Senior Athletes have made contributions to UR

As the Director of Athletics and Recreation, I am pleased to have this opportunity to comment on the contributions of the Class of 2004 to the Department of Athletics and Recreation. In my job, I have the benefit of seeing our students in many different roles. We realize that athletics plays an important educational role for many of our students. The Class of 2004 took full advantage of what we have to offer.I am proud of our student-athletes and other students who not only gain valuable experiences through participation in our programs, but who represent their University with distinction as they contribute enormously to our success. They remind us of how lucky we are to serve them in our professional roles.Having arrived in 1999, I have come to know some members of the Class of 2004 as high school seniors as they made college decisions. I have come to know many more over the four years of their undergraduate life. The Class of 2004 has contributed to the growth of athletics at UR in numerous ways. We employ over 200 students per year in our department. I recognize that a great deal of leadership in these roles has come from the Class of 2004. They have helped us enormously in establishing substantial changes in our facility operation and provided a positive recreational environment for the entire UR community.On the program side, intramurals remain a source of great pride. The students who supervise these activities deserve much credit, and again, the Class of 2004 has served their fellow students admirably in these roles. As far as varsity programs, UR has distinguished itself with significant contributions from this class. Over the course of their careers, the Class of 2004 has contributed to conference championships, regional championships, and number of post-season appearances. As individuals, the Class of 2004 has a number of All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and athletes who have qualified for the postseason in individual sports. Over the course of their senior year, the Class of 2004 led our teams to levels of success not experienced in a decade or more. I wish the Class of 2004 continued success as they leave our campus behind. I am reassured to know that they will never actually leave us. Their roles change, but they continue to remain vital to our success. As alumni, they will continue to stay active through the Friends of Rochester Athletics. Besides helping us field teams for alumni games, we will draw on their experiences to assist in the recruitment of new students and seek their help in establishing career networks. The Class of 2004 will continue to serve UR, just as a Univerity of Rochester education will continue to serve them.My hearty congratulations to the Class of 2004! You have made those of us in Athletics and Recreation very proud.