<p>I am not sure what my daughters foreign language score was, but she took 4 years of Spanish in HS. </p>
<p>As for dorms she put Reed as her first choice and Aikens as her second choice. She already has a roommate, from the SU facebook page. They told us that boys are on one floor and girls another floor. She would not have cared if it had been co-ed.</p>
<p>We visited Susquehanna last September - did the typical info session/tour - and would like to visit again this fall. I am unsure whether it would be better to do the Business Action day on October 11 or the Fall Open House on October 29th. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>My son does have school on the 11th - but missing one day is not a huge problem - but I’m thinking he would prefer the Saturday date. They do not yet have the schedule for each day up yet so I have no idea which one would be the better program to attend. Would love to hear feedback from those who attended such events in the past.</p>
<p>Rockvillemom, does your son have a business major in mind yet? One option is attending the Saturday Fall Open House, and asking Admissions to setup a meeting with a professor in the school/major he plans on majoring in. SU did that for me when I was a high school student looking at colleges (they actually brought the Dean in to meet with me), and that is one of the key items that influenced my decision to attend. I’m actually still good friends with the former Dean of the Business School, even though he is the Dean elsewhere now.</p>
<p>Although if Admissions is unable to set up a meeting with a professor, let me know and I could possibly reach out to some of the professors I still know and try to arrange a meeting for you.</p>
<p>That is a great idea - thank you so much. I’m going to wait until it gets closer and see which of the 2 options he prefers - but your suggestion is a good one. He is interested in both business and psychology - which is why the October 11th Action Day makes sense - it is the day for both business and liberal arts - but I know missing a school day can be a pain. If we decide on the Saturday program instead - I will call Admissions and see what they can arrange for him. Thanks you for suggesting it.</p>
<p>S2 submitted the supplement today - it’s kind of an odd one - I have not seen any other college supplement with the same sort of questions - but it was quick to complete and an easy baby step into the college application process.</p>
<p>The personal attention at SU continues - S2 rcvd an email from a person in admissions confirming receipt of his supplement and asking one clarifying question. Nice touch!</p>
<p>OK. Son is in Reed Hall. He has communicated with his roommate, and, at least by phone and email, seems to be a good fit. Waiting for the schedule (August 1st). Good news is he passed all his AP exams with 4’s and 5’s, so he starts at Susquehanna with 24 credits, most of which I believe will count toward his core cirriculum. Also will hopefully save dad some $$ over the long term. (Likely wishful thinking). Only 4 weeks to drop off. Really hard to believe! Anyone else heard about residential placement? Anyone with helpful hints about “drop off day”?
Thanks</p>
<p>Congrats on the AP scores and roommate<br>
On dropoff day, the kids who do the unloading are organized, helpful and fast. Quite a change from my college, where only cute girls received volunteer help</p>
<p>When picking up textbooks, bring the order form and be ready for long lines</p>
<p>Also:
<p>Best of luck to you and Swatmom and your kids! You both strike me as very devoted, but not hovering parents and I hope you will advise us on their adjustment to campus life!</p>
<p>S2 submitted his application today - yay! We are looking forward to visiting again in October. While this is the smallest school he is applying to and that is a bit of a concern - everything else seems pretty much in line with what he is looking for.</p>
<p>For those interested, here is the text of the President’s welcoming remarks to the freshmen today; Swatmom and Singledad, I hope initial reports from your kids are better than the weather:</p>
<p>Today we welcomed 652 new students to campus. In keeping with tradition, students came together for Opening Convocation, officially marking the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year. Below are President L. Jay Lemons’ remarks to those students and their families.</p>
<p>Convocation Speech
L. Jay Lemons
August 25, 2011 </p>
<p>Good afternoon, it is my great privilege to add another word of welcome to all of our new students and their loved ones on this grand occasion. What a sweet and sacred sound it is when Faculty Marshal Kate Hastings brings the mace down upon this podium. </p>
<p>That sound and this ceremony formally mark the commencement of Susquehanna’s 154th academic session. Such ceremonies and the colorful academic regalia worn by our faculty keep us mindful of the roots that were sown more than 800 years ago with the rise of higher education in Europe—in places like Oxford, Cambridge, Paris and Bologna. The promise of the liberal arts throughout history has been to prepare students to live as free persons, readied by knowledge, by habits of heart and mind, by commitment, and by character with the capacity to build just and democratic societies. </p>
<p>Susquehanna Trustee Signe Gates of the class of 1971 has said that one of the goals of the liberal arts is to help students come to know and understand their link in human history. Think of all the generations of students who have preceded you here and the incredible events that have shaped our world since Susquehanna’s founding in 1858. </p>
