RILEY SCOTT

Student Senate Freshman Letter

05.30.19

Letter to the Editor: Student Senate President’s advice to incoming freshmen

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Riley Perone | Provided

Lydia Ramlo will be the Student Senate president for the 2019-2020 academic year.

How time has flown by — my first time in the Convocation Center does not feel that long ago, but here I am four years later. The rush of excitement, anxiety and concern while being pushed by all your peers up Richland may feel overwhelming, but savor that moment for the rest of your life. Because at that moment, you enter a new chapter of your life — your Bobcat Chapter.

I would tell you now that when I stepped foot in Athens, I didn’t think I would become president of the student body nor travel across the Atlantic for an internship in England. I came on campus as a double major in theater and social work, who just had a teary goodbye with my best friend — my dad.

In my first semester, however, Ohio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC) helped find me a new career path in civil engineering and environmental studies and pushed me to earn a professional leadership certificate. When I switched both of my majors, I was welcomed into those departments with open arms. As people, we look for somewhere we belong, and my sophomore year is when I felt that sense of belonging at OU.

Student Senate has also helped me find a sense of belonging. This organization is the nonpartisan liaison between the student body and the administration. Senate advocates for all students on campus by bringing any ideas, concerns or questions to the administration and faculty to create a tangible difference. Last year, Senate aided in the institutionalization of the Safety App (check it out!) as well as continued to grow “Take A Tampon, Leave A Tampon.”

Our team is excited to continue to make progress on campus, especially in regards to students’ mental health, sustainability, safety, diversity and inclusion. If you ever have concerns, drop by our Student Speakouts on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in Walter 235.

This chapter is the time to escape your comfort zone — join a student organization (here is my pitch to check out Student Senate); explore Athens; find your favorite coffee shop (Donkey and Brenen’s are mine); take a fun class (I definitely recommend Personal Finance); and become a regular at one of Athens’ superb restaurants.

Athens is a magical place where time flies by fast, so enjoy every moment. If you feel like you are bored, you are missing out on something. With a campus of 565 student organizations, amazing research opportunities, on and off-campus jobs, athletic events, and hiking trails (have you heard of Radar and Bong Hill?), you will always have something to do.

Here is a mere start of a bucket list for you: go to the CLDC (earn a certificate, have a career coaching session, etc.); attend at least three different student organizations,]; hold a research position or a job; go to all three dining halls and argue with your friends about which one is truly the best; take a group fitness class at Ping; go to every restaurant on Court Street to figure out which one is your “go-to;” see a movie at the Athena Cinema; walk in the Office of Global Opportunities to explore studying abroad; attend open-mic nights (Donkey’s are on Thursdays); go to Homecoming; cheer on Ohio Athletics (I love hockey games); run down to Baker Center on Wednesdays and try UPC’s “Flavor of the Week;” attend a Kennedy Lecture Series; see a performance at Kanter Hall or Lost Flamingo Company … the list goes on and on. Take this list and add to it!

It’s time to make your story on these bricks! Don’t waste a second, Bobcat. If you need anything, definitely stop by the Student Senate Office in Baker Center 305 (also known as the place with free blue books).

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