Monday messages

Spring brings excitement to campus

Dear Colleagues,

Even though it appears to be coming in windy fits and starts, with the Kansas winter reluctant to give up its hold on us, you can tell from the activity on campus that spring is here.

Prospective graduates are preparing to walk down the hill. They send out invitations, get their gowns, double check on the summer job that suddenly seems a little shaky, and make sure they’ll qualify academically to receive their degrees after performing the most profound KU ritual of all – walking down the hill.

Students who are still a couple semesters away from graduation also get caught up in the buzz surrounding commencement, which hopefully provides them extra motivation to finish the semester strong so they can stay on track for that future walk through the Campanile.

Faculty and staff, too, have their enthusiasm renewed by the added excitement that seems to descend on campus this time of year as members of the KU family prepare to welcome a new class into the flock.

Spring is a time when Jayhawks come together, bringing thousands of visitors to campus and to Lawrence, and not just for commencement.

Prospective students and their families are following our backward-walking student ambassadors around campus, while the Black Alumni Chapter will gather this weekend to honor recent graduates. And Saturday we’ll welcome Gold Medal Club members back to campus as they celebrate 50 or more years of KU memories.

So many families and guests arrive for end-of-the-year events that by commencement weekend, hotels are full and restaurants have lines stretching out on the sidewalk. The mutually beneficial relationship between KU and Lawrence is both cultural and commercial.

As was recently pointed out by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, KU and the KU family bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the community. Our payroll of $310 million is complemented by the $13 million we spent with local businesses last year alone, and these figures don’t include the millions of dollars spent by visitors who come to Lawrence to attend KU events.

Meanwhile, KU benefits from the support residents provide for the university and our mission, and from the warmth and hospitality shown by the residents and businesses not only during commencement, but year-round. Lawrence opens its arms to the KU family and that is a big selling point when we are recruiting students and faculty members to become Jayhawks.

We like to say KU is a great place to be. And when spring rolls around, that is more true than ever—especially when winter finally gives in.

But what makes KU truly great is the spirit of community that exists here. The KU family may span the globe, but every member is tied back to that spring day when all it took was a walk down a hill in Lawrence, Kansas, to open up a world of new possibilities.

Good luck during the next few weeks. Join in the spirit of KU spring. Get outside and cheer for the baseball and softball teams in the middle of that 40 mph gale, or attend the Kansas Relays. Enjoy this beautiful campus and prepare for that special day in May when everything seems possible.

Sincerely,
Bob Hemenway
Chancellor