Dear Fellow Wahoo,
I'm writing to invite you to join Wahoos4UVA, a growing group of alumni from across the political spectrum who have come together to defend UVA from partisan attacks, protect viewpoint diversity, and support President Jim Ryan’s principled leadership.
Over the past year, we’ve watched with rising concern as a small, radical faction of alumni has tried to turn UVA into a political pawn. This week, they took out a full-page ad in the Richmond Times Dispatch calling for President Ryan’s firing. The ad was filled with misinformation.
Differences of opinion are essential to a university that values viewpoint diversity. Disrespect and dishonesty are not. It’s time for us to speak up.
As alumni, we strive to live Honor in all we do. The Jefferson Council's actions betray that ideal. In the 50+ years since its executive committee members were students at UVA, they seem to have forgotten Honor’s purpose: “to live and work in a Community of Trust, where honesty and mutual respect are the baseline for all our interactions and academic endeavors.”
UVA shaped who we are. It taught us to seek truth, lead with integrity, and stand up for what’s right. We owe it to the place that gave us so much to defend it now.
Help us remind the Board of Visitors that UVA’s alumni are broad, diverse, and united in our love for the University. We may not agree on everything, but we agree on this: UVA deserves leadership grounded in principle, not politics. President Ryan exemplifies that leadership, and we support him.
Join the Wahoos4UVA email list for updates: https://gaggle.email/join/wahoos4uva@gaggle.email
Wahoowa!
Ashley Apple (BSN ’18, MSN ’20, DNP ’21) and the Wahoos4UVA Organizing Team
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