More often than not, someone always has something negative to say about our school. It’s like the grass is always greener on the other side; every other school seems to have something to offer that we don’t: better food, nicer dorms, bigger parties…you name it, we’ve complained about it.

I am guilty of this myself, but that stops today! This past homecoming made me realize just how much there is to appreciate about being a Charger and why I am proud to call UNH home.

For a small school, in a small city, in an even smaller state, UNH has more spirit than most of the bigger, division one schools. As if the fact that we are only the second in the nation to have a blue turf field to represent our football players doesn’t say it all, the enthusiasm behind the sea of blue at the homecoming game on Saturday was electric. Everyone was wearing their blue and yellow with pride, cheering the football team into a 42-14 victory over Merrimack.

This homecoming, UNH went all out! The weekend started with the Swimsuit Sprint and was followed by a concert by the popular Sammy Adams. The university didn’t have to do this—they wanted to because they wanted students to be able to enjoy this weekend to the fullest and I think many of us fail to realize that. We are part of a university that genuinely cares about each and everyone one of its students, that wants us to have fun and succeed in everyway possible and that was proven this past weekend. This is huge because at many schools, students are just another number, another source of income from tuition, but at UNH, we are family. That is something that should never be taken for granted.

After a great weekend, I’ve realized that the grass is, in fact, not greener on the other side, its greener where you water it. In other words, instead of focusing on what other schools are doing, we should be focusing on all that our own is doing. A little appreciation goes a long way and all of us should be expressing gratitude for our school, not putting it down.

And if you still aren’t happy here, instead of complaining, do something about it; join a committee or a club and make a change! This schools is ours, it is what WE make it.