Hello Crier Readers. With this being my final article, I wanted to write something a little different, to reflect on my experience at the college, and to wrap up my time as an editor. Here are, in my opinion, the top ten things you MUST do as a student at Saint Anselm College.

1. Get to know the monks. Something that’s really cool about our campus is our life-long inhabitants, the Benedictine monks who reside in the monastery. In your time on the hilltop, there will be several opportunities for you to get to know the monks, whether it be in class with one as your professor, working with one as a club advisor, or chatting after mass. They have a lot of insight to share and are great mentors who you can learn a lot from if you take the time.

1. Go to mass in the abbey church, at least once. Maybe one of the reasons you chose Saint A’s was because of the robust faith life on campus, or maybe you’ve never been to church in your life. The great thing about the faith community at Saint A’s is that everyone is always welcome, questioning is encouraged, and there are several opportunities to explore your faith. I’ve spent several Sundays in the abbey church, and it is the most comforting place I have found on this campus.

1. Attend the Relay for Life. While I was only able to attend two full relays, and one shortened version this year, my friends and I always have considered the Relay for Life to be the most inspiring and fun event of the entire year. Almost the whole campus comes together for an important cause, and everybody shows support and love without judgement. Walking around the Carr center until the early hours of the morning is a special bonding experience and it is a true encompassment of what it means to be Anselmian.
2. Go on a trip. Whether you choose to study abroad, go on a service trip, or attend some other trip abroad with a department, you will have an absolutely one-of-a-kind experience and form relationships with people you would have never expected. I was fortunate to go on a Service and Solidarity trip my sophomore year to Philadelphia, and it was truly a transformative experience that gave me close friendships and a new perspective in my faith. I also was able to attend a EuroChoir trip my freshman year to England, where I was immersed in culture while doing something I love. I am so grateful to Saint A’s for giving me those unique experiences and I wish I could have gone more places.
3. Join a leadership team of some kind. There are all kinds of leadership opportunities offered by the college. Apply to be an Orientation Leader, a Transitions Mentor, a Peer Tutor, a Peer Minister, or the president of a club you like. All of these leadership experiences will give you connections and skills that will help you develop into the best version of yourself. Some of my favorite memories on campus were being on the Orientation Committee. I made friends with other leaders and connections with college staff that I treasure to this day, and feel more confident as a leader than I did when I first came here.
4. Try something that you’re scared to do. This one is very broad and it can encompass almost anything. It could be going up to a group of students in Dav and asking to sit with them, working on research with a professor, attending a politics event and asking a future president a question, participating in a musical even though you never have before, etc. I can confidently say that most of my favorite memories on the Hilltop come from jumping into an experience that I was scared to take on, and ended up loving it.
5. Take a Sunday drive to the Inside Scoop or Bagel Café. Ask almost any student and they could tell you their favorite coffee/bagel order from one of these two places. It is the perfect thing to do on a lazy Sunday morning and it always hits the spot.
6. 8. Take a class in something you are passionate about. The great thing about a liberal arts education is that you can learn a variety of things in the classes that you take, and you often have a lot of choice when fulfilling core requirements. Class doesn’t have to be mundane or boring, if you are learning about something you love you can find great joy in the learning process. When you choose your classes, try to find something fulfilling and interesting to you, rather than just filling out your checklist.
7. Pull an all-nighter. Stay up to watch the sunrise at Alumni with your best friends at least once. Even if it’s a rainy day, there is something about sitting on the steps wrapped in a blanket with the people you love. I’ve pulled a few all-nighters, and my most memorable were with the Abbey Players after the musicals. We’d stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning breaking down the sets, eating pizza, and sharing memories. Although at the moment I was exhausted, I will miss those very late nights and early mornings sitting on the stage until my eyes couldn’t open anymore.
8. Try as many foods as possible from dav and c shop… and get to know the employees. Crepe night, breakfast from the grille, buffalo chicken calzones, chocolate chip cookies, I could go on and on. There is always something new to try and it’s always delicious. We are so very lucky to not only have great food but great food staff as well. Many of my favorite staff on campus are the Davison and Coffee Shop employees. They always work so hard to keep us happy and fed, and most are always up for a conversation. Get to know their names and always make sure to thank them for all they do.

I hope you take me up on a few, if not all of these “bucket list” items. They are some of the things that make me so devastated to leave this place very soon, and if I could do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to write for the Crier and hope to inspire you to write at some point as well.