Welcome to Berry and to the new academic year.  I join others in welcoming the new members of our community and back those of you for whom this is already home.

I suppose I’m showing my age by sharing that I am a “Star Trek Next Generation” fan.  I particularly liked the way Captain Jean-Luc Picard gave the command to get things underway.  With elegance and simplicity, he used one word, “engage.” It says much more than start or go which is a directive at a particular person.  To me, it says we’re all ready to put ourselves into the work and make things happen. 

Whether you are a first-year student or a returner, your Berry experience is more than a start.  It’s the opposite of what I refer to as my “Hotel Berry” comments to students who don’t go to class – we are not just a place to live in the halls and eat in the dining hall, you have to engage in the academic enterprise to be at Berry.  I urge you to go far beyond the “musts” (yes, you do have to go to class, work, do homework, meals and laundry) and to truly engage with this place and all it has to offer.

Take the time to get to know the other adults who are here – they teach and work here because they love Berry, learning and helping students learn.  In addition to our outstanding faculty who teach in the classroom, some of our best teachers will be your work supervisors. The faculty and staff at Berry are folks who care about your learning and who also have much to teach you about life.

Develop relationships with your fellow students; this will be the foundation for life-long friends.  Regularly read a book for pleasure.  Use the hammocks.  Take a walk up to the House of Dreams – the walk will do you good and the view is phenomenal.  Use the fitness center at the Cage. 

Get to know Berry College, its history, its present and the plans for the future. Go to Oak Hill.  More than once is a good idea.  Make a point to stop in every building on campus whether you have a class there or not.  Have coffee with your teacher or work supervisor – ask about their history at Berry.

Use your talents here.  Find a job that engages you and helps you learn what you’re good at and what you love to do.  You have been given skills and talents for a reason – put them to work.  Find interesting things to do.  Add music and art and laughter to our campus.  Learn how to make your own fun here; it’s a skill that will serve you well for a lifetime. Find at least one way to serve – stop by Berry College Volunteer Services to learn about the needs in our Rome community and where your talents will make a difference.

There are always more things happening on this campus than you could possible do.  My least favorite comment from students is that there’s “nothing to do here.”  There’s way too much for any one person to do here.  Please don’t let too many choices become a reason to do nothing. 

Four years here goes quickly.  (Ask any senior just how fast their first three years have gone.)  If you plan well now, you won’t look back with regret about the things you have left undone.  If you engage from the beginning, you’ll quickly find your place at Berry and find much to contribute here. 

As we begin this 2014-15 year, by all means engage.