Presenting the Class of 2009
By Michael Kyle, Vice President and Dean of Enrollment
Sept. 3, 2005

I am pleased to welcome you tonight as the newest members of the St. Olaf community. That is the message I shared, perhaps more generically, in the letter that each of you received from me, admitting you into the St. Olaf community as a new first year, transfer or international student. It was a privilege to send those letters then, and it is a joy to express that greeting now as we gather together for the first time as members of the St. Olaf community. My colleagues in the admissions and financial aid division are delighted you chose St. Olaf. You have been fun to get to know and we look forward to that continuing for many years.

What continues to make this personal for me is that I was in your shoes 24 years ago tonight when I started my St. Olaf experience as a new first year student. This fall, my class-the class of 1985-will gather to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our graduation from St. Olaf. While I have been at St. Olaf for the majority of my working years, this is my first opportunity as the Vice President and Dean to welcome you to St. Olaf. I do so with pride, humility and gratitude for the opportunity to share this remarkable learning community with you.

While we are on the subject of milestones and anniversaries, I need to make sure that 3 of the newest Oles are recognized tonight. You see, you all have 3 classmates who have birthdays today. Can you imagine that, starting your college experience on your birthday? Let's give a warm welcome to Heather and Zach, who turn 19 today and Rebecca who turns 18.

I also want to put in a special welcome to 6 of your classmates who graduated this spring from my high school alma mater in the twin cities — St. Paul Academy. I want to add my own special welcome to Jack, Lindsay, Nate, Tim, Dan, Katie and Sally. They are great students and I am so pleased to have them, and their families, with us today. If you really need to find out who they are, check first to see if their first name matches that of your roommate and if they can actually define what a Spartan is. Welcome.

I want to provide some special recognition to 3 students who were actually admitted to begin at St. Olaf last year, in the fall of 2004. They deferred their college start for a year, and we are so pleased they are here. Alicia spent a year in the Marshall Islands, Chad spent a year in France and Michelle spent a year in Ecuador. Welcome.

Community. Family. These are important words in any time and perhaps even more important now, today, this year, this decade. We take great pride in the number of students who begin their St. Olaf experience with some knowledge of the college already established by a parent, siblings, grandparent, or other family member. Fully one third of you report a family connection to St. Olaf. We welcome you.

I want to pay some attention today to those parents in our audience who also have attended St. Olaf. I knew a couple of you when we were at St. Olaf together. I promise not to say anything about those days to your children.

Fifty-one of our new students have a brother or a sister who is currently attending St. Olaf. I had the privilege of going through my St. Olaf years with a brother and a sister on the same campus. I thought it was terrific.

St. Olaf College was founded to provide a high quality educational opportunity and experience to a broad array of people from diverse backgrounds. In its origins, we opened our doors to those who would not otherwise have had an opportunity to go to college. We continue that commitment today. For 17 percent of this class, you are the first person in your family to attend a 4-year college. Those of you for whom this experience and opportunity is particularly new and unique, perhaps even daunting and amazing, please know we stand beside you and look forward to the many opportunities and experiences that come your way.

Let me share some additional information about our group of new students.

There are 800 of you — 769 new first-year students and 35 transfer students. You come from 39 different states and 22 foreign countries. You heard a lot at various programs on and off campus about the academic background of your potential classmates. I won't repeat those details tonight. And if your roommate asks what your ACT was, simply say you don't remember. Don't say you took it so many times that you don't remember the score. And please don't ask in response "What's an ACT?"

A few of you don't have this St. Olaf thing down yet. Six of you wrote in your application how excited you were to be coming to St. Olaf's. I need to level with you now that pronouncing St. Olaf as St. Olaf's could get you in a bit of trouble. It's kind of like cutting in line in the cafeteria or spelling your teacher's name wrong. Twelve of you sent me e-mails during the year that lacked a number of things: punctuation, for example, or use of upper and lower case. They're not included in our mission statement, but we do take punctuation and appropriate use of upper and lower case seriously here.

