Viewpoint

I have just spent the past 24 hours with an unexpected visitor. He was a student whom I twice had in class and who graduated two years ago. I asked my self, "Why was I willing to drop my planned schedule for this visitor?" Simple: to say he was a student is only the beginning of the story — he is also a friend.

To honor someone in your mind is called respect and UD students respect many of their professors as they are respected by their professors. To honor someone in your heart is called love and I know that many students at UD come to so honor their professors in their hearts, as their professors also come to honor them. Relationships of respect and love are core to UD. This is what makes the University of Dayton a family. I have studied at 7 different universities over my academic lifespan; none can even approximate the valuing of relationships as they are valued here at UD.

A University of Dayton graduation is always a bitter sweet experience for me. I am very proud of the number of students who leave UD to begin graduate school or move on to become professionals. But it is also sad to see my friends — my UD relationships — moving on, even though I know that they will keep in touch by e-mail, by phone, or when they ask me to witness their weddings or baptize their children. For example, two years ago I witnessed a wedding of two UD grads in up-state New York. The DJ called all the UD grads out on the dance floor to march to the UD fight song. Eighty-six in attendance went out on the floor! This included the bride's mom and dad. The groom of that wedding moved back to work at UD and the couple's two-year-old daughter often asks me to read her a story from her Rudy Flyer story book.

If there is ever any doubt that UD is about relationships for a lifetime, just walk a day in my life.

- Rev. Joseph Tedesco, SM, PCC, UD Class of 1974

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