Dear Covell Alums,
Thanks to all of you who attended the Casa Covell launching last Saturday. I have heard from so many current students who attended the dinner and party that they were thrilled to hear the stories of both what Elbert Covell College was like when you were students, and how that education contributed to your successful lives.
I am writing now to invite you covelianos to the formal inauguration of the Inter-American program which will take place on October 6 th. As you know the former President of Colombia, and former Secretary–General of the OAS, César Gaviria is coming to Pacific on October 6 th for a keynote address on the future of US-Latin American relations. The talk will be followed by a dinner at 7:30 honoring President Gaviria as well as honoring Covell College, and launching the new Inter-American program. The dinner will be held in our beautiful new university center. Members of the Board of Regents for the University, senior administrators at Pacific, members of the SIS board, current faculty, former Covell faculty and current Casa Covell students will be in attendance.
As Covell alumni, you are the first to be invited to this event. If you would like to come to the dinner, it is essential that you contact my assistant, Kitty Gilbert by Friday, September 19 th, to confirm your attendance. Her email is kgilbert@pacific.edu If you have questions about the day and the event you can also email me at mensign@pacific.edu
I am not asking that you make a contribution to attend this event, but ask you to think about how you can support our new efforts. Carlos Mazal has offered to help establish a new Inter-American Ambassadors speaker’s series that will be held each semester, and Alberto Yanez will help us advertise the October 6 th event in media outlets in Latin America.
We are also working that day with both the Obama and McCain campaign committees to see if they will send a representative to debate the candidates’ positions on US foreign policy toward Latin America.
All of us at Pacific are thrilled that once again we will have a thriving academic and residential unit devoted to the study of Inter-American relations. I thank you for your help and guidance during these past five years that the program has been under development and hope to be able to greet you in person on October 6 th.
Con mucho carino,
Margee Ensign