Can there be civil political discourse with extremists on either side? Yes! Here's a sketch of how that can work.

What would Inauguration Day be without the excitement of celebration and the continuation of American tradition? Performing arts and spectacular floats have adorned the momentous shift in presidential power for years past, and many significant groups and people have done their part in adding to the fun of the inauguration.

Every season, the Dana Center for the Performing Arts plays host to a steady stream of talented musicians, dancers, and performers—but, for a glimpse of a true musical master, take a peek behind the scenes.

In a year of upheaval, our Anselmian educators have had to dig deep, pivot quickly, and sacrifice much-becoming better teachers along the way. 

The college's three-part webinar series delved into difficult topics of race and law enforcement, resulting in meaningful conversations and demonstrating core Anselmian values.

The hard work, determination, and selflessness of these seven individuals ensured the "Return to the Hilltop" plan became reality. 

These beloved employees retired from the Hilltop this year with more than 200 years of service among them. Here they share some of their fondest memories, and a few college secrets.

With the messenger RNA platform developed by his company, Ron Renaud ’90 is sending forth treatments for Covid-19 and other diseases.

Dear Friends,

In May, as we approached the back-to-back celebrations of commencement for the Classes of 2021 and 2020, I reflected on how our community triumphed over three distinct yet clearly interconnected challenges we had faced since last spring.

The first was Covid-19, which disrupted our 2020-2021 academic year on the Hilltop. We made it our goal to return to campus last fall and focused energy on how to balance the safety of our community with a robust and rewarding curricular

and co-curricular experience for students. We became skilled at preparing for an unpredictable virus and the issues faced by a congregate-living setting like a college campus. While far from an ideal situation, I believe we navigated the pandemic in a way that could be a case study in crisis management.

Second, many of our students faced financial hardships due to Covid. In response, we created the Anselmian Student Relief Fund to help with basic necessities. More than $92,000 was raised by 624 generous donors, helping 45 students weather the pandemic.

And third, in the days following the death of George Floyd, we watched as our nation confronted the issue of race in America with anger, rhetoric and even violence.

Here at Saint Anselm, we saw this moment as calling us to empathy and action. We believe that the human dignity of all people is foundational to our Catholic and

Benedictine mission and therefore we actively advance the cause of racial equity in society. With this in mind, we as a community responded in a positive manner by creating a number of initiatives to promote dialogue, review curricula and policies, and support our work to make the campus even more inclusive.

Among the many wonderful articles in this issue of Portraits, you will read how we managed campus life during Covid and about one of the many programs launched in response to

my call to action on racial equity. Both are examples of what it means to be Anselmian—helping others and engaging in difficult but vital conversations.

In those days before our commencement weekend, I felt joy for our students and also a sense of victory. We did it!

After 15 difficult months, we were preparing once again to hold large-scale, in-person events. It reminded me how far we had come since the start of the pandemic, and it demonstrated there is little we cannot accomplish when we come together to achieve a common purpose.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Favazza, Ph.D.
President

Check out the various happenings on the Hilltop!