Letters to Freshmen: Advice From a Senior Stag

The second letter of advice comes from senior, Alexander Reichert. Hailing from Boston, Reichert is a member of ASCMC, serving as our Dorm Affairs Chair (DAC). He is also a member of the Claremont Cougars men's lacrosse team and a three-time W.O.A.! Leader.

Well hello there, newest additions to the happiest campus in the country.

First, I would like to welcome you and express my personal excitement for your freshman class. From the impressions that W.O.A.! leaders had of their groups, to some of the orientation stories that have been told, to hanging with a few of you in Green lounge on Tuesday night, I have heard nothing but positive things about your class from the the upper classmen.

Now, don’t let that go to your head. You should all be very excited to be here and you will find that this place will provide you with opportunities that you never really understood were possible. Take advantage of as many of these as you can. Bite off more than you can chew this semester. Get involved with all sorts of clubs and organizations. Join every intramural sports team you can find time for. Be social as well as studious. Work hard, play hard.

Finding the perfect balance between your social life and your school work is what freshman year is all about. No one expects you to get it right, especially in your first year. With this I suggest not to dilly dally. When you go to the library to study - go and study, don’t surf YouTube for three hours only to find you haven’t gotten any work done (I will save you the time,  go straight to Alcoholic Vervet Monkeys).

Understand that you will not get along with everyone and that may include your own roommate. Make sure to communicate. The worst thing for any relationship is to bury issues away. Ignoring the issues does not help either party involved - talk it out.

Don’t be that guy or girl. We all know who “that guy” is. He is the sloppy douchebag trying to show off to his buddies.  It's insecurity and it's transparent.  Over the past few years we have developed a reputation from the other 5Cs - don’t perpetuate the stereotype. This is a suggestion for life, treat everyone you meet with the utmost respect, until their observed actions indicate anything less. You never know who the person you are talking to may be, where they have come from, or what they have gone through. So once again, don’t be that guy.

I would like to leave you with a few things that I think make CMC what it is. I hope that when I return three years from now, when you all will be seniors, these same defining characteristics will still ring true.

• Be inclusive. Always welcome other CMCers to your events, regardless of their age or interests.

• Continue to celebrate our love affair with Pomona-Pitzer athletics - be a super fan.

• Keep Green Beach as Green Beach.

• But most importantly appreciate the fact that every CMCer is a little bit quirky. Enjoy finding out these unique personality traits of everyone around campus.

The next four years, and really the rest of your life from this point forward, is what you make it. Take advantage of this great place. If you stay social, study hard, and get involved, I promise you will find success.

If you ever want to speak at greater lengths, or hear some of my many mistakes (so as to not repeat them in the future), feel free to email me areichert11@cmc.edu, or stop me when you see me around campus.

See you soon,

A