December 2003 Dear University of Dayton “fans:” I just spent Thanksgiving week in one of the most beautiful spots in the world with 300 of the “Flyer Faithful” wildly cheering the Dayton Flyers to victory in the 20th Maui Invitational Tournament. Dayton now joins the ranks of past winners like Syracuse, Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona and Indiana. College basketball can be emblematic of an institution, showing its personality and values and well as reflecting on its excellence. In Maui, the Flyers showed us they’re hard-working, intense and selfless. Flyer fans, who bought more package tickets than any other school from the mainland and danced in the aisles with red-and-blue streamers and kazoos, showed why Sporting News calls us the “best fans in the country.” Flyers basketball brings national visibility to the University of Dayton and gives us a venue for telling our story of academic excellence shaped by the Catholic/Marianist tradition. The University of Dayton ranks among the 10 best doctoral Catholic universities in the country, with retention and graduation rates falling in the top five. We’re committed to innovation and technology. Nationally, the University of Dayton Research Institute is the largest nonmedical research facility on a Catholic university campus and performs the most sponsored research in the area of materials, second only to Penn State University, according to the National Science Foundation. We prepare students for lives of service to others. Christmas on Campus, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, is among the nation’s largest single-day community service events on a college campus. Nearly every alumni chapter has adopted some form of this cherished, memorable tradition. It’s a new era for Dayton basketball — and it’s a new era for the University of Dayton. We are a rising star among universities nationally, and we expect to make our mark. As we enter the new year, we have tremendous momentum. I wish you all of God’s blessings for the holidays and thank you for your loyalty and help in sharing the story of this great university. We’re all part of a winning team with a growing national reputation. Sincerely, F Daniel J. Curran, Ph.D. President