2021!
Michael F. Barry, J.D.
President and Dean
South Texas College of Law Houston
713.646.1819 | 1303 San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002
Follow me on Twitter @DeanMikeBarry