Dear Orange Friends:
As I write this, 30 students are sledding down the Crouse College hill on dining hall trays, toboggans, and their rear ends. They are in a joyful mood because a winter storm, with accelerating snowfall all day, led the University to cancel late afternoon classes. I am told this is the first closure during even part of daytime hours since 2010. Having grown up in upstate New York during the previous millennium, I regard any closure for weather as a sign of weakness. But seeing the sheer joy of our students sliding down the hill is great compensation.
Which brings me to the point about snow. It snows a lot in Syracuse. Like the students on the hill, I think we should revel in it. Not for us the wimpy schools where a mere forecast of flurries sends people in panic to markets to hoard milk. In Syracuse, we can handle anything you throw at us and convert it into a toboggan run.
This past week I visited the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). As many of you know, dating back to Chancellor Tolley our University has a great legacy of welcoming veterans and their families home from war and helping them transition back to civilian life. During my visit, I met the IVMF staff who are broadening that legacy. I learned the institute is conducting some of the leading research in the country, developing national policies and establishing best practices with government agencies, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations. Just as important, they are providing education to thousands of veterans each year, empowering them with the credentials they need to find a good job, or the training they need to start their own businesses. It’s pretty clear that in just a few short years, the IVMF has helped once again make us a hub of national activity surrounding veterans’ issues, and provided another reason why we should be really proud of our University’s long history of opening its doors to veterans.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kent Syverud