UI Foundation/UI Advancement Weekly Update 01.28.22

Dear Team:

For those who enjoy new year celebrations, you don’t have to wait 11 months to have a party or to come up with another challenging resolution. Why? Because the Lunar New Year (also called the Chinese New Year) is February 1.  The beginning of the lunar calendar is based on the moon’s phases (obviously) and can start on many different dates.  This year it begins February 1, so Happy New Year!

I'm not one to read my horoscope regularly, and I'm certainly not an expert on the Chinese calendar, but I find it all interesting and fun to read. Instead of zodiac signs based on a 12-month calendar, the Chinese calendar determines them on a 12-year cycle, with an animal representing each year. Your birth year determines your sign, and each sign has a list of qualities those born within embody. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. The characteristics associated with the tiger are vigor and ambition, boldness and courage, enthusiasm and generosity, self-confidence, and a commitment to helping others for the greater good.

When I read that list, I realized I have the pleasure of working with a lot of tigers (or at least a lot of colleagues with tiger-like characteristics). The work we do is important and doing it well does require an incredible amount of effort and energy, a bold and ambitious university, and a collective passion for improving the human condition. So, as we kick off the Year of the Tiger, let's do so with excitement about the opportunities that come with new beginnings and the good fortune of working at one of the best public research universities in the world. Don't worry if you weren't born in the Year of the Tiger, we can all act like tigers for the benefit of our donors and the programs they support.

While the Lunar New Year begins Spring Festival in many Asian countries, we’re certainly not celebrating spring in Illinois right now. At least the temperatures are predicted to be near 50 degrees on “New Year's Day.” Have a great weekend, keep warm, and take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy and safe so you will be ready for spring when it finally does arrive.

Cheers,

Jim