copy of email to administration

Thanks to everyone involved for keeping the non-locals aware of what's happening. Hope we can make a difference...
FYI, here's what I sent:

Chancellor Cantor, Dean Baker, et al.,

I am writing to express my outrage about the plans to restructure the University control of the Outing Club.

I feel very strongly about my academic experiences at Syracuse, but hope that you are aware that academics are only a facet of the university experience. The way SUOC has fit into the SU infrastructure for the last 70 years has created a very unique organization. As the trend for large organizations to protect themselves from liability has evolved, so has a tendency for individuals to fail to assume responsibility for their actions. SUOC has been paddling successfully against that current for many years. The activities that SUOC members enjoy are often perceived by non-participants to be "risky". SUOC has been introducing students with absolutely no previous experience to "risky" outdoor sports with zero incidents of litigation against the University over 70 years. I propose that it is the peer leadership model and autonomy of SUOC that have made this a reality. Reliance on peers is very different than reliance on a guide. The current and past structure of SUOC teaches invaluable life lessons about risk, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, environment, and physical activities that can be enjoyed for a lifetime (to mention only a few!). I implore you to keep SUOC separate from Rec Services.

For me personally, SUOC was the most profound experience of my 4 years at SU. The other Outing Club / Outdoor Education models that I have seen since my undergraduate years do not compare to SUOC. (Plymouth State College, University of Maine (Orono), University of Southern Maine) If SUOC was a part of Rec Services from 1989-1993, I would not be a Syracuse University Alumnus. I joined SUOC fall semester of my freshman year, and it literally kept me at Syracuse University.

Ed Manion, class of 1993

SUOC president '92-'93