August 2007

Inaugural Week: A Time to Celebrate

The campus experienced a flurry of activity March 26–30 that it hadn’t seen in a long time. After all, it had been 16 years since Viterbo had last marked an inauguration and the university was ready to celebrate…its heritage, people, and future.

Rick Artman, Viterbo’s eighth president, based his inaugural address on “Hope and Help” and many of the activities planned for the week connected with that theme. While the events offered abundant opportunities to celebrate, the underlying purpose of the inauguration and surrounding festivities allowed Viterbo to spotlight its mission and share stories about hopes and dreams, particularly those of students.

Artman provided those in attendance at the installation ceremony with a glimpse into the Viterbo future that he will help shape. The university is in the midst of preparing a strategic plan and while specific details are forthcoming, the president posed a number of intriguing proposals intended to increase endowment and enrollment and strengthen Viterbo’s already impressive reputation in the areas of fine arts, nursing, the sciences, and education. Theresa (Messerschmidt) Smerud ’80 was on hand to photograph the installation ceremony. Artman’s speech, as well as pictures and descriptions of other inaugural events, can be found at www.viterbo.edu/inauguration.aspx.

The campus gathered to converse on the theme of "Hope and Help"	Grab 'n Go breakfast to start off inauguration week festivities.
Students presented roses to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.	La Crosse Boychoir was one of many groups to share in "A Celebration of Song."
Hope and Play? Why not. The president's team took on some students in a friendly game of Lazer Tab.	Former presidents Grace McDonald, FSPA, Rev. J.Thomas Finucan, and William Medland.