Students,

By the time you receive this email, you’ll have survived mid-terms and be officially on spring break. In fact, I’d bet many of you read this coming back from spring break — congratulations on time “unplugged”! I always try to get this message out a day or two before you all scatter to the winds for a week of R&R, but this year I’ve been distracted and I simply failed at writing this before the break began. But in that failure might be a message for all of us.

Perspective. It’s a word from Latin roots meaning “clearly perceived.” As I write this, somewhat late on the Friday evening that begins your break, that is my wish for you: to clearly perceive what matters in your lives. Your studies matter. Your career plans matter. Your friends and relationships matter. Your family matters. And taking care of yourself — and each other — and not allowing your deeply rooted personal priorities (which are what, in so many ways, define you) to get lost in all the other things that matter — well, that’s what actually may matter most of all.

So, have fun, get some rest, and take care of yourselves and each other. Make good choices, and — as I always like to remind my own kids at times like this — don’t be an idiot. Some of you will be heading home, off to exotic locales, or out on an alternative break experience. Others will spend the week working, studying, and catching up on sleep. I’m confident at least one of you will be heading down to catch the Cubs in spring training, if only so you can torment me with emails and photos as I head into another week of meetings here on campus. And above all, I know that all of us will be rooting for our women’s basketball team after their monumental win Friday and as they head into the Mountain West tournament championship.

But no matter how you’re spending the next several days, my real hope for you is the same: I hope to see you back here in a week, healthy, recharged, and ready for that final two-month trek to finals and (for some of you) commencement. CSU — and our world — need you and ALL you have to offer.

Enjoy your break, be safe, and get out and enjoy this wonderful time in Colorado as much as you can.

-tony

Dr. Tony Frank
President