Posted on Jan 29, 2007

Stephen C. Ainlay


The Start of the School Year

I always look forward to the start of the school year. It is a time of great anticipation as faculty, administrators and staff prepare for the return of students to campus. It is a time of hope as everyone thinks about the new members who will join the community, the contributions they will make, the opportunities they have to grow as we work with them.


This year, the start of the year was particularly special for me. It was, after all, my first fall start as the President of Union College. In a sense, members of the Class of 2010 and I will be going through our “freshman” year together. We are all still learning the ropes, listening carefully to the stories of Union's past and meeting new people. I suspect we share some of the same emotions, too, including that excitement that comes with the promise of great things to come.


During the last week of August, my wife, Judy, and I hosted approximately 40 student Orientation Assistants at the President's House. These students play a critical role in welcoming the new members of our community. Many of the Orientation Assistants were beginning their final year at Union. To a person, they talked about their love for Union. They shared with me stories of the friends they'd made, the faculty who had become trusted mentors and the experiences that had helped them develop both academically and socially. Many voiced regret that this would be their final year. While they looked forward to the next phase of their lives, they could not imagine leaving Union.


On move-in day, I visited each of the residence halls providing housing to first-year students. While the sky was overcast, there was no dampening the spirits of the students and parents. Orientation Assistants and others helped the new arrivals lug their bags to their rooms and parents scurried about, attending to final details. They were all so excited and pleased to be part of Union. They were also clearly aware of the open horizon of possibilities ahead.


Like the first-year students who arrived this fall, I am excited about the great opportunities ahead of me and the College. Like the fourth-year students, I have already been captivated by Union and can hardly remember life without it.


We should all savor the distinctiveness of Union, reminding ourselves of the difference it has made for so many who've lived and worked here and the potential it has to make a difference for generations to come.


Yes, I always look forward to the start of school the school year, and this one especially so!