Ahhh, how time flies. Three years ago, I was a freshman!? No way.
In all seriousness though, this university has gone through so many changes since I entered this school in Fall 2006. For those of you who know me, you know that it’s inevitable that throughout this year I will be writing some editorials on my displeasure with something UNH-related. You know that I’ll write editorials on something political, something about Shirley Phelps, and something praising SCOPE. But for now I want to primarily address the new class, and welcome them to this family that is UNH.
When I was a freshman, I had a few complaints about the campus. Nothing terribly serious, but I’ve never been one to be quiet when something bothered me. So, I emailed Dean of Students Rebecca Johnson, and UNH’s President Steven Kaplan. I emailed whoever was in charge of what was bothering me, and I always got a response. Whether things actually got fixed or not, I was always glad to get an email from UNH’s administration.
When I became Assistant Editor of The Charger Bulletin my sophomore year, I found out that many of these emails were passed around through Greg Overend, the Director of Student Activities, and Dean Johnson, so that the proper individuals received the complain or suggestion. As Assistant Editor my sophomore and junior year, Grego and Dean Johnson would always joke about how they remembered asking themselves, “who the heck is this Zack Rosen kid!?” And now, as Editor-in-Chief, I still hear this story.
The point of sharing this with you is that now Grego, Dean Johnson, and President Kaplan all know who Zack Rosen is. Your grades are important; your friends are important. If you’re 21, perhaps drinking and partying is important to you. But the greatest lesson I have learned so far at UNH is to network. Get involved, meet new people, and get active with clubs and organizations. The USGA is a great place to do all of this, and I invite all of you to stop by the first USGA meeting of the semester is on Monday, August 31, at 1:45pm in the Alumni Lounge in Bartels Hall.
Be sure to check it out, and get involved with a club! Whether you join 1, 5, or 10, it will get you active in the UNH community and start you networking. Visit the Center for Career Services in Kaplan Hall to learn more about job searching, resume writing, studying abroad, and internships; and get out of your residence halls and go to events on campus. These are all ways to get involved, get noticed, and get networking.
It’s okay to be a freshman and have UNH administration asking “who the heck is this [insert your name here] kid!?” But I’m now a senior, and I’ve been extremely active throughout my tenure at the University of New Haven. And let me tell you: Dean Johnson knows who the heck I am!
