Welcome from Student Senate President Vanessa Marsh
Dear fellow students of Concordia University,
As your student body president, I am honored to have this opportunity to welcome you to campus in this year’s first edition of the Sower. Here it comes: WELCOME!
You know, it’s funny. I’m normally a very bubbly, chatty, borderline verbose speaker and writer, but as I was trying to come up with the other 400 words I was asked to write in this letter, I could think of nothing.
Are they expecting me to give advice? Words of wisdom? Maybe a silly anecdote of something embarrassing I did as a freshman? (Believe me, there are plenty!) After a while, I realized I wasn’t actually worried about what you would think of my welcome letter, I was worried about what you were going to think of me. I know…that sounds ridiculous to you. This letter is not the kind of thing that would make or break our relationship. But still, I find myself sitting here, picking my brain for words that will make me sound funny, smart, confident and presidential. And I thought, why is that?
The beginning of the school year is always daunting to me. We are trying to juggle a new schedule, new relationships and a new living space. But let me ask you something: Why do we put ourselves through such emotional, physical and financial stress? Sure, we are trying to get degrees so that we can get decent jobs, but I promise you that if that is your motivation, you are going to run out of energy faster than you can say ‘Nacho night in Janzow.’ Instead, I encourage you to seek motivation from beyond yourself. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). In other words, don’t do it for yourself, do it for your neighbor. When you do this, worries and anxieties are laid to rest. I no longer have to worry about what others are going to think of me or my work, because, as your servant, I am the one looking up to you.
Luckily for you, you are going to have a lot of people serving you this year. Faculty, staff, RAs and of course, your Student Senate officers, are all working with the intention of making your experience at Concordia as fruitful as it can be. Tori Beran, Sam Moore, Abby Protzman, (treasurer, vice president, and secretary, respectively) and I are excited to listen to your ideas on how we can improve life on and around campus. In the past, we (Student Senate) have helped improve the lighting around the campus parking lots, negotiated a new meal plan with Chartwells (our catering company), and even acquired the cozy fireplace that we now have in Janzow. This year we look forward to developing the currently empty lot on the south side of campus and turning it into a gathering area for students. Please come to the Activities Fair on August 28 from 6-8 p.m. so that we can tell you more!
In the meantime, I remain your faithful servant,
Vanessa Marsh
Student Body President 2018-2019
