Welcome Back, Saint Mary’s!
Driving down The Avenue, turning into our senior year, has made us a little sentimental, and we’re sure we are not the only ones. We drove down the path that has always led us home from the time we drove down it to visit Saint Mary’s College, to when we took our first walk as a class and all of the moments since then. We have to admit, earth and SMC did an incredible job. The trees always seem to be full of magic, and you can feel it throughout the entire year.
For some of you (hello, freshmen and transfer students!), you will understand over these next 4 years that walking down The Avenue is not merely a nice stroll with stunning views, nor is it just the new academic experience replacing the Sophia Program. “The Avenue” we are talking about are the 4 years you spend at Saint Mary’s College and the 40+ years after it. The Avenue is a path different for everyone. For some, it might be more clear — for others, it might be full of twists and turns. When you embark on your journey, you are going to leave your footsteps behind, solidifying your mark at Saint Mary’s. What do you want your legacy to be? What do you want Saint Mary’s legacy to be? The Avenue is a landmark for us, and it lies deep in our hearts. It is where we can come together and create traditions, create memories and interact with others.
Belles, we ask you to truly embrace our community as Smicks. Saint Mary’s College has a unique bond, an irreplaceable sisterhood rich with tradition and love. Despite our differences, The Avenue brings us to one commonality: Saint Mary’s College. Students, faculty, staff and the sisters are brought together by our special love for our College and community. Therefore, challenge yourself to walk down The Avenue hand-in-hand (and for those of you taking your first and last walks as students this year, we mean that literally!) with your fellow Belles.
Check in on each other, include others, introduce yourself to girls you do not know, and help SMC’s sisterhood continue to flourish. Reach out and take others by the hand. Become involved, support endeavors, participate in service and build your community one friendship — and hand — at a time. Each one of us has the calling to make our community full of love and power. What will we make of it? How are we going to treat all members of our community?
We dare you to think outside the box and run down The Avenue with all of your potential, determination, passion and Smick energy. Achieve the best grades, make the most incredible memories, treat yourself to that OTA Coffee (Off The Avenue rocks), explore off-campus and sign up for opportunities! We are biased and encourage you to sign up for the Student Government Association (SGA), but we also encourage you to visit the Student Activities Fair on Thursday, Aug. 29th, from 4-6 p.m. on Library Green so you can see all of the exciting fun activities and organizations you can sign up for. Try a new path down The Avenue this year — you might just love where you go.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid to mess up. When you are doing all of that walking literally and figuratively down The Avenue, you might fall. You might take a while to stand up, push your shoulders back and continue — and that’s okay. But just because you might fall does not mean you should limit yourself to your potential and all of the experiences and opportunities waiting for you. You deserve to treat yourself to the best that college has to offer, so take full advantage of it!
When we aren’t reminiscing on how much we love Saint Mary’s through metaphors in The Observer — which we also love — we will be here to walk with you side by side. As your president and vice president, we can assure you that SGA, along with all of the Big Boards and clubs on campus, are here for you every step of the way. Our doors in the basement of the student center and sga@saintmarys.edu inboxes are always open, waiting for you to reach out a hand and tell us what you want and require of us. We have a suggestion box in our email signature that we check weekly, so drop us a comment! Likewise, we will do our best to reach out a hand to you and work diligently to ensure your upcoming year is unforgettable.
We cannot wait for you to see where your Avenue takes you! Have the best year yet!
Go Belles!
Ashley Chaveriat
student body president
Adare Carmody
student body vice president