<p>Think about beginning your studies here on the eve of the Civil War or the dawning of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the automobile, two world wars, the Great Depression, Sputnik, the Cuban missile crisis, the Civil Rights movement, the Apollo lunar landing, Watergate, the dot-com boom and bust, the fear of Y2K, the beginning of a new millennium, the horrors of Sept.11, 2001, the cracking of the human genome, and countless other life and world-changing events. </p>
<p>I am struck by the fact that while there have been extraordinary developments in nearly every dimension of life in the past 154 years, many of the milestones that first came into my mind were born of hardship, struggle and suffering—times when fear was pervasive. How many past generations of students arrived here during times of anxiety and fear? </p>
<p>Each year we adopt an academic theme to help stimulate a yearlong, sustained discussion. This year’s theme is fear. The Oxford English Dictionary defines fear variously as “apprehension or dread of something that will or may happen in the future” and “the emotion of pain or uneasiness caused by the sense of impending danger, or by the prospect of some possible evil.” </p>
<p>It reminds me of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of pornography, that we know it when we see it. So it is with fear—we are wired for it. Most of us have learned about the physiological responses we have to fear in high school biology. You remember the fight or flight syndrome and the release of the hormone epinephrine, triggering our sympathetic nervous systems. Our hearts beat faster and our airways open wider. Fear is regarded by most social and developmental psychologists as one of the most basic human emotions along with love, joy, happiness, anger, sadness and surprise. </p>
<p>Think with me for just a moment about the most common fears. According to self-described, self-help blogger, Stephen M. Nash, the most common fears—perhaps dubiously determined by internet search data—are: fear of flying, public speaking, heights, the dark, intimacy, death and dying, fear of failure, rejection, spiders, commitment, flowers, driving, dogs, dentists, snakes, needles, being alone, water, God, abandonment, long words, clowns, falling, change, germs, music, doctors, crowds, being touched, open spaces, engulfment, girls and thunder. It is a scary world out there. </p>
<p>In reflecting on the consistent finding that many people fear public speaking more than death, Jerry Seinfeld once begged the following question: “Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” </p>
<p>Fear seems an appropriate theme for us to explore during the coming year. All of our first-year students will share in the Common Reading texts in their Perspectives classes. And the Class of 2015 will gather on Sept.15 to hear author David Roepik talk about how our fears do not often align with risk and vulnerability. Roepik argues that we worry often about things that are very low risk and we ignore, often at our peril, things that have higher risk. </p>
<p>I will never forget the fear I felt as I left Scottsbluff, Nebraska, in August 1978. My 1968 Buick Special Deluxe, complete with the unshakable stale cigar smell from its original owner, was loaded with a trunk of my clothes, a typewriter, a lamp, and my brand new Pioneer receiver, turntable, Dolby dual tape deck and Bose 301 speakers. I was headed for Nebraska Wesleyan University, some 450 miles to the east, located in the capitol city of Lincoln. Never before had I driven on an interstate highway. Never before had I driven more than 10 miles from home by myself. But with a father who was consumed as a high school football coach preparing for an opening game and a mother who was busy with my younger siblings, alone I began my journey. </p>
<p>I stopped for lunch in North Platte, Nebraska, where I stopped at a King’s Restaurant. As I entered, I used a dime to buy a copy of the Omaha World Herald, the most prominent paper in my home state. After ordering, I opened the paper and realized that I was shaking so badly I could not read the print. </p>
<p>Truth is, I was both excited about beginning college AND I was scared to death. My fears included: Would I be smart enough? Would I find friends? Could I compete as a college athlete? How would I avoid, or not be derailed by, the nonsense of college life as was popularly characterized by the movie, Animal House, which debuted in the summer I went to college? How would I afford four years of tuition at an expensive private college? What job or profession could I possibly want to pursue for the next 40 years? </p>
<p>I remember these questions and these fears as if they were yesterday. I expect that many of you parents have similar recollections. And, let me be clear, I was also excited about the unknown adventure that was ahead of me. I have not forgotten the moving demonstration of the benefits of a liberal arts education that Nebraska Wesleyan alumnus and eminent federal jurist Warren Urbom demonstrated when he spoke eloquently about the value of his education, quoting Carl Sandburg in his address during orientation. Immediately, my hope was that I might one day have some measure of his intellect and oratorical capacity. I could not wait to see if I had the ability to run for the legendary track coach Woody Greeno. And, truthfully, I was ready to leave home and my hometown. It was time to stand on my own. </p>
<p>And so it is your time, members of the Class of 2015. We are excited that you are here. My sense is that some of you might have that same mix of fear and anticipation that I felt so many years ago. </p>
