Fellow Duckies,

My name is Sam, and I am the student body president here at the University of Oregon. It is my pleasure to welcome you back to campus for another great year in Eugene. The freshman class is the smartest and most diverse in our history, and the football team is actually better than last year. If this is your first year at Oregon, congratulations! College truly is one of the greatest periods of your life and I don’t think there is a better place to spend it in than Eugene.

During your time at Oregon, you will probably be busier than ever been before. The classes will be harder, professors will expect more from you and perhaps for the first time, your classmates will be just as smart as you. Yet, despite the numerous obligations and deadlines, I encourage you to take full advantage of the numerous opportunities Oregon has to offer.  Whether you are a freshman seeing everything for the first time or a fifth year senior returning for the “victory lap,” it is never too late to get involved.

As I look back on my own time here, I can confidently say that many of my greatest learning experiences did not take place in the classroom. College is a time of new experiences and fresh faces. Use this opportunity to push your comfort zone — join a student group (there are more than 150, including some folks who re-enact medieval battles with styrofoam weapons), get involved with the ASUO (it’s the largest student government in the country and it’s not just for squares like it was in high school) or check out Fraternity and Sorority Life; (this is the campus where the movie Animal House was filmed, after all).

I also wanted to take this opportunity to let all students know about the labor strike you may have seen happening on campus. Basically, the staff workers on our campus are going on strike after months and months of contract negotiations with the Oregon University System. The staff workers on our campus include everyone from the helpful people working in the libraries to the folks who clean our buildings and serve the food in the dorms. The student government has decided to stand with these workers and fully support the strike. We understand that many students will choose to attend classes during the strike, but we are asking students to join the picket line when they can and get educated about the issues involved in the labor negotiations. More information about the strike and what students are doing about it can be found at the ASUO website.

To conclude, I will give you three pieces of essential advice. First, moderation is the key to success in college. Don’t spend too much time in the library, or in Taylor’s. Second, try as many reasonable new experiences as you can, except supporting Oregon State football or bath salts. Third, make sure to take Astronomy 121, it’s the easiest A you can get.

Good luck, and Go Ducks,
Sam Dotters-Katz
ASUO President