Congratulations, Clarifications, and Comments

I want to commend the Guidon staff on the new format of the newspaper.  It is a user-friendly size, and the lay-out of the paper is professional-looking.  I also had a chance to view the new, interactive online version of the Guidon and was quite impressed.  I understand that having a website which is more expansive than the hard copy of the paper will give all students in journalism classes an opportunity to have their writing published.  Congratulations on some wonderful advances for the Guidon.

I do want to clarify a few points made in the last issue of the paper.  First, in regards to the article, "No more budget cuts planned; school keeps an eye on the economy," I want to be clear that both the wrestling and tennis teams have been fully reinstated and have the same status as any of our other varsity athletic teams.

My second clarification pertains to the article entitled, "Alumni donations create emergency scholarship fund."  I want to make it perfectly clear that, although there was a large single gift given in support of Cadets whose moms and dads have lost their jobs, Norwich does have funds for civilian students from other donors to keep them in school.  The article gives the impression that emergency funds are only for Cadets.  That is simply not the case.  

We just had a wonderful Todd Lecture Series event on October 13th.  David Walker, former head of Government Accountability Office (1998-2008) and president and CEO of the Peter G. Petersen Foundation, came to Norwich to share his extensive experience as the U.S. government's chief auditor and his advocacy for addressing fiscal and sustainabilitychallenges.  Mr. Walker's talk was enlightening and thought-provoking.  I  was especially pleased to see so many students in attendence.  The purpose of the Todd Lecture Series is to bring significant lecturers to the university for the benefit of the student body as well as the central Vermont community. 

The Todd Lecture Series committee has created a structure for the series that will continue to benefit Norwich's intellectual community.  A theme will be determined by the committee for each year.  We will have a main speaker come to the university in the fall to address this theme.  The following spring the Todd Lecture Series will sponsor several talks during the course of a week.  The spring series will be organizedby the deans and scheduled speakers will discuss the theme as it pertains to each school. 

The 2009-2010 theme is "sustainability."  David Walker discussed fiscal sustainability.  The deans will schedule speakers who address sustainability in their academic areas for the February event.  We will pass along the details as they are finalized. 

It is hard to believe the semester is halfway over!  Midterms are right around the corner.  Study hard and stay focused.