Now that you are settled into classes and busy schedules, this is a propitious time to take stock of whether you are taking advantage of all Rensselaer has to offer. It is well known that Rensselaer students are busy. You take rigorous courses that stretch your minds as never before, play demanding sports, and take part in one or more of the 160 clubs and organizations which expand horizons and broaden your knowledge of yourselves and the world. You also took the time to help our Gulf Coast Scholars make the difficult transition to Rensselaer after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina disrupted their educations. I was very impressed by the way in which you welcomed these students warmly, while remaining sensitive to their situations and the traumatic experience many had undergone.
Indeed, this fall we have seen the Rensselaer community at its best in its response to the hurricane. The outpouring of caring, concern, and generosity underscores that, whatever your interests and your dreams, Rensselaer is a community of people who are here for you. Thus, it will benefit you to build relationships with the people who are here to help you: your professors, the staff in the Division of Student Life (for first-year students, the staff in the Office of the First-Year Experience will be especially helpful), residence assistants, academic advisors, coaches, and alumni and friends, the list goes on. They are here to enable you to have the best possible experience at the Institute—to learn, to grow, and to flourish. Please take advantage of what they and Rensselaer have to offer.
As we enable your success, Rensselaer, in turn, demands excellence of you. Students here know that the Institute challenges you with rigorous courses, talented and demanding professors, and smart fellow students who raise the bar of achievement. In this regard, I want to raise the bar even higher. While you concentrate on your particular academic interest, I encourage you to explore areas outside your chosen major. The future will demand a multidisciplinary approach to discovery, innovation, and creative endeavors. Collaboration at the intersection of multiple disciplines will propel the next leaps in science, technology, innovation, the arts, and the social sciences—and you, as future Rensselaer graduates, are at the forefront of this “next big thing.”
The proverb with multilayered meanings, “May you live in interesting times,” is particularly apt today. We live in complex, challenging, uncertain, and tumultuous times. The challenges for all of us abound: the recovery from Katrina and Rita; energy security, supply, and conservation; the AIDS pandemic that is devastating an entire generation in Africa; the potential for an avian flu epidemic; the global terrorism threat; wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; a changing global economy—I am sure you could add to this list. Your education at Rensselaer will enable you to see—and to seize—the opportunity which lies amid these challenges—to answer the call: “Why not change the world?”
I encourage you to take a break from your studies this weekend to take part in Fall Fest and Family Weekend 2005 activities. There is something for everyone to enjoy in a full schedule of social, cultural, educational, and athletic events. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends and enjoy the splendor of the fall foliage on the Troy campus. I look forward to seeing you there.
