University years are time for opportunity
Welcome home students, both new and returning, as we commence our 2004-05 academic year. It is my genuine hope that the coming months will bring fresh insights, rewarding opportunities and lasting friendships as you embark on new challenges within our community.
As I watched participants in this year’s Connections program gather for their convocation with featured speaker Cedric Jennings, the subject of Ron Suskind’s stunning narrative, “Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League,” I was gratified to see students eagerly discussing their impressions and ideas.
The university experience is a time for growth, exploration, and challenge. As Mr. Jennings stated in his Connections presentation, “College is a time of transition, which brings new fears and anxieties. But we don’t have to compromise our beliefs to interact with others. Just because we have different beliefs doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
Each of us brings a wealth of ideas and unique experiences to Utah State. We enrich each other when we share of ourselves. Though our beliefs and viewpoints may be very different, we all benefit from an environment that embraces diversity and acknowledges the inherent worth of every individual.
Your participation in Utah Sate is valuable and you add strength and vitality to our campus. Remember that the university experience, filled with a host of activities, is most fundamentally an academic experience. Let’s commit ourselves to making academics first. May the coming year provide a defining experience in your academic and personal journey.
Kermit L. Hall is the president of Utah State University.