The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.
― Thucydides
As our readers know, the student body of New College has changed quite a bit in all aspects. Returning NCF veterans now see a stream of fresh-faced athletes decked out in Gym-shark enjoying the ping pong tables at the Hamilton “Ham” Center.
How are all these students to get along? The solution is through a symbiotic among all demographics. This relationship is being fostered by a series of Unity events, a collaborative effort of the New College Student Alliance (NCSA) and the Novo Collegian Alliance (NCA).
The next Unity event will be held on Sunday Sept. 17. The focus will be on traditional New College culture, with five speakers including NCF alumni and professors who will discuss their past experiences at New