Don't go it alone

On Nov. 16, in a ceremony held in the White House, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Guinta for his heroic actions in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan in October 2007. Guinta is the first living veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive the award.

Giunta, a 25-year-old Iowa native, was given the award for repeatedly running into enemy fire to save American lives and rescue a fellow soldier from the Taliban. All nine of the Medals of Honor awarded previously for conduct since the end of the Vietnam War have gone to members of the military who fell in the line of duty. It has been almost 40 years since the award was given to someone who was not killed in action.

During the Medal of Honor ceremony, Guinta is quoted as saying, "I have never gone to war alone. I have never been in a firefight alone and I've never felt alone in the Army. There were a lot of other guys who did incredible stuff. The only reason I was able to do what I did is because they were doing everything they could do."

Gen. Gordon Sullivan, chair of the Norwich Board of Trustees, brought SSG Guinta's quote to my attention. We were both impressed with the courage and humility of this fine soldier.

While SSG Guinta's comments relate to his experience in the heat of battle, the concept of not being alone can also be applied to all that we do at Norwich. When faced with adversity, Rook buddies help Rook buddies; Cadre help Rooks and fellow Corps members; professors help students; and students help each other.

When things get tough, especially during this time of the semester, it is important to know that you can lean on others for assistance. This goes for all students. You are not alone.

In addition to turning to your peers for help, Norwich has faculty and staff available to help you succeed. At the Center for Student Success there are many resources for anyone having difficulty at the University. Students can get mentoring, tutoring and general academic coaching to help them successfully manage all the challenges they may face with their course workload. The mission of the center states, in part, that "The Center for Student Success provides the guidance, support, and advocacy for all individual students to significantly improve the academic and social integration necessary to enhance the quality of their college experience."

I urge you, as the semester winds down and the academic pressures increase, to turn to each other and use the resources available to you so that you can be successful at Norwich. We are all in this together.