New students, we hope you had a wonderful first week on campus. As you continue to settle into your home away from home and start to attend classes, participate in co-curriculars, and go to club meetings, we’d like to offer a bit of advice: embrace new opportunities.
During orientation, you likely heard Mr. Bradley mention the school motto, moniti meliora sequamur—“Guided by each other, let us seek better paths.” You may have heard these words during your Revisit Day or orientation activities. Every Hotchkiss student has them ingrained in their minds.
We wholeheartedly agree with the motto, but we’d like to put our spin on it for you all: “Guided by each other, let us seek new paths.”
Whether it be relating to the classroom, your sports, or clubs, you may have a checklist of things you’d like to do and accomplish during your time here. Throw it out. Your Hotchkiss experience can become so much more than you first imagined.
Ask any Senior what they wanted to explore when they first got to campus. Then ask them what they’re most interested in right now. Odds are they’ll mention falling in love with things they had no clue about before arriving here.
Ask any club head if they thought they’d be leading their club when they first attended the Club Fair. Again, they’ll likely mention joining their first meeting on a whim.
In short, don’t be afraid to try something new. Sign up for anything and everything offered at the Club Fair. Join your friends at a meeting for a group you know nothing about. Try out for that sport you’ve never played before. Enroll in that class in a discipline you’ve never studied. Chances are you’ll find fun and growth in each experience.
And, of course, try writing for The Record.
With this approach, at your graduation in a few years, you won’t have any regrets about not maximizing your time at our school. During your Senior spring, you won’t be rushing to go to the observatory, play on the golf course, or build something in the EFX lab for the first time.
So, as you begin your journey in Lakeville, Connecticut, remember to seek new paths.
