Dear colleagues and friends across the University of Michigan family, I want to wish you a joyous holiday season, full of happiness, light and memories. 

We gather together, grateful for these days to share with our loved ones, thankful for all we have achieved over the past months, and guided by the hope that rises each new year.

It is true that our world is beset with doubts and uncertainties. Yet as the sun pauses in the sky, and evening turns to night, let us remember the hope shared by so many traditions and faiths, that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

This is the promise of the season.

Let us also be aware that we may have colleagues or friends who have had a challenging semester or a bitter year, even as they greet us with smiles on their face. So let us be ready to listen, and to respond with understanding, compassion and grace.

Finally, whether we are staying around campus, or traveling for the holidays, let us share together in the spirit of the season, joined in goodwill, renewed in gratitude and rekindled in hope.

I’m so grateful to all of you, for our exceptional university, and even more, our shared community. 

Thank you again, and I hope you have a truly happy holiday season. 

Go Blue!

Sincerely, 

Santa J. Ono
President