Class Chair Reflections Eileen McCormack Harte (GSP Class of 1977)

It has been over 30 years since I first walked through the gates of Georgetown, the oldest of five siblings who would follow me in coming years. It was a step into a wider life, the fabric of which was the incredible variety of the members of my new class. From every possible region and country and from every social and cultural background we came. We became a part of a growing network of friends who were all so different and yet developed common ground through our Georgetown experience.

I saw the same thing happen with my brothers and sisters and saw the network grow and grow and to cross between years and generations as bonds became deeper and deeper. Our differences opened our eyes to the things we had in common and taught us to appreciate these very differences themselves. They gave us an open mind. Georgetown became the foundation of what for us all was a transformative experience.

We have all been quietly concerned over the years that the increasing costs of this Georgetown experience would make it prohibitive to all but those who came from the same privileged background. This would fundamentally change the very essence of the Georgetown experience: the meeting and meshing of so many different characters. We can't imagine how different our Georgetown experience would have been without the richness that some of the real characters of our college years brought to the group and how less well off we would all be today as people without them as part of our life.

This is why the GSP is important- it protects and defends the most elemental part of the Georgetown experience which is I believe the foundation of its academic excellence as well as the depth of its character. Yes, it is important for today's terrific students, like our friends from the past, to get a chance as they give back to Georgetown far beyond the value of what we give them. Yes, it is important for the competitiveness of the university, but it is ultimately important for protecting the very soul of the Georgetown we know. Universities always will need funding to build buildings and to expand their academic offerings but what could be more worth giving for than to protect the soul of Georgetown. What better reason to ask your classmates to join in.