Dear Orange Friends:
I have been trying to get an extended tour of every school and college this semester, and I still have half a dozen to go. I recently toured both Newhouse and the iSchool. Each has a distinct mission, culture, and vibe, and each is wonderful. Newhouse is currently renovating and expanding its broadcast studios, while the iSchool has embraced entrepreneurship in virtually every aspect of the school.
Each visit was my first time in all the buildings. During each visit, I talked with faculty, staff, and students, saw classes and workspaces, and watched the community at work. Each visit left me with the impression I suspect prospective students and parents gain on their first visits: This would be a great place to go to school. Of course, it is the substance of years of instruction that matters in getting a degree, more than first impressions. But first impressions matter too, particularly in recruitment, and I learned a lot from Newhouse and the iSchool in this regard. I think all of our other schools and colleges could learn a lot as well.
I owe thanks to two groups of students for great experiences in the past week. I was lucky to get to fly in the College of Engineering and Computer Science flight simulator recently, coached by student Erin Conklin, president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at SU; Ph.D. students Matt Rockwood and Chris Ruscher; and faculty advisors Melissa Green and John Dannenhoffer. Despite great coaching, I managed to crash on approach to the Syracuse airport in my Cessna. Three-dimensional navigating reminded me of driving my Model T Ford, which has a reverse pedal on the floor, a throttle on the steering column, and an independent streak.
On Friday night I was privileged to witness the main stage debut of three juniors in “Speed-the-Plow,” a revival of a play by David Mamet that opened under the auspices of SU Drama. Hannah Daly, Tyler Wiseman, and Alex Thompson were each so impressive as actors that I kept forgetting they were students. They are clearly destined for great futures and are exemplars of all of our outstanding SU Drama students.
Chancellor Kent Syverud