Dear first years, On behalf of student government and then rest of the student body, welcome to Notre Dame. We're Gates and Corey, and we'll be serving as your student body president and vice president this year. In the coming weeks, as you settle into your dorms and get to know people who will become your friends, we hope to meet as many of you as we can. You surely know this already, but you've come to an incredibly special place. We're confident that Notre Dame will soon start to feel more like your home than a school, and the people here more like family than friends. You'll find that this is a supportive and engaged community, always evolving yet steeped in tradition and always welcoming. It might seem like you'll be here for a long time, but as we look back on our years here, some advice: it goes quickly. Go to dinner with your friends, join in the first snowball fight of winter on the quad, go to hip-hop night at legends at least once, play sports for your dorm or your section. Try to see as much of campus as you can. Look up at the dome whenever you get a chance — it's beautiful, and it'll remind you of Notre Dame's history. Go to the grotto. Whether you're there to pray or just reflect. It's a peaceful, special place. Get involved in your dorm. You've probably heard that each dorm has a signature event at some point throughout the year; be a part of your dorm's event and see what other dorms have to offer. Above all, make Notre Dame yours. Find your people, your places and your own traditions. Although you'll all have a Notre Dame experience, no two Notre Dame experiences will be the same. Notre Dame will impact your life tremendously, and likewise, you'll leave your own unique mark on our community. If we can ever be helpful to you, please let us know. Student Government's job is to listen to your ideas and concerns, enact change based off of what you tell us and improve life for all students. Please say hi if you see us on campus. Visit the student government office on the second floor of LaFortune Student Center or message us on the Notre Dame Student Government Facebook page, where we'll also have information on some great events we have coming up. Final piece of advice — be there when the Irish beat Michigan on September 1. In Notre Dame,
Gates McGavick
student body president
Notre Dame
Corey Gayheart
student body vice president
Notre Dame
Aug. 16
