As Wildcat Welcome has officially drawn to a close, and the new students embark on their journey into the purple after a small eternity, I felt it would be appropriate to share my thoughts regarding the events of the past week. By nature, for better or for worse, I am a skeptic. I don’t really like to get too enthusiastic and always try to take everything with the proverbial grain of sodium chloride. Initially, I was ambivalent about Wildcat Welcome, and as a commuter, the schedule of events seemed even more daunting for me. In retrospect, I had nothing to be worried about, and I loved it.
I had a wonderful peer adviser who never neglected an opportunity to help in a difficult situation and an equally wonderful PA group. To be honest, at times the festivities and the noise were trying for an introvert like me. But they never felt cliche, as I was expecting them to be. They were all intended to welcome us to the Northwestern community and also to acknowledge us on a human and personal level. They let us know that it was acceptable to ask for help, to reach out to others and even to fail. Our advisers all recognized the challenges we will face; they made no secret of that. They also helped to reinforce the idea that it is acceptable not to have a set plan at times, acknowledging its absence as the byproduct of our highly mutable goals and desires.
When President Morton Schapiro walked up to the microphone Monday morning, I was expecting the usual convocation speech that many students across the nation had heard before they started school. Follow your dreams, discover your passions, lifelong friends, this is a fantastic place, best four years of your life — that sort of thing. Those things were mentioned, but as I have learned all throughout this week, this really is a different kind of place, and there was much more to it than that. Morty was optimistic, but he was also realistic; his speech was relatable.
My favorite part was his reflection on the differences between realities faced by our generation and generations past, including his own. He stated what I had thought about many times before but never heard anyone say. He apologized for the occasional interference of college admissions and standardized testing in the learning process and alluded to the spirit of intellectual curiosity all of us had in our early school days. I humbly accept his apology because merely gaining admittance was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and it certainly clashed with my affinity for learning things just for the sake of knowledge. He pointed out that if the desire to learn had diminished within some of us, the next four years were a time to rekindle that.
It goes without saying there is a lot of competition here, a lot to do and much to consider. It is also important to help those around us when they are in a time of need and make a difference by supporting one another. But there is something more; we must also to leave ourselves time to introspect and simply think. This last item is largely forgotten when we are inundated with responsibilities, but it is crucial to our development.
Morty also warned us that unlike our predecessors, we have not really experienced independence up until this point, and that some of us have been conditioned to expect recognition for achievements which in the past may have been viewed as mediocre.
The final point he made, which really hit home, pertained to the Midwestern values espoused at Northwestern. I have seen evidence of this even before starting here and I hope it continues to be the case. The humility, friendliness and approachability of people here is unlike anything I have ever seen.
I have already made some great friends and I consider it a privilege to know them. They are part of the reason I am writing this column. They are dedicated, hardworking and intelligent, but most importantly, they are approachable and willing to help; they have a sense of empathy and understanding which is increasingly difficult to find these days. It is unbelievably satisfying and comforting to encounter such individuals, and their candor and kindness is indicative of the values they represent. It was always hard for me to make friends at school, partly because I preferred my own company, but also because I didn’t feel anyone really understood me. If this past week is any indication, that will no longer be the case.
Antonio Petkov is a McCormick freshman. He can be reached at [email protected]. If you want to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].
