THE ALUMNI/DEVELOPMENTRELATIONSHIP

Finding Your Yin-Yang

Presented by Diane W. Davidson and Michael F. Luck, Ph.D.SUNY CUAD Conference, June 16, 2005

ALUMNI or

DEVELOPMENT?

I have my hand on his wallet.I am gently removing it from his back pocket…

SMILE!

Yes, I’m wearing

a skirt.

I’m doing it for

MY COLLEGE!

I’d rather be in this thing than a skirt! Chicks DIG the Mascot!

Now, I’m going to try

that Michael Luck

move… I just slip

my hand on the wallet

and VOILA!

Hey — I wonder if these guys want to go on

TOUR!

I am now carefully slipping my hand under the table and I believe I have located her purse…SHAZAM!

They PAY me to do this!

I MYJOB!

Does my hair look o.k.?

The ancient Chinese philosophers used

the Yin-Yang theory to explain the changes that occur in nature. According to this theory, all things and phenomena in the universe contain

two opposite aspects – Yin and Yang – which are, at the same time, bothinterdependent and in conflict. They may be seen as complementary and yet also in opposition to each other.

The meaning of Yin-Yang

This symbol Yin-Yang represents the ancient Chinese understanding of how things work. The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen.

The ancient Chinese observed the principle of opposites in the natural events around them: day and night, light and darkness, waking and sleeping, activity and rest, summer and winter, growth and decay, man and woman, hot and cold, heaven and earth, sun and moon, etc.

The Alumni and Development professions are often seen as opposites. At the same time, we are both interdependent and in conflict. We may be seen as complementary and yet also in opposition to each other.

The Interrelationship of Yin-Yang

By understanding the interrelationship on Yin-Yang, we will understand the interrelationship of Alumni and Development.

• Yin attracts Yang and Yang attracts Yin. The greater the difference, the greater the attraction.

• Yin gradually changes into Yang and vice versa. Spring into summer, summer into autumn, autumn into winter and winter into spring...