Connections Students Encouraged to Enjoy the College Experience

Connections 2006 opened Wednesday, Aug. 23, with greetings by program director Noelle Call, Interim Vice President for Student Services Gary Chambers and Utah State University President Stan Albrecht. The Kent Concert Hall was filled with the 1,500-plus students enrolled in the program.

Connections is a course designed to ease students’ transitions to academic and social life at Utah State University. It prepares them for the collegiate experience as they establish a support network of classmates, faculty and staff.

 

“It is an honor to formally welcome you to Utah State University and Connections 2006,” Noelle Call said. “In the weeks ahead you will learn the ins and outs of becoming an Aggie — there’s the Welcome Walk, Aggie Ice Cream and becoming a True Aggie.”

 

“You are the reason we are here,” Vice President Chambers said as he looked across the energetic crowd in the hall. “You’ve come from across the country, and we are happy to have you here.”

 

Chambers introduced President Albrecht.

 

“I am honored, pleased and delighted to welcome you to USU,” Albrecht said. “It’s exciting seeing students on our campus once again — we get lonely during the summer, and I’m glad you are here.”

 

President Albrecht told the group they are among the largest entering class in a number of years, are geographically diverse and among the most academically prepared. He explained Utah State’s role as a research university and encouraged them to become actively engaged in campus life.

 

“As a Research 1 university we are part of a small and elite group of national schools,” Albrecht said. “You may not be familiar with the term, but we earn that ranking in a number of ways. It is a measure of the quality of our faculty and a measure of the research dollars we bring in. You can take advantage of that ranking by engaging in research work with many faculty mentors.

 

“Immerse yourselves in the university experience,” he continued. “Attend a concert in our beautiful Performance Hall or make the new library a second home. Go to a football game. A basketball game in the Smith Spectrum is an experience like nowhere else in the country. You only get to do this once, so get involved and enjoy the university experience.”

 

Albrecht discussed the Connections reading selection, Warriors Don’t Cry, relating several experiences he had during his graduate school days.

 

“You have grown up in a very different time,” Albrecht said to the students. “The events discussed in the book — important events in our civil rights history — come from a time we would like to forget. It is a time we cannot forget. Today, what are we willing to sacrifice for our beliefs?”

 

He encouraged the students to attend the Aug. 26 Convocation Lecture that concludes the Connections 2006 experience.

 

“I have the best job in the world,” Albrecht concluded. “You remind me of that every day. The quality of Utah State University’s students makes this the best university in the world. We are grateful to have you here. Welcome and good luck.”