I want to add my welcome to the many you have received from others over the last day or two. It is quite unusual for UNH students to sit quietly in the Whitt. I don't think we'll ever ask you to do that again, and today not for very long.

We are delighted to have you at UNH. You have earned admission to one of the best universities in the United States. I'm sure there are a variety of reasons why you chose UNH. Hopefully, academic reputation was one. Perhaps you liked the looks of our university and the way people related to each other and to you. Perhaps you have had friends or family members come to UNH, and they told you UNH would be a good choice for you. Although you are likely thinking now about the next four or five years at UNH, in fact you and UNH will have a lifetime relationship. Some friends you make here will be lifetime friends. Your faculty will continue to care about you after you have graduated. You may even return for an advanced degree at a later time. In one way or another, you will need the University, and the University will need you for a long time.

It may help you understand your experiences here if you know a little more about UNH. Let me give you a quick history lesson. In the early 1800's, when our nation was still very young, there was substantial discussion about what role higher education would play in the American society. There was a recognition that a democratic society, built on the principles of this new nation, would require an educated citizenry. Most of the colleges at that time were private institutions preparing individuals from families of means to be clergy or teachers or public servants. Education at these institutions was very classical in content. The focus was on classical languages, history, literature, philosophy, and mathematics. Science and its applications were not yet part of higher education. Leaders like Thomas Jefferson anticipated that the country would be economically dependent on agriculture and industry, and would be socially dependent on achieving a high level of education for citizens.

Reflecting these values, President Lincoln signed a bill in 1862, proposed by Senator Morrill of Vermont, which provided a college in each state that would combine the practical arts with the liberal arts, would include agriculture and mechanical studies in its curriculum, would be accessible to the sons and daughters of the working class. In 1862 the nation was at war to determine if it could remain a single nation. The Morrill Act provided an important link between higher education and the democratic experiment.

These colleges would undertake three missions: teaching, research, and public service. They were called land-grant colleges because the federal government gave each state a grant of land as the initial funding for the college. New Hampshire accepted its land grant in 1866, and the new college was formed as part of Dartmouth. In New England it was not unusual for a state's new land-grant college to be placed at one of the existing colleges. The University of Rhode Island started at Brown. The mechanical part of the land grant in Massachusetts was at MIT.

Several years before the Morrill Act was passed in Congress, a Durham farmer named Benjamin Thompson bequeathed his farm and much of his wealth to New Hampshire to be used for a college that would teach science and agriculture. Benjamin Thompson was a visionary person and very much a part of the discussions of the day about the need for higher education. He did not die until 1890 and so the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts was at Dartmouth until 1892 and then moved to Durham. The first building on this campus was named Thompson Hall. Sometime this week or next I hope that you will walk into Thompson Hall and see the picture of Benjamin Thompson and also the picture of Thompson Hall soon after it was built. There it stood: a magnificent building, sitting in a pasture, an act of faith that has today become a major research university.

When we say that UNH is a land-grant institution, we say a great deal about the University: UNH welcomes students from a great variety of backgrounds, combines professional education with the liberal arts, believes knowledge exists not only for its own sake but for its use to solving human problems, believes that those of us who are privileged to be educated have responsibility as citizens. But UNH is not simply a land-grant institution, it is also a sea-grant and a space-grant institution. Those labels mean UNH has been designated by the federal government for special work in the areas of marine studies and space sciences. There are only four universities in the country that are land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant. We are fortunate to be at one of them.

Our University has also been strongly influenced by the values of New England liberal arts colleges. We believe that liberal learning is the right foundation for all of higher education. The first President of the University at Durham was the Reverend Charles S. Murkland. Why did a college of agriculture and science choose a clergyman to be its first president? The reason is that the clergy were among the best educated people of the day. In his inaugural speech President Murkland made it clear that this college would not be a trade school, but would be a college in which all students had deep experiences in the liberal arts.

* This brief history lesson means several things for your experience at UNH.

* Your faculty are serious scholars. All are engaged in some way in discovering new knowledge, and you may well have an opportunity to be part of that work.

