November 8, 2024
Thanks, Jeff, for your leadership and all you’ve done for the center.
Thank you all for being here tonight.
I’d especially like to thank Paul and Sonia Jones. We simply would not be here without you. Your extraordinary generosity and vision have put UVA ahead of the curve, as I’ll explain in a moment.
Thanks as well to all of the members of the Contemplative Sciences Center Advisory Board, the CSC staff, students, and faculty here tonight, and to director Kelly Crace, who will officially start in January. I’m so glad you’re joining us.
Special thanks and welcome to Sharath Jois for joining us and unveiling a new yoga series tomorrow.
Thanks also to our Board of Visitors, as well as members of our University leadership team, including Ian Solomon, dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, who will be speaking later tonight.
And thanks to everyone who has worked hard to make this a special evening.
I’d like to take just a few minutes to explain why I’m so excited about the Contemplative Commons. The reason is simple: I’m a runner.
You might be thinking that makes no sense, which is unfortunately true of many of my speeches. But bear with me.
The mission statement of the Contemplative Science Center talks about the importance of contemplation and connection to human flourishing. I confess that I do not engage in traditional contemplative practices like meditation and yoga. I have tried. But I get fidgety when I try meditating, and I hurt myself when I try yoga.
My contemplative practice is running, and it’s one of the main reasons I do it. When I run, my mind quiets down and lets me think about things without fear or anxiety. It enables me to notice things I haven’t seen before, to think more deeply about who and what matter to me, and to come up with ideas that hadn’t occurred to me before. It both grounds my thoughts and lets them take flight. And when I’m done with a run, I feel better not just physically but also mentally.
Running is also a source of connection. Sometimes it is through group runs where people are talking the whole way. Sometimes it is through group runs where people are silent but sharing an experience, which can be powerful—akin to seeing the same movie or play.
Engaging in this shared experience creates a connection that feels more real and authentic than a connection you might make at a cocktail party. Some of it is because you are sharing something you love; some of it is because you are yourself—not your made up self in a jacket and tie, but someone in shorts and a t-shirt and sneakers.
All of which is to say that I absolutely, 100% believe that contemplation and connection are foundational to good mental health and to flourishing. Which means I absolutely support what you are trying to do here. I think it can be hard to define contemplation precisely, but you know it when you feel it, and I understand it enough to be incredibly excited about this project.
All that is well and good, you might be thinking, but what does it have to do with the broader vision and purpose of UVA? We are here to prepare students to be citizen leaders. Contemplative practices might be a nice thing to offer, like good desserts in the dining halls. But how relevant is it to UVA’s core mission of preparing students to lead?
It’s here where I become even more excited and supportive. The reason is simple: I believe that in order to prepare our students to lead in the world ahead, we need to take a holistic approach to their education. We need to focus on mind, bod, and spirit.
When you combine this building and all it will offer with the new student health and wellness center and all it offers, I think we are on the cutting edge of providing a holistic education. Indeed, we are already ranked as the best university in the country when it comes to mental health.
Now you might think this is still sounding a little fluffy—like a holistic education might be nice for middle-schoolers, but not for college students at one of the top universities in the country. But when I think of institutions that take a holistic approach to educating, guess which ones come to mind? West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. The military academies are preparing their students to lead, and they absolutely focus on the mind, the body, and the spirit. Theirs is an immersive and holistic experience, and it is anything but fluffy.
The benefits of a holistic approach, in my view, are not limited to those entering the military. They will accrue to anyone who is preparing to participate and lead in the life of this country.
Think about it: You can’t participate productively in the life of this country if your own life is a mess. You can’t be thinking seriously about the health of our democracy if you are preoccupied with your own mental health issues.
A vibrant democracy depends on vibrant participants and vibrant leaders. A wise and compassionate democracy doesn’t exist without wise and compassionate leaders and citizens. This country cannot flourish if the people running it are not flourishing themselves. That is also true of state and local governments. It is true of businesses large and small. It is true of non-profits large and small. It is true of universities.
A holistic education, focused on the mind, body, and spirit: this is, I believe, going to become a defining feature of the very best universities in the 21st century. And UVA, because of all of you in this room, is in a better position than any other top university to do just that.
I realize it’s been a long journey to get to this point, but this is where it gets real, and it’s where it gets interesting. I can’t wait to see where the road takes us from here.