Letter from the President

Place is an inextricable part of who we are. After having lived in a particular location, each of us carries a bit of that place within us. The sights, smells, temperature, quality of light and air and the vistas and scenes all become part of our lifetime of experiences and inform us as we continue through our life journey.

Anyone who has lived here in Potsdam knows that our location can be both a reward and a challenge.

The journey to Potsdam also offers challenges. For many students, alumni and families, it constitutes an entire day’s drive. Nevertheless, the rewards far outstrip the travail. The trails, waterways and mountaintops are our best classrooms. Juxtapose these with concert halls featuring world-renowned talent in our faculty and students, and the effect of the Potsdam educational experience is unrivaled..

Our physical location serves as both the stage and the backdrop for the transformation of our students during their time here. The facilities of the campus also serve as the chrysalis in which students are formed. And the warmth extended by this campus community offers our students all they need to develop their full potential.

The presence of Steinway pianos in all practice rooms and performance venues has a transformational effect on our Crane students. New facilities like Becky’s Place at Pratt Commons, brought about through a generous gift, provide a space where students can nourish both their bodies and their spirits, sampling the best of locally grown food while interacting with their professors and peers.

Over the next five years, we will spend $14 million annually to improve the facilities on campus, conducting much-needed maintenance on our buildings. Immediately, we will begin the design process of our new $55 million performing arts building. This facility will be unmatched in Northern New York and will enrich lives, not only in our campus community, but throughout the entire North Country region.

Beyond all this, the generosity of our alumni continues to make the most significant difference in the lives of our students. Through upgrades in our classrooms and other campus spaces, enhancement of the technology on campus, provision of scholarships, support for the arts and funding undergraduate research opportunity, Potsdam alumni are providing tremendous benefits to our students that are simply not heard of at other colleges.

In this issue of Potsdam People, we explore some of the facets of that place called Potsdam, along with the fascinating and unique people who are an integral part of this fabulous community, whether they live here or carry this place within them.

Any given student might be hard pressed to measure the influence that Potsdam will exert on his or her life. Those of us with a greater temporal distance, whether faculty, staff, administrator or alumnus, know that the impact is both rewarding and challenging. It is rewarding in that its benefits carry through with us all of our lives; challenging because in some way we always aspire to return to our home, Potsdam.

John F. Schwaller