VOTE

This entry will be short and to the point.

Vote in the upcoming election.

If you’re not registered, get registered. If you need an absentee ballot, get one.

Read up on the candidates. Watch the news and talk to friends, family and professors. Make an informed choice.

Vote on November 4th.

More than any final exam or project you work on, it might be the most important thing you do this year. And it will CERTAINLY affect you after you’ve graduated.

Vote.

It's not all boring, trust me!

I find myself saying, “I wish I knew then what I know now” a lot these days.

Last night I attended, actually worked on for OTN, the event with the National Press Club here at the Newhouse School. It was a panel discussion featuring professional journalists from television, newspaper, magazine and academia. It was enlightening, stimulating and entertaining. It was fun to be there.

And this morning I worked on the taping of a television show for WCNY called “The Ivory Tower.” Former dean of the Newhouse School, David Rubin, hosts the show. WCNY and SU explored the idea of doing a “remote” broadcast because it’s Homecoming Weekend and, well, it’s a good opportunity to show off the school. Like the night before, it was fun to be there.

Both events offered thought provoking discussion. There were moments when you wanted to get up and offer your own counter point as well as times when the ideas were ones you had not thought of before.

And I guess that’s what I’m enjoying about my return to college as a staff person; I get to take part in some of these offerings. And I wish I had done more of this when I was in school. Okay, I know, going to a boring lecture instead of, well, whatever you find more exciting that listening to a bunch of greybeard’s bloviate might not be your idea of fun, but as my father used to say, “You never know until you try.”

I tend to like setting goals and if I had one suggestion for you, I’d suggest you set a goal of attending one lecture each semester that has absolutely nothing to do with anything you’re remotely interested in. To me that seems like a win win. If you hate it, you can simply say, “Well I knew I wasn’t going to like that because I knew absolutely nothing about it.” The other scenario finds you saying, “Man, that was kind of cool, I didn’t know some of that stuff.”

It’s only an hour of your time and you’re spending a bunch of money to attend SU so you might as well get your money’s worth. No?

The King

I’m supposed to have lunch today with my friend Ed who works here at the Newhouse School and an SU alum, Bob Guatierri. Bob likes to be called; “The King.” The King is in town for the premiere of “The Express” having come from Los Angeles where he owns a very successful graphics company called Design on the Fly. You have almost certainly seen some of his work. Have you ever watched the Oscars, ESPY’s or Emmy’s? Then you’ve seen his work. The King is one of those guys who when you meet him, you kind of wish you had 10% of his talent and confidence. When The King is in the room, everyone knows it.

So where’s this going? Bob Guatierri is one of many SU alums that graciously and willingly gives his time and money to help SU students get started in their careers as well advancing the educational initiatives of the Newhouse School. It’s not something he has to do. Goodness knows he has plenty to do running a successful business in Los Angeles. But for many reasons, he does this. It is, I think, one of the more important assets we have at Syracuse.

You may not realize this, but as faculty and staff, we are ALWAYS talking about you, the student. You may see us doing our jobs, teaching classes and going about our business but our “business” is you. What can we do to improve this curriculum? What kind of time are we spending on individual advising? Can we improve the way we organize our infrastructure? It never ends. An old boss of mine used to say that his company was on a highway that was always under construction. I liked that analogy. Thinking that you’re never in search of a new path is challenging.

Bob Guatierri is the kind of guy who reminds us here at SU that we always need to make sure we bring our A game to the Hill everyday. It would be tough to look him in the eye, or have lunch with him, and not be able to say we’re doing our best.

Long live the King!

My 44 Link

My earliest memories of Syracuse football are of another number 44, Floyd Little. My uncle was a grad student here at SU in the 60’s and always got season tickets. About once or twice a year he would take my brother or me to a game. It was there, in old Archbold (not Arch-i-bald) Stadium that my allegiance to Syracuse football began.

I am reminded of this because of the movie that will premiere here next week, “The Express.” Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, wore the number 44 when he played running back here at Syracuse. Davis was, by all accounts, a gifted athlete, solid citizen and student and a “can’t miss” prospect in the NFL. He was called The Elmira Express as he was from Elmira, N.Y. and, well, he was fast.

While the past will be celebrated in the movie, it’s no secret that the SU football team has struggled to be competitive the last few years. And not surprisingly, the fans are anxious for the team to return to its winning ways. And while I would love nothing more than to see SU run the table and win all of the rest of their games, I’m realistic enough to know that probably won’t happen. Will it dampen my spirits? Occasionally. Will I be angry with that? Not really. Will I call for the coach to be let go? Not my call.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are different kinds of fans. There are those who gain some self-worth when their teams do well. There are those who support the team when things go well and find other things to do when they don’t. There are fans that think they know all the secrets of how to win, all the time. And finally, I think there are fans like me. I’m a fan of Syracuse football because for me, my allegiance started in the middle 60’s when my uncle took me to a game and let me sit in the student section and take part in the tradition. Watching the cheerleaders get physically passed up the on the hands and shoulders of the students. Shouting down the opponent’s fans on the opposite side of the field. And watching the occasional flask get passed around. For me, being a fan is more than winning or losing, it’s kind of pact I signed with my uncle. As long as the school puts out a team, I’ll be there to watch.

As I’ve watched Floyd Little’s life out of football, he’s been an exemplary citizen, a successful businessman and an unwavering supporter of this school. My 44 link is to him and if he won’t quit, neither will I.