Three of you are not quite sure what this Ole-thing is. You spell it wrong, you pronounce it wrong. We need to work on this: "Oh-Lee". Help your roommate out when he or she wanders off on this "O-lay" thing.

Academic life is at the core of the St. Olaf experience. I have learned in my 24 years of association with St. Olaf that our faculty and students can, and do, disagree on a number of things. But they do agree on two things: we are serious about community, and we believe personal and collective integrity is important to who we are as committed and serious academicians, members of a global community, and people who see the value in a community of faith and reason.

Whatever you plan your major to be, whatever group you aspire to be a part of, whatever aspiration you have for a job and a life of worth and service, know that you begin today as members of a community. Many of you are here with your family in the most traditional sense of the word. Others of you arrived alone, and are here tonight without the privilege and support of immediate family. Remember that no one comes to St. Olaf alone. Tonight and going forward, you are surrounded by the support of a gracious God, a challenging and caring faculty and a supportive, engaging staff.

Let me delve a bit more into you as a group. You enjoy a wide range of music: Manheim Steamroller, Mars Volta, the Clash, Dave Matthews, Guster, and REM. You are part of an A Capella group that has opened up for Cantus, the increasingly known St. Olaf group.

You read and have been affected by a wide range of books and literary works — Lord of the Rings, Dr. Seuss' Did I ever tell you how lucky you are?, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Small Wonder, The Resurrection Factor, Heart of Darkness, Sweet and Sour Milk.

You have lived in foreign countries, expanding your own horizons: Prague, Norway, Kenya, New Zealand, Iran, Namibia, Tanzania, Sweden, Somalia, Macedonia, the Netherlands.

Teachers, friends and peers describe you with a variety of superlatives: a vibrant spirit, perseverance, endurance, gregarious, attentive, respectful, having a fearless willingness to contribute, resilient, proud.

You have come to us from foreign countries: Kenya, Macedonia, Norway, Germany, Japan, Thailand.

You know what you are in for at this four-year residential liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. In fact, 1 of you wrote to me about your "unhealthy love" for cold weather and Norwegian heritage. Actually, I think it will be quite healthy. It is when the Norwegian collides with the winter weather that we have to be particularly vigilant.

You come from 6 sets of twins, 2 of whom are students this year. One of you is a triplet.

You have written poignantly and humorously. One essay I read was titled "The Unknown Dangers of the Public Restroom". I won't say what residence hall you are from.

But it starts with a K.

You have shared personal stories. Including: "I am one of those people who sings in the shower." I am a bit worried about you. Your residence hall begins with a K, too.

You do things your friends and family consider unique. You know the Irish step dance. You founded a local chapter of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. You are an avid white water rafter. You describe your Mom and Dad as "old hippie parents." You have a red 1976 Honda Trail motorcycle. You describe yourself as an "Ice Cream Scooper Extraordinaire".

You have pride in the places you call home. One of you wrote: "I am a Montanan who knows exactly what it means to love life." You told us about the gratitude you have for the beauty of your home state and surroundings — the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.

Another wrote about moving 12 times in your life, and you told me you felt you had arrived home when you showed up at St. Olaf. We think so too.

You have been leaders; 12 of you claim Eagle Scout rank.

You have shared your talents with others as a Special Olympics student coach and as a fencing instructor.

You have done things that don't fit so neatly into a category. Both your parents sang in the St. Olaf Choir. You trained Kirby and Maggie, two west Highland white terriers. You have been a part of the Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra. You have played the violin in a Bluegrass band. You built a robot. Your grandfather's godfather was Ole Rolvaag. Your parents served as missionaries in Colombia. You have a black belt in Taekwondo. You are a member of a band you helped found, Four's Uneven. You scored 5th in the nation on the National French exam. You are also a permanent resident of New Zealand. You have been a disc jockey. And, one of you has 48 relatives who attended St. Olaf. His last name is not Nelson, Johnson, Anderson or Hanson.

