The Class of 2012, 596 students strong, entered Trinity College yesterday on a gorgeous August day beneath the elm trees near the Long Walk. The rowing team was out in full force looking to recruit freshmen with no rowing background who would be interested in joining a motivated and exciting team aiming to be the top Division III team in the nation.Starting at 7:15 AM we brought one of the men's varsity 8s on campus and deployed the troops to gather in as many interested new students as possible. It was amazing to see the huge range of emotions displayed by parents, students, and siblings as they went through the registration process - some were obviously excited to get started on their journey as college students while others were trying to get their bearings and struggled to simultaneously say goodbye to mom and dad while looking to them for guidance. The one common theme was that most of the students we saw were at least slightly embarrassed and impatient with their parents...I'm beginning to think this is pretty normal!
I personally enjoyed meeting so many of the freshmen and their parents and getting at least a first glimpse into what makes them tick as athletes - almost everyone arrived in impressive physical shape, looking aggressive, and ready to attack the season. The students that impressed me the most were the ones who were ambitious about what they want to achieve on campus. They want to try new things, or be successful, and don't subscribe to the belief that doing less somehow helps them achieve at a higher level...it just doesn't seem like taking advantage of the blank canvas in front of them. I would NEVER advise anyone to stop something before they've even tried it. Isn't that the essence of exploration and discovery?
Convocation is one of my favorite moments here at the College as the students process through a line of smiling clapping professors and administrators in academic regalia towards their smiling families, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with new classmates, and obviously wondering what is this all about. President Jones' welcoming address took up the theme of "Can you imagine that?" hopefully encouraging the Class of 2012 to pursue a vision of being part of a wondrous tradition while blazing new paths personally and as a student body.I can't quite
remember who I was speaking to but I hope the Class of 2012 and especially those who are rowing will recognize that in life there are no ordinary moments - if you wait for everything to be right to excel you're going to be waiting an awfully long time.
