President's Corner

Welcome back, everyone! Welcome, also, to the first issue of The Norwich Guidon, a student-controlled and student-edited newspaper. As a rook or freshman student, I hope you will look with great anticipation to the arrival of the Guidon.

The Norwich Guidon staff allows me to write a column in every issue as a way to communicate with you in an informal way and to discuss issues I think are important at the time. I would certainly welcome feedback to my column, as well as any topics that you would like me to write about. Please e-mail me at pres@norwich.edu with your suggestions or comments; - no, I do not shoot the messenger! I consider this a great opportunity for me to provide commentary and thoughts about issues on our campus and beyond.

I want to commend everyone for the start of a great new academic year. I sense that morale is good on campus and upperclassmen are excited to be back. In fact, sophomores returned in record numbers this year, with 73% of Cadets returning as sophomores and 70% of civilian students returning. Our Cadets have shown that participation in the Corps of Cadets is something they find a powerful and positive experience, - although I am sure there are rooks right now questioning that! While it is difficult, the ultimate benefits are incredible. I know that some of our civilian freshman are considering joining the Corps next year, and that is certainly encouraged. About two years ago, we had a rising senior - a civilian nurse - decide to become a rook and get the full experience at Norwich. If any civilian students would like to learn more about becoming a Cadet, please contact Dean Martha Mathis or Commandant Mike McKean.

For our freshman and rooks, doing your homework is a key component to academic success at Norwich. You should expect three hours of homework for every credit hour of the class you are taking. That means that a three-credit course should require, on average, nine hours of honest study time per week. A key to success is to meet with the faculty as soon as you do not understand something. Norwich is blessed with a great faculty, and they expect to hear from you when you do not understand the material. I encourage you to stop by the Learning Support Center on campus, located on the 4th floor of the Kreitzberg Library, where we have tutors and trained professionals waiting to help you succeed academically. One of my father's favorite sayings was, "If you keep up, you do not have to catch up." Nothing could be truer at Norwich.

Parents' Weekend is almost here, and our new Commandant and Vice President for Student Affairs, Colonel McKean, has brought many new ideas to our campus. One of them is to have a huge block party for our parents at Plumley Armory following the football game. This will include dinner and a great opportunity for all of our new freshman and rooks to introduce their parents to the Cadre, the RAs, and the upperclassmen at school. We are also inviting all the faculty and staff.

Although some parents will not be able to join us because of travel distance or expense, I want you to understand that it is a Norwich tradition that no rook or freshman will go without a family to take care of them for Parents' Weekend. I will expect the Class of 2005 to take care of their rook buddies or their new freshman friends, to make sure they are not left alone on Parents' Weekend. This is particularly true for our international students, who may be feeling even more disconnected from their families, right now.

I hope you have a wonderful Parents' Weekend. For the rooks, enjoy getting off campus Saturday night after the block party and on Sunday. Make sure your Cadre and RAs get a chance to meet your families. I know this is going to be a great academic year. You can all make this year a success by getting involved and making a difference.

The support, compassion, and unity our students, faculty, staff and alumni have displayed in light of the tragedies of Sept. 11th were never more evident than this past Homecoming Weekend. The support of our athletic teams, events and ceremonies made the weekend special and made Norwich proud. Thank you.

Welcome back to our upperclassmen, and welcome aboard to the Class of 2005. Good luck.

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