By John A. NunesThe lengthening of daylight is a delightful sign of spring. This season of Lent is, for Lutherans and a billion other Christians, a time of reflection and preparation. This year, it extends from Ash Wednesday, March 5, to Easter Sunday, April 20. As I consider my own Lent, I appreciate the acrostic: LENT.
Let’s
End
Negative
Thinking
It serves as both a challenge and an invitation: to choose hope over despair, action over apathy and faith over fear.
At California Lutheran University, culture matters. We are cultivating a culture of service, resilience and grace — values deeply rooted in our identity as a Lutheran institution. While we are a place of open inquiry and welcome to all, our foundation, rooted in faith, shapes how we support and uplift our community.
Through our Peace by Piece initiative, we are taking meaningful steps toward this vision. This semester-long effort encourages our campus community to take actionable steps toward bringing peace into our communities. One component of this initiative is Perspectives, an asynchronous online learning module designed by the Constructive Dialogue Institute. Perspectives helps us develop the skills to navigate complex conversations, fostering understanding even when we hold differing values and viewpoints. By participating in Perspectives, we take an essential step — one piece — toward peace.
This spirit of intentionality and service is reflected throughout our university. Our dedicated faculty and staff, many of whom are highlighted in this issue, play a vital role in fostering a supportive and thriving campus environment, and our alumni also exemplify this commitment to purposeful work.
By doing our part in our piece of the world, we continue to uphold the values that define our university. May we each find ways to contribute, however small, to building a more peaceful, compassionate and just world.
There is much to celebrate at Cal Lutheran, and I am grateful to walk this journey with all of you.
Blessings,
John A. Nunes
Interim president
