Published: May 23, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam
Today I write a bittersweet postcard from Vietnam as we are
preparing to leave this very unique and interesting land of
beautiful spirited and kind people.
For the past 17 days we have learned to live in and love the
people and cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. Since our arrival, we
have been touched by people rich in history and culture. Our
volleyball team and our students from the psychology and biology
departments have redirected their energy outwards, reaching out
beyond borders to share knowledge and exchange customs with our
gracious hosts.
From the North to the South, from mountains to seaside resorts,
our stay in Vietnam gave us a panoramic view of the country. Thanks
to Dr. Hung Le and his staff, our program was tailored to meet the
needs of our travel party and enabled us to experience some of the
best services, hotels and professional international tours in the
country.
As I write this postcard we have just left the ineffable images
of Ha Long Bay. It is one of the natural wonders of the world and a
UNESCO world heritage site. As the sun set on the horizon, I
thought of all our loved ones at home who have supported us
throughout our stay. The team and I miss you and we are looking
forward to seeing you very soon.
One of the most interesting revelations of my trip was how much
the spirit, kindness and friendliness of the Vietnamese people
reminded me of our very own St. John’s University community.
It was the people of Vietnam that made our trip so memorable.
They all came from very different backgrounds. Some very poor and
some very rich, but nonetheless, they had a sense of community,
service and spirituality. Just like at St. John’s they embraced all
cultures, religions, ethnicities and races.
They welcomed us as if we were ambassadors from America. In
fact, at the gala dinner that was exactly what Michael Marine, the
U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, explained to the team; that they were
ambassadors of goodwill as they represented the United States in
the VTV Cup and in their community service efforts.
I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to thank
our President, Rev. Donald Harrington, C.M., Fr. James Maher, James
Pellow, Dr. Julia Upton, Dr. Le and Chris Monasch and Kathleen
Meehan for their support of the volleyball team and this
extraordinary experience.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the 2006-07 team for their
accomplishments on and off the court. You are a special group of
young, successful women. You have touched many lives and have
inspired people all over the world with the way you played the game
of volleyball. I will never forget winning our first BIG EAST
regular season championship, first NCAA Tournament appearance and,
“of course,” winning our very first silver medal in our first
international tournament.
Good Night!
Coach JoJo