Welcome, Class of 2021

Welcome%2C+Class+of+2021

Tim Globokar, Opinion Assistant Editor

So it begins, class of 2021. Welcome to your new home. Home can mean many things for someone. It can be a getaway, a prison, an adventure, or even a place to sleep. Xavier is the home you make it to be; you get to decide. Xavier can just be a place you have to go for eight hours a day for four years to get a diploma, but it can also be so much more. How can it be more than that? Three simple words: activities, friends, and faith.
The very first piece of advice you probably heard about Xavier was to get involved. It’s true. Get involved in as many things as possible freshman year, even if it is out of your comfort zone. Doing new things will help you meet new people who could become life long friends. Some of my closest friends came from activities I did freshman year. Getting involved also helps you find new interests. Who thought after doing show choir my freshman year that it would become one of my favorite things to do and most of my friends came from doing it? So, try to get involved in at least one new thing this year.
I know a lot of you Lasalle “west-siders” and you Regis “east-siders” think you have your group of friends that will last forever. Don’t be afraid to mix red and green and make a new beautiful shade of brown. I thought my friend group wouldn’t change after middle school; now most of my friends are from Lasalle. Make new friends this year. If you make one new friend, you will meet some of their friends. Suddenly, one new friend becomes four or five. If you need proof, look at the senior class. Our friend groups are mixed and mingled so much sometimes I even forget which middle school I attended. Get close to your classmates. One of the biggest regrets people often have after senior year is that they waited too long to get to know their peers. Don’t have that regret; go out and meet someone new.
The most important thing in all of your lives should be your faith. Everyone’s ultimate goal in life should be to make it to heaven after death. Xavier can provide a fantastic head start to making it upstairs, but only, if you take it. Take time to pray in the chapel, join Key Club and serve others, listen to Dr. Reed, go on Kairos your junior year, talk to Father Vu, and get involved in your faith. You are extremely blessed to go to a school that allows you to share your faith openly; take advantage of the opportunity.
Finally, talk to the seniors. We have been through everything you have and can give you advice. We may make jokes about you every once in awhile, but it wasn’t that long ago we were being made fun of by the seniors.
It is clichè, but the years go by so fast. As I said earlier, Xavier is what you make it. Make Xavier a new home, and you will be welcomed into the family.