First, warm and well-deserved congratulations to all of our graduating seniors! It has been an incredible journey with each of you, and I know you have gained much from your time with us, just as we have gained much from all the positive contributions you have made to our University. We wish you well as you start your professional lives, either in commissioned service to the United States Government, as a captain of industry, or in graduate school. I know you will make us proud in every way, and know that we will sincerely miss you at Norwich. Please stay in touch and remember to keep us advised if you move, so we can continue to send you The Record and reach out to you, as active alums. Once you are settled, I ask that you contact our Alumni Affairs Office (alumni@norwich.edu) to discover whether there are Norwich graduates and/or an active Alumni Club in your area. Participation in an Alumni Club is a wonderful way for you to stay connected and to assist future students who follow in your footsteps.

Congratulations to all the juniors who will be rising seniors very shortly! I was very pleased to attend both ring ceremonies, both for our Corps of Cadets and our civilian students. It was very clear that everyone had a wonderful time at the Junior Ring Ball.

These few days at the end of the academic year are a time of high risk for students. I know there are many dining outs, parties, and gatherings, and I ask particularly that you watch over one another and prevent friends from drinking and driving. We want to make sure each of you stays safe.

I had a great meeting with Cadet Christopher Tucker and the rest of the Alcohol Awareness and Prevention Committee membership. This is a new committee whose mission statement is as follows:

• To provide Norwich University students with a full knowledge and understanding of the effects of alcohol and alcoholism

• To provide the students with a complete understanding of the Norwich University rules and regulations specifically concerning a violation of the alcohol policy and toleration of a violation of the alcohol policy.

• To work as liaison between members of the student body and the director of the Norwich Alcohol Awareness Program so as to provide students with alcohol issues a means by which they can receive support.

The director of our Norwich Alcohol Awareness program, Chip Keinath, has been a wonderful asset to the University, and I could not be more pleased with the development of this committee. They are now working on Standard Operating Procedures for common alcohol-related situations to be used as training aids as soon as everyone returns in the fall. These Standard Operating Procedures outline the general situations in which students find themselves as they relate to violation of the alcohol policy and, in particular, toleration, which seems to be the most misunderstood section of the regulations. You will be hearing more about that in the fall when you return.

I know we have a great summer school planned. Please check with the registrar, Ms. Fran Burstein, if you need information concerning summer school. If you will be working this summer, be safe and enjoy the time away from Norwich and know we look forward to your return in the fall to start a new academic semester.

To all the faculty, staff, and students, congratulations for a wonderful year, and thank you to each of you who contributed in some way to make Norwich University a better place than when you arrived!

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