- August 27, 2015
- 11:58 am
- Mary Ann McGrath
- no comments
Reaching for the Stars
Today it was my honor to stand beside our Interim President, Dean and Quinlan students to represent the faculty as we formally opened the magnificent new Schreiber Center. Our students and my colleagues are grateful for this wonderful gift. My humbling task was to articulate a few of the many profound thoughts and reactions that I have heard as we moved into Quinlan’s new home.
Winston Churchill is famous for the comment “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” In our short residency here we are already feeling this shaping. The Schreiber Center is imposing, yet lively and dynamic. It is contemporary, yet reflective of our Quinlan traditions. It is a building that literally breaths. It has breathed new energy and excitement into all of us. It pushes us to embrace modernity and technology, while its sweeping views of the Chicago skyline remind us of our important role in the community.
The coziness and intimacy of Maguire were comfortable, but perhaps this hominess shaped an inward focus. Schreiber challenges us to keep our sights outward. The building is infused with light that serves as a beacon of constant intellectual growth and transformation. The lofty ceilings suggest we aim higher in our teaching, research and service. The sustainable materials throughout the building remind us of the role of business as a conservator not only of invested capital, but also of families, jobs, aspirations, the environment and fair dealings.
Schreiber Center inspires the activity and interactions that are the important work of our school. As a marketing faculty member, I am reminded of a quote by Leo Burnett: “Reach for the Stars. You may not get one, but you won’t come up with a hand full of dirt.” Moving forward, we may not achieve all our dreams, but our residency in the Schreiber Center will remind us each day that we interact with stars – alums, future alums, colleagues and our community. We are grateful and challenged to be in an environment that shapes us in these crucial directions. On behalf of our faculty, staff and students, I thank the Schreiber Family and welcome all who enter this edifice to shape and be shaped.
Mary Ann