What kind of Stonehill do you want?

Yesterday during Fall Orientation, we had a speaker present to the Orientation groups about sexual harassment, and it was an incredibly good program. I took a lot away from the presentation, and more than one thing resonated with me. But what stuck in my head the most was when he asked, rhetorically, what kind of Stonehill we want. I love that question. And I love that it's something that every Stonehill student can ask themselves, and work towards.

So what kind of Stonehill do I want? I feel as though Stonehill is almost exactly what I want it to be - a place that I can simply look around and know that I'm at home. Where I appreciate the people I know, the knowledge I take in, and the world around me. The reason that everyone gets so involved at Stonehill is because we love it so much, and want to treat it as good as it treats us. It feels good to give back to Stonehill, but sometimes, it doesn't even feel like that. Take the Peer Mentor Team as an example. Sure, one could look at the team and see people who want first-years to have as great an experience as they did, but you could also realize that we get something out of being a Peer Mentor, too. It's not a one-way street, and nothing is at Stonehill. The kind of Stonehill that I want is a Stonehill where everyone appreciates how lucky we are to be here. Where students get involved, do what they love, and go out of their way to show everybody else how much they love Stonehill.

So how do we get to the Stonehill that we want? It's about making the right choices, believing what you want, and always being aware of the beauty of this place. Aware of how much this place can be a home for you. And being active in your efforts to make this as incredible as you want it to be.