* You will have opportunities to know your faculty at UNH. You will see how they learn, and they will closely observe your learning.

* You will be reminded often of your responsibilities for civic engagement. There will be internships, public service opportunities, and volunteer projects that we hope you will participate in.

* Your education, even if you are in the business school or engineering or nursing, will be anchored in the liberal arts.

We will have other opportunities to talk together about the values of UNH, values that we hope will become part of you while you are here. Please put my State of the University speech on your calendar for September 11. That's University Day at UNH. Lots will be going on, and I will be speaking about the future of the University. It is likely that this, your first year, will be spent primarily on the Durham campus, and your primary responsibility will be to your course work. We are persuaded that your academic preparation and your previous achievements mean you are well prepared to succeed academically. You would not have been admitted otherwise. But you don't want to make many mistakes at the front end of this venture. Dr. Kushner will talk to you about ways to get the most from your academic opportunities.

A university is a special kind of community, different than any you have likely experienced before. Here we live together, eat together, learn together, and play together. When you entered the University, you became a citizen of the University community, and you are now responsible not only for yourself, but for all members of this community. We are a community of many cultures, races and creeds; we come from all the states of the United States and many different parts of the world. Some have lived in rural areas, some have lived in urban areas. No one of us has lived closely in a community with such a mix of people. Diversity is one of the things that makes a university strong. Each of us learns from those around us; each of us benefits from having our beliefs and experiences challenged by other beliefs and experiences. Most of us will in time leave Durham, New Hampshire to live and work in very diverse communities. The University is committed to being a successful, diverse community in which each person is fully supported and respected. There is no room for racism, sexism, or homophobia here. Harassment is not tolerated. You have an obligation as a member of this community to respect and support each person in the community.

It happens that our medium-size university is located in the small New Hampshire town of Durham. That is a plus for us. This is a beautiful and safe place, a good place for learning. We need to recognize that our total community is larger than the people directly associated with the University. We have close neighbors whose residences and businesses are in Durham. You must always be respectful of these neighbors even though you may not know them in the way you have known your neighbors at home.

There is one other thing I must be clear with you about. The University must provide for the safety of all members of the community and must also create an environment appropriate for learning. For these reasons, the University's code of student conduct sets somewhat higher standards than what are required in the society generally. Learning requires a disciplined environment. It is important that you know what the rules of conduct are at the University and in the surrounding communities.

In particular, underage drinking and binge drinking have been serious problems for your college generation. Large numbers of college-age students have made bad decisions about alcohol, and as a consequence their futures have been damaged, even ruined. The problem is especially acute for freshmen. Last year UNH's judicial cases for alcohol showed 288 freshmen and 3 seniors. People do grow up, but we can't wait on that now. You are too important and the community can't tolerate high-risk behaviors. Further, the data show clearly that alcohol abuse correlates directly with poor academic performance.

One of Yogi Berra's often quoted sayings is, "If there is a fork in the road, take it." But we know that often doesn't work. Alcohol and illegal drugs are choices where you can't have it both ways. Decisions must be made. Please think for yourself, and please think smart. Losing control of your decisions is never smart. The decisions you make about alcohol and illegal drugs are never just personal decisions. They are decisions that affect others-indeed the entire UNH community.

I don't preach to students very often, but you will find that I preach about these issues that threaten your physical safety and your future. There are many people at UNH ready to help you with the myriad of issues that you will confront in the next few weeks, decisions that range from locating a classroom to health-related issues. I look forward to the opportunity to meet each of you. Likely, you will see me on campus. Please do say hello, tell me you are a freshman, and tell me how things are going.

You have a wonderful class: indisputably, the finest to come to UNH. The University now is yours: the classes, the labs, the Library, the Art Gallery, the residence halls, internships, research, concerts, theater, hundreds of clubs and activities, intramurals, gymnastics meets, hockey games, today's football game. The University of New Hampshire is a very special place. Give it your very best. We will have a great year. Welcome.