Welcome to campus. To the new students, I hope your first few days have been great. To my returning classmates, welcome back. To all, revel in your days in Boston, your first coffees in the Shillman lobby, your first TKO at Chicken Lou’s and your first drinks at Our House. You’ve got to love college life.
I think this is the start of a beautiful year at Northeastern. As a student body, we’re making serious progress. As we continue to succeed in all areas, every student who enters this school is now truly top-tier. The Northeastern name continues to gain prestige, largely due to our own accomplishments.
A lot of people are working to put together great shows and programs. This week, “Huskies Gone Wild” brings together students from a variety of groups, having fun and celebrating what it is to be a Husky. This year, there will be plenty of BBQs, concerts, comedy shows and movie nights. There is a city-wide scavenger hunt, presented by Resident Student Association (RSA), students teaching their fellow students different languages (presented by NUCALLS) and soon enough we’ll be stripping down to show our pride in the second annual Underwear Run. On Sept. 15th, many of us will be running again in the Mission Hill 5K, to make sure Northeastern wins the Puddingstone Cup for the school with the most participants.
With any luck, our campus TV station, NUTV, will be carried on HuskyCable soon, beamed into all of our living rooms.
Your classmates are making big strides to save the world, through Husky Energy Action Team, Student Environmental Association and NUSTAND. Students have also been getting out into the community, giving back and strengthening their neighborhoods through Greek life and the Center for Community Service.
Some of our sports teams are poised to have great seasons. This Saturday is the first home football game at Parsons field, where you’ll find a tailgating party and the first batch of new Die Hard Dog shirts. So wear your red and black, and get out to Parsons, Matthews and the other sporting arenas to see our classmates in action.
I can promise that this will be a year of unparalleled progress and production from your student government. This fall, we are sorting out the NU Shuffle and red tape, expanding international study and co-op opportunities and working to make the new tutoring system as effective as possible in the wake of the Peer Tutoring Center’s closure. We have completely revamped the process and guidelines student groups use to attain money for programming. We are teaming with RSA to bring co-ed/gender neutral housing to campus. These and a host of other projects and programs are rolling out during the upcoming months.
As always, we are striving to improve our advocacy efforts and fight for what you want to see on campus. We are committed to making sure Northeastern gives back as much to you as you give to it. This past summer, student cooperation and support yielded a key victory; we are making huge progress in our environmental sustainability.
As with all aspects of campus, when students come together, the results are phenomenal. Tell us what’s up, and what you want. With your communication, collaboration and support, there is no limit to the strength of your student government.
This is the year of Husky pride. This will be the year our student body comes together and defines the quality and depth of the Northeastern community. So go out and celebrate what it means to be a Husky. Good luck in each of your endeavors, and have a fantastic year. I hope to meet and work with many of you in the upcoming months.
– Joey Fiore is a junior geology and history major and president of the Student Government Association.
