Send offs and Greetings

hey hey

So I know, I’ve been so bad about updating my blog this summer. No excuses.

BUT I’ve been doing this intense Summer Reading List, and working 35 hours a week at the Rivier College Library, and going somewhere fun basically every weekend. I’ve been up to Vermont twice, and to the NH lakes region, where I am currently spending a week’s vacation with my family. The wifi here is pretty shoddy- the neighbors should probably update that.

Next week when I come home I’m going to the Send Off party in Windham for SMC students coming from New Hampshire. I didn’t attend one last year so I’m not really sure what to expect. I guess this is the point where you guys have already committed so we don’t have to convince you anymore. This is like… the reassurance stage. I remember this time last year I had just returned from my SOAR orientation weekend and I was absolutely pumped about coming to school. My biggest reservation had been that I didn’t know a single person, but after attending SOAR I felt like I already had a group of great friends and there was nothing left two worry about. As the fall semester progressed some of our group split off and made new friends, but I’m happy to say that two of the people I met at SOAR are still my very best friends at school. It’s not uncommon for groups to shift and rearrange themselves as everyone settles in, but it’s also really nice to walk around campus after that and be able to say hello to people that I probably would never have met otherwise. That’s probably my biggest piece of advice to newcomers on campus: SAY HELLO. If you recognize someone, and especially if you remember their name, use it! Greeting professors, other students, Alliot staff, and custodians will help them remember your face and can build relationships for the future. Saint Mike’s is a small campus, and you’re bound to run into people you know all over the place; the greetings might become exhausting, but they’re worth it.

            So, how do I go about reassuring these freshmen that they’ve made the right choice next week? I think that one of the best things for me to see last fall was the weekend after orientation when everyone came back. I can’t even describe the buzz of that first weekend on campus. You can just sense how excited everyone is, and it’s infectious.  Certainly expect a plethora of “cup drops,” as well as other shenanigans. It will be loud, but don’t let that discourage you from joining in.

I hope to see some of you next Thursday in Windham, and next month at St. Mike’s!

A

ps. Coming soon: A guide to eating in Alliot