To the Saint Louis University Community, From Your SGA President: Top 10 pieces of advice for your Billiken experience.

1. Be engaged citzens: Know what’s going on and serve in both the SLU community and the St. Louis Community.
Vote, attend Indecision 2008, an event this fall and utilize SGA’s Billiken Readership Program newspapers. Read The University News, use SLUConnection, watch SLU TV, listen to KSLU and do service with SLU Students.

2. Care about the enviornment: Do your part to take care of the environment so that we’re not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs by meeting our own. It’s as simple as turning off electricity when you’re not using it, recycling, using public transportation or walking–basic things that can make a huge difference in the long run.

3. There’s something about the people here: Incredible life lessons, funny stories, genuine interest-those are some things I’ve discovered in SLU’s faculty and staff. Visit your professors during office hours, greet the maintenance worker who fixes your shower, thank the housekeeping staff member emptying your trash and learn something about the person serving you at Salsarita’s. They have something worthwhile to share.

We’re a pretty big school, yet we’ve got a unique and close-knit community. Look at every stranger in the Quad as a potential friend.

You can be a reason for that friendly reputation. There’s something special about every SLU student; discover what that is through relationships.

4. Get involved: You will enjoy your experience more if you get involved with something here that you care about and attend programs that spark your interest. If we don’t have something with you’re interested in, start a new organization!

5. Get stoked for Billiken traditions: It’s the 100th anniversary of our mascot, the billiken. We’ve got an incredible ‘Be a Billiken’ recruiting campaign. We’re lucky to have phenomenal athletic recruits and knowledgeable coaches with impressive records, and we have the Chaifetz Arena.
Visit the first-ever, all-inclusive campus calendar at www.sluconnection.com and be proud to be a Billiken!

6. Keep in mind: Seriously and sincerely, from my experience, nearly every one of SLU’s administrators has your best interest in mind. There are people at the top who sit in meetings for hours, go home late to their families every night and sincerely do their best to improve SLU and your experience. Appreciate that.

7. Balance and reflection: Maybe this means getting a spiritual director, working out with your roommates, coming up with a schedule for accomplishing your tasks or even all of the above. Just find the balance that works for you.

Do something every day to show thanks for your blessings, keep yourself in check regarding why you do what you do and learn something you didn’t know before. Consistently look at yourself and ways you can improve, but remember that no one is perfect.

Have close friends in your corner who will keep you in line and challenge you to be better.

8. Explore the city: Watch the sunrise under the arch with someone, use public transportation, visit local venues frequently, take advantage of the Grand Center, the Loop, the Central West End, the Landing and other St. Louis neighborhoods. This city is really incredible.

9. Basic respect: Check your e-mail consistently and respond promptly. Pay attention in class, don’t destroy property-ever (seriously, you’re an adult). And, if you get written up – be nice to your RA (they don’t like writing you up). Those are just some examples, but all are rooted in the same basic principle of maturity and respect.

10. Soak it up: You’re in college; have fun! Be smart about the choices you make. Keep yourself respectable, make mistakes, give second chances, learn, make life-long friends, break-up and make-up, have some deep conversations, form intelligent views and logical ways to back them up, open your mind, stand up for what you believe in, make things happen, participate, care, hang out. Be a Billiken!

I could think of a few more pieces of advice worth sharing. For now, start with these and your experience will be an extraordinary one!

Sam Howard is a senior in the John Cook School of Business and president of the Student Government Association.