<p>On a personal level, the theme of fear resonates powerfully for me this year because, just yesterday, we delivered our eldest child, Olivia, to her new collegiate home. Once beyond the excitement and joy of her high school graduation, Olivia’s anticipation became palpable. You might wonder why she is not here at Susquehanna. Beyond being the place where she grew up, she insightfully told people throughout the college search process that Susquehanna would have been a great option if only there was a new president. Yet, as her fear built during the course of the summer, staying closer to home looked better and better. While I told her I understood her feelings, she kept saying, “Dad, you cannot possibly understand.” Ultimately, the desire to leave her well-meaning mom and dad, coupled with her own excitement, trumped her fear and she is now on the road you are on, beginning college in New York City at Columbia. </p>
<p>So if you have some of that same mix of emotions, I will tell you that I think it is normal and healthy. Fear has its place in human affairs. Frederick Nietzsche called fear the mother of morality. As an undergraduate philosophy major, I must admit to finding Nietzsche both interesting and confusing. With regard to thinking about what he means by fear being the mother of morality, my sense is that he is implying that fear can serve as a governor of our behavior—bringing pause or regulation to our actions. </p>
<p>Some fear is a good thing. Mark Twain argued that fear was inevitable. He said, “courage is resistance to fear, not the absence of fear.” We all have fear, it can be a good thing, but we need to muster the courage to handle fear. It can help us to be ready, to be cautious and to be motivated for action. </p>
<p>I am excited for my daughter, Olivia, as she starts her journey and I am excited for all of you. My prayer for Olivia is that she will find inspiration, friends who give her a sense of belonging, and faculty and staff who will both challenge and support her in her studies. More, I hope that she discerns her vocational calling, develops further her own sense of right and wrong, and is imbued with a desire to work in her own way to make this place a better world by working hard, serving others and finding joy every day—both that which is hidden and that which is in plain sight. </p>
<p>Finally, I hope she will know whom to turn to in her new community when she falls down and struggles. Dissonance, disequilibrium and difference often produce fear. As an educator, I have come to know that each is also necessary for learning. At times, it is tough for me as a parent to accept this reality, so I pray earnestly that God will burnish in me the faith in Olivia and Columbia to let this learning take place there, as I know it will for you here at Susquehanna. </p>
<p>Members of the class of 2015, I have the same prayer for each and every one of you. </p>
<p>Let me also pass along to you the same advice I have given Olivia: </p>
<p>• Do your best
• Go to class
• Find a good reason for your faculty members to know your name
• Work hard
• Make joy part of the journey
• Act with integrity
• Get help and support when you are in need </p>
<p>Parents, I want to acknowledge that fear is also a part of your experience during this meaningful transition in your child’s life. Have we prepared her well? Does she have good judgment? Will she know how to separate the light and dark colors when she does her laundry? Will she remember to brush her teeth? Will she learn to manage money? Will she make good decisions? How will she do academically and socially? </p>
<p>As a college president, it has been my great privilege to preside at occasions like this one for 20 years, and I have cherished the opportunity to offer counsel and advice to the parents of new college students. Suddenly I find myself needing to walk the walk after having talked the talk for so many years. While I have recognized the anticipation, the anxiety and the fear in the faces, words and bodies of thousands of parents and students, this year is different. I am living the experience with you. It is an extraordinary time and I understand the fear many of you have today with a freshness and depth that goes to my core. </p>
<p>Tina Fey in her new book, Bossypants, acknowledges the full circle we begin as parents and the attendant fear that accompanies parenting. She ends Bossypants with what she calls the Mother’s Prayer for My Daughter. Hear the comedic voice of Tiny Fey: “First Lord: No tattoos. May neither the Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.” </p>
<p>Whether your worries are about tattoos or taboos, if you are like me, you have high hopes and high expectations of both your children and of Susquehanna. That is how it should be! One of my sources of fear is whether there will be faculty and staff at my daughter’s new college home who are as committed to students and their learning as my colleagues here. I am so proud of our faculty and staff and their keen understanding that here we exist to help our students develop the capacity to lead lives of achievement, leadership and service. </p>
<p>Let me add three quick nuggets of advice for parents: </p>
<p>Care packages are always welcome
Come for Homecoming (September 16–17) and Family Weekend
(November 4–6)
Come anytime . . . Just don’t come unexpectedly! </p>
<p>It has become tradition that I share with you a story first shared with me by a wise friend that captures some of symbolism of this precious moment. It is simply called, The Faith of the Shipbuilder. It is a story that fits every year but it fits especially in a year where our university theme is “fear.” </p>