One of you is from Kyle, Texas. I want one student from Kyle, Texas each and every year!

You are scared of the weather, downright scared, and wondered in your essay whether we actually heat all the buildings in the winter. We're thinking about starting that this year.

Your aunt is a Vice President at St. Olaf and you started a co-ed rugby team. We'll keep an eye on her Jan. You attended school in Montezuma, New Mexico.

You have done things, also, I would consider to be brave choices. You spent this past summer in Oxford. Studying. You started your school's magazine, The Cellar Door. Despite a waiver for language requirement due to dyslexia, you took it anyway. You moved from the African Congo to Iowa City, Iowa.

In addition to many accomplishments, you have been through more challenge and heartache than I can imagine. You have lost friends in tragic accidents. You have been with a grandparent when he died. You have battled cancer and survived. You have watched parents separate, divorce, reconcile. A number of you made it here today without the presence and support of parents.

You have felt the pressures to conform, to belong, sometimes in unhealthy ways. You have watched siblings struggle with chemical dependency. But through it all, highs and lows, peaks and valleys, you stayed true to who you were and the dreams you have for yourself.

This was a week of challenge and transition in my own family's life. Through each high and low, each challenge, each transition, I was reminded again about the blessings of being a part of a community. We have people who come in and out of our lives at various times, in times of great happiness, great challenge and great sadness. It is the type of community I hope each of you find at St. Olaf: one that challenges, supports, uplifts and sustains you in times of great accomplishment and tremendous trial. Life can be short, fragile. Be grateful for it. Be grateful for the opportunity to learn, to share, to challenge and to grow. And be grateful for those who helped bring you to where you are today and who will stand with you in the weeks, months and years ahead.

24 years ago today I was in your shoes, feeling your excitement, your anxiety, your hope, your fear. My St. Olaf years have brought me memories and friendships that I reflect upon daily, and none more so than this past week when all that defines life — high and low — is presented so abundantly in front of our eyes.

To our parents who have the opportunity and privilege of being here today: you have supported and sustained these young men and women. Now it is time for them to grow, stretch, learn, fail, try, attempt, discern.

Please leave here today with the knowledge that your children are in a good place. They will call or e-mail, with stories of success, an occasional complaint, fears, tears, laughs and worries. That is normal. Support them. Challenge them. Sustain them. But also allow them to be college students, to be the adults you have dreamed them to become.

I read a book over my summer vacation this year up on a set of lakes in a small fishing village north of Lake of the Woods. It is a place 3 parents and at least 1new Ole here today also know. Tom Friedman's latest book includes the author's own description of taking his oldest daughter to college. He writes:

"My own daughter went off to college in 2004 and my wife and I dropped her off on a warm September day. The sun was shining. Our daughter was full of excitement. But I can honestly say it was one of the saddest days of my life. And it wasn't just the "dad and mom dropping off their eldest child at school" thing. No, something else bothered me. It was the sense that I was dropping my daughter off into a world that was so much more dangerous than the one she was born into. I felt like I could still promise my daughter her bedroom back, but I couldn't promise her the world — not in the carefree way that I had explored it when I was her age. That really bothered me. It still does. It is imperative that we be the best global citizens that we can be..

Yes, parents, the world can be a dangerous place. But it can also be a place of great amazement, wonder, and opportunity. I wish for each of you here today the sense of pride and satisfaction with all that your child is and what they have become. As an institution, we take great pride in the opportunity to have them join this community of learners, actors, singers, and players. We will be richer for it. One of your children wrote about vocation and provided a valuable quote, appropriate, I believe, for today: "Vocation is that point where the deepest longings of the human heart meet the world's greatest needs."

I had the pleasure of talking about this great group of new students at the opening faculty meeting yesterday. But that was anecdotal evidence. Distinguished members of the faculty, it gives me great pleasure to formally welcome 800 new students to the St. Olaf community, confident in their abilities to become responsible, caring, dedicated and knowledgeable citizens of the world.

Thank you very much. Good luck and Godspeed.