September 11, 2014
Being asked to write a senior reflection column is daunting for all sorts of reasons, one of which is the gentle reminder that you’re on the way out. Plus you need to find a place to live, a job and write two theses while you figure it out. Another reason is a familiar one:What in the Hell do I write about? After sifting through some of the misty, water-colored memories of the Hill, I found a recurring theme: duty. It’s a seemingly strange theme for one’s fondest memories, but it has fueled my campus experience for longer than I’ve known. By the end of this, hopefully, you’ll understand why.
When welcomed into the Hamilton fold, there are a few things you can expect to hear: “These are going to be the greatest years of your life,” “The friends you make here will be with you forever,” and, of course, “Cherish every moment because it goes fast.” You might hear some…friendly reminders, such as, “Hamilton is a private institution, and being here is a privilege.” You might also be warned about the academic rigor, the brutal winters and the professors you may want to avoid. But few people tell you about your duty as student of the College—beyond showing up and completing assignments, that is.
Simply put, the duty of every Hamilton student is to bequeath a version of the College that is healthier and stronger than the one he or she inherited. In response, some will say that this task is better left to the College’s senior officers and trustees, and that is partially true. It is, indeed, the job of these officials to advance this intuition. But there’s a large fact that such a respondents would be overlooking: there can be no college without students, and the truest testimony of a college’s worth lies in its students and alumni. Every service provided by the College is to increase the quality of the Hamilton experience, thereby increasing the worth and competitiveness of a Hamilton degree. If you missed the point of that, the people experiencing the College are students; therefore, the best thing students can do is be part of the reshaping process as much as possible. Because despite being compassionate, dedicated stewards and kick-ass at their jobs, Hamilton’s officials need our help.
This duty and this need have been obvious to me at various points during my time here, but I’ll share three now. During the first, the student body had just gotten wind of a pledging policy change, and all the Greek presidents gathered to strategize a collective opposition. At the end of our strategy session, a senior making an early departure looked around the room and said, “This is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen at Hamilton.” The second was at my first trustee meeting. I was sitting next to Art Massolo ’64, and, as I began to make a comment, he nudged me and whispered, “Stand up. Let ’em see you.” The third was at the end of my time as Student Assembly President. Dean of Students Nancy Thompson had just wrapped up our last meeting and said something along these lines: “I appreciate the job you’ve done. You’ve never left any confusion about who you represent, and you’ve always been diplomatic about your approach.”
Those three moments are of my favorites because they illuminate the importance of unapologetic student leadership; they showed me that students desire, deserve, and should demand a seat at the table...because it’s theirs.
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