Dear Class of 2016,
Welcome home! We are so excited for you to join us as the newest members of the Notre Dame family. As you embark on this new journey in your life, we would like to share a few words based on our experiences these past few years. The next four years will be unforgettable. Be open to all of the opportunities Notre Dame will offer you. Whether you are volunteering at the Robinson Community Learning Center down the street, or spending a semester in Uganda, Notre Dame will open your eyes to parts of the world you never knew existed.
Find your passions and pursue them. Meet people who have similar interests and ask them for advice. Your RAs, Hall Presidents, club leaders and upperclassmen down the hall will be more than happy to help you with whatever you need. Embrace every moment of your four years as a Notre Dame student. Introduce yourself to the people sitting around you on the first day of class.
Pull an all-nighter in the Hesburgh Library. Do pushups at a home football game and run through Stonehenge after a big win. Light a candle at the Grotto. Sink your boat at the Fisher Regatta. Participate in the midnight snowball fight after the first snowfall. Do every cliché Notre Dame thing you can, because your time here at Notre Dame will be over before you know it.
In the coming year, if you find something that you aren't happy with on campus, come visit us in 203 Lafortune. We'll do our best to help you fix it. Notre Dame has a unique ability to adapt and progress while staying true to its fundamental traditions - don't be afraid to lead this change. Like the coming Notre Dame winter, four years may seem like they will last forever, but you'll soon realize how quickly they pass. Begin your tenure at Notre Dame right now, by fearlessly entering Frosh-O with an open mind and heart. Welcome to the family.
In Notre Dame,
Brett Rocheleau
Student body president
Katie Rose
Student body vice president
Aug. 14, 2012
