"Come for the foods, stay for the dudes"

The annual Welcome Reception on Sept. 30 drew in students and administrators with posters bearing the catchy slogan, "Come for the foods, stay for the dudes.”

They gathered with President Stephen J. Friedman and Provost Geoffrey Brackett as President Friedman discussed the steps the University has undergone to get to the state it is currently in.

The president also stressed the eagerness of the University to address both positive and negative concerns and comments from the students, urging emails to his office.

Provost Brackett talked about how the two brothers (Homer St. Claire Pace and Charles Ashford Pace) who founded the University would be proud to see the  accomplishments and prestige of the University that they originally envisioned.

He mentioned some of the University’s newest prestigious accolades that puts us on foot with schools such as Harvard and John Hopkins including; the University being the New York Home of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

The Economist’s Buttonwood Gathering financial conference to be hosted at the University, bringing some of the most important financial leaders-especially, United States Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner to the campus.       

Provost Brackett also discussed how the University is at the forefront of technology on campus. He also discussed how the University is one of seven colleges and universities in the Pilot Test Program of Amazon’s new Kindle DX reader for delivering textbooks.

Sophomore Jessica Luciano who attended the  welcome address last year said, “I was amazed at how many more people there were this year compared to last year. That might be because it was better advertised, although the advertisements encouraged students to come specifically for the free food and not to listen to the President and Provost speak. I am not sure if that is a good message to be sending, although it was mostly a joke. The food was good, people came and ate deliciousness.”

After the short speeches, there was an hour in which student were able to meet, mingle and ask questions of the President, Provost and other members of the Administration including Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer William McGrath and Dean for Students Marijo Russell-O’Grady.

Students went up eagerly to the president to shake his hand. Some students came prepared with questions that they wanted answered.

Sophomore Caroline Craig said, “I asked Bill McGrath about putting a bike rack in the front of One Pace Plaza as the bike rack is inconvenient in the courtyard, because the gates are always locked.

I also talked to President Friedman about issues of sustainability, freedom of speech and the use of the roof. I enjoyed their sense of humor but I also enjoyed being able to talk seriously about important issues with the powers that be.”

Sophomore Jackie Lipson asked Provost Brackett why the theatre program has limited space and are low on faculty. “He was very understanding and tried to be accommodating, he gave us a long talk about all of our questions, I thought he was very helpful,” Lipson said.

Students hope that the discussions they had at the reception will affect President Friedman and his administration’s thoughts and actions concerning the University in the future.