"Dear Irvin" Fall 2017 by Bill Syrett
“Dear Irvin”
A note from your
faculty adviser
Fall 2017
Dear
Irvin Hall residents:
Welcome
to a new school year at Penn State! If
you are here then you have shown that you have what it takes to prosper at Penn
State, congratulations! Irvin Hall, the
Special Living Option of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has been
around a long time and many very successful people have passed through this
dormitory over the years. The path to
success is easier in Irvin because you have unique resources to help you find
the proper balance between your studies, your community activities and your
entertainment. By living in Irvin, you
will get help finding that proper balance through required social, academic and
community service events. Still, you
need to put in some effort in order to take full advantage. Be alert for email, Facebook, and posted
messages in the lobby so you know what’s expected of you. Get involved and be thankful for the
opportunities afforded you. By far the
easiest way to get involved is to attend all house meetings. You will meet your board of directors and
learn what you will need to do to be an engaged member of the Irvin community.
It
can and will be stressful at times, and you’ll weather those times better by
working through them with your friends (who are going through or have gone
through similar stressful events). And please reach out to me if you think I
can help. My office hours, if you are
interested are Wednesdays from 7-10am and by appointment and I’m in 606C Walker,
a part of the Joel N. Myers Weather Center.
You may stop by at other times, too, just let me know what works for
you. I look forward to seeing some of you
at TOTEMS and at many other times during the fall.
A
few facts about me…
I grew up in Bristol, Connecticut and have been a
“weather weenie” since age 5. I received
my B.S. in Meteorology at Penn State in the winter of 1983 and lived in Pinchot
Hall (East Halls), but had many friends in Irvin. I then earned an M.S. here in Meteo and have
worked in both research and teaching since 1987. I think Penn State is a fantastic
institution, and our college, which truly is much more student-friendly than
most, is the best on campus. I hope that
I will be able to eventually help you feel the same way if you don’t already.
I
enjoy being involved with Irvin and want to hear from you with comments or
suggestions--and please write or stop by and visit if you ever feel that I
could be of service to any of you. Keep
up with your work, find that perfect balance between academics and activities,
and have a great semester! Get to know
as many of your housemates as you can- you have unique talents and differences,
but also have a lot more in common with each other than you may think. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Bill
Syrett, Senior Lecturer in Meteorology and Manager, Joel N. Myers Weather
Center
