As the student speaker at Syracuse University’s 159th commencement, University Scholar Jaime Bernstein described why members of the SU family are so different compared to other universities.

“We bleed orange,” she said to a roar of cheers from her fellow graduating seniors. “This phrase defines how we are able to take the ideas, lessons and values Syracuse University has instilled within us and integrate them into our everyday lives.”

Double majoring in chemistry and Spanish, Bernstein’s four undergraduate years exemplify what it means to bleed orange by involving herself in many organizations around campus.

Bernstein is a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma, works as a supervisor for SU Ambulance, and is a part of the Renée Crown University Honors Program. She is also a Remembrance Scholar, along with involvement in other organizations, according to a SU News statement describing the Class of 2013’s University Scholars.

“Bleeding orange” became an expression that was then woven into the rest of the ceremony by other speakers, including keynote speaker Nicholas Kristof’s, who asked if he could have a transfusion of orange blood to join the SU family.

“From the moment the Goon Squad helped us move into our dorms, our blood was beginning to change color,” Bernstein said. “With each passing day, our blood has become a more vibrant orange.”

Experiences such as trudging through snow in April and celebrating at Chuck’s Cafe, she said, serve as part of what it means to bleed orange.

Bernstein described how having orange blood brings the SU campus closer together in times of need, such as when the men’s basketball team lost in the Final Four, but also in more serious circumstances, such as fundraising to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

“We can come together as a community to cope with any loss, whether big or small,” Bernstein said. “We bleed orange when we make differences in the world we live in, both on campus and elsewhere.”

Bernstein spoke about the changes that occurred at the university in the last four years, such as Haven Dining Center’s closing in 2009 and Ernie Davis Dining Center’s opening in 2010. She said students used to not have to show IDs when walking into Kimmel Food Court, but now with the increased security, it can be more difficult to get into Kimmel than into Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar or Chuck’s.

Since 2009, she said the university also experienced significant accomplishments, such as being the last class to have spent all four years in the Big East, as well as organizing notable speakers such as Shaq, Dave Matthews, Vice President Joe Biden and the Dalai Lama.

But what Bernstein reiterated in her closing is not what makes the Class of 2013 different than other years, but what unites SU alumni around the world.

“I ask that you never forget why our blood is a different color from everyone else’s,” Bernstein said. “Remember where you came from, your roots. Wherever our futures may take us, even if our paths never cross again, we will always be a part of something incredible.”

Published on May 12, 2013 at 7:33 pm

Contact Kristin: klross01@syr.edu | @kriskross22