Syracuse University had its 148th birthday on Saturday, and the Forever Orange Student Alumni Council is preparing events for this upcoming week to celebrate.

Forever Orange Week will consist of activities designed to bridge the gap between students and alumni, emphasizing ways students can become leaders on campus and highlighting the importance of the SU alumni network.

Kennedy Patlan, Forever Orange Student Alumni Council chair of events, said the team prepares for the week by brainstorming which activities will serve the Syracuse community best. All events will be advertised to students through social media and emails from Forever Orange Student Alumni Council members and the Office of Alumni Engagement, per the Alumni Association website.

“It’s exciting to see a student’s journey from the first time they step on campus to commencement,” said Megan DiDomenico, assistant director of young alumni and student engagement. “Our programming allows them to reflect on their time here as they prepare to graduate, while emphasizing the many ways in which their connection to SU lasts a lifetime.”

She added that this week gives current students a better understanding of how strong and passionate the Syracuse alumni program is. DiDomenico finds it rewarding to see students come together and see the council’s hard work turn into a great week for students.

“We all come together with a love for the orange and a realization that we want future students and faculty to feel as fortunate as we have throughout their time here at SU,” said council member and senior anthropology and international relations double major Isabella Corieri.

Matt Stedman, a senior information management and technology major and the council’s current president, said he joined the council because he wants to help SU continue to grow. He appreciated the fact that the council realized there are other ways to give back besides donating money.

Stedman is most looking forward to the Orange Circle Award Ceremony because it’s an opportunity to recognize those who go above and beyond in philanthropy, he said. He wants students to understand how great donors are and encourage them to give back to SU so that others can have the same opportunities they did.

“Forever Orange Week is ultimately a time of appreciation and giving,” Patlan, a senior advertising, citizenship and civic engagement and women’s and gender studies triple major, said. “I think that culture is something that is often seen on this campus, but this week’s theme is really all about bringing that culture to the forefront. It’s about looking back, while also considering ways we can all improve our campus.”

Patlan said that although students are already involved on campus, this week emphasizes the importance of appreciating everything Syracuse has to offer.

“This week really epitomizes the spirit of philanthropy, and I love that about it,” she said.

Published on March 25, 2018 at 11:20 pm

analbert@syr.edu