<p>Parents, you need to have the faith of the shipbuilder. Constructing a ship takes hard work, diligence and patience. Launching a new ship is equally challenging: full of excitement, concern, doubt—but ultimately the shipbuilder must test their precious new vessel and that test must come at sea. Parents, you have worked to make your human vessel sea worthy . . . You have cared and loved these persons for the past 17 or 18 years . . .You have molded their character and nourished their intellect . . . Like the shipbuilder, launch your vessel with confidence and faith in your work . . . Know, too, that the ship will come back to port . . . every few months . . . usually with loads of dirty laundry! Time in port is vital for being restocked, to have the sails repaired, to have barnacles removed from the hull . . . Your work is not done, but for the shipbuilder there is great pride and joy at watching your ship take to the water…May you leave this place with great pride and joy that your vessels have been launched here at Susquehanna University. </p>
<p>Finally, I want to acknowledge the handsome box each of you holds in your hands. Stephen Covey has said that it is helpful and powerful to “begin with the end in mind.” Convocation signals the beginning of your four years here. Graduation marks the beginning of a new phase in your life and the commencement of a lifelong relationship with your alma mater, Susquehanna University. </p>
<p>Now, I invite you all to open your box . . . this symbolic tassel is meant to help you think about the day in May 2015, when we gather in this place and recognize your accomplishments individually and as a class. We believe you have the potential to succeed here; the faculty and staff and I stand together to help you. Hold tight to that vision for your future and let us guide you along the way. </p>
<p>Inevitably there is fear in life. Beginning the collegiate journey is one of those times when fear is a companion. Remember that fear has its place and remember also the words of Bertrand Russell who said “to conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” Class of 2015, welcome and best wishes as you begin on the path towards wisdom, light and truth.</p>
<p>I think Susquehanna is winning the prize right now at our house for communications bombardment! S2 gets mail from SU virtually every day - email pretty much every day - and now the phone calls from a current student have started. Umm…it’s a bit much. Well meaning - but multiply that by numerous colleges - and it is a bit overwhelming. Reminds me of that scene in the first Harry Potter movie with the invitations to Hogwarts raining down on Harry!</p>
<p>RockvilleMom - while that scene in Harry Potter is a memorable one, it would be overwhelming to experience. Is this daily contact coming from the admissions office alone, or from others on campus as well?</p>
<p>From admissions. I just think some of it is kind of ridiculous as it encouraging him to visit and apply - and he has visited and applied! Just seems a little redundant.</p>
<p>But don’t get the wrong impression - we are impressed with the school and enjoyed our visit last fall very much. I like the fact that if we have a question - we can call and actually speak to a live human being, as I did yesterday when checking to see if his application is complete. I just think they are spending a lot of money are unnecessary mail pieces.</p>
<p>I think there is a complete disconnect between the “recruiting” and “admissions” divisions of Susquehanna’s Admissions and Financial Aid Department. My son continued to receive recruiting type literature after he sent his intent to attend letter. He continues to receive recruiting emails and mail from other colleges (thankfully not Susquehanna) despite his high school graduation last spring. </p>
<p>On the other hand, thus far, Susquehanna is everything, at least for my son, that he thought it would be. Workload is heavy but manageable and professors are engaged and accessible. Students have their own email accounts and, from what I have seen, professors use it extensively and respond to questions/concerns the same day. Dorms are okay. He is in Reed and the room is fair size for a 2 people(at least from what I remember from my college days). He has made a lot of friends and seems to keep his days pretty busy. Food is marginal and is probably his biggest complaint. He says that the inconsistency is the biggest problem, ie: great one day and poor the next. Have visited him once, and he seems happy and has adjusted pretty quickly from what I can tell. What does he miss most? The dog, which is pretty common I am told, but does nothing for my ego.</p>
<p>At any rate, should there be any questions, would be happy to give you my perspective or to shoot a text or email to my son for his perspective as well.</p>
<p>When I applied to SU, I found out fairly quickly what I got into the school. It might have been because I applied to a specific program, but I think it just depends on how quickly they can process your application.</p>
<p>Singledad, I am glad to hear that your son is enjoying his classes and classmates. I think that SU’s workload is significantly harder than many parents and kids expect, given its level of admissions selectivity. Do not be jealous of the dog; a lot of kids are aiming to show their independence and can’t bring themselves to say they miss their parents.</p>
<p>I actually returned to my alma mater last Saturday to photograph rugby matches for the teams. SU is really growing in a great way and it is great to see the involvement by professors in attending weekend events (ran into one of my Finance professors at the rugby matches).</p>
<p>If anyone ever has any questions regarding my experience there, or my thoughts, please let me know and I will be glad to give my $0.02.</p>