Maureen E. McCartney (BA HONOURS ENGLISH/POLITICAL SCIENCE, 1994)

(From a May 11, 1992 letter)

…. I have once heard it said that, “If your teacher is wise, he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” Unfortunately for students of any discipline, such “wise” teachers are few and far between. I, however, have been fortunate and blessed to have found two such teachers – first Dean Lennon and then you. Tom Lennon’s contention that “education is impossible without a context” proves more true the more I learn – and the amount of “contextual” learning I gained from you this year was tremendous. As I mentioned at the beginning of the school year, for me, the most exciting and worthwhile part of a University education occurs when one is able to see the interconnectedness of seemingly distant disciplines – how music, literature, philosophy, yes and even the sciences! are all of a piece. To study one discipline so intensely as to exclude a careful consideration of any or all of the others is, to me, to miss the point of a true University education. With you this year I was able to further broaden my “context.”… I can assure you that my quest for a well rounded education will not stop now… The “gems” of knowledge you have shared with me and your truly keen and continued concern for the interests of your students are things I shall not soon forget...

And so I thank you for your commitment, patience and shared knowledge …

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