Dear Orange Friends:
Sometimes it takes moving away to fully appreciate what you’ve left behind. Certainly, that is true of Upstate New York and the holiday season.
I grew up just 90 miles west of here. Snow in December was as predictable as sunshine in July. I took it for granted. Like most people, I complained (but always with a dose of humor). As with so many things, it was all too easy to overlook the daily grace of the familiar.
Today, I look out my office window and see the snow that blankets the hills and trees of this beautiful campus. It is a classic holiday landscape, a gift I now appreciate daily.
I wish each of you a peaceful and joyous holiday season, and time to appreciate special places and moments with friends and family.
Thank you for what you bring to this campus. You create a gift I will carry into the New Year: I am so fortunate to be part of the diverse, talented and immensely creative community that defines and lifts the spirit we so fondly call the Orange.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kent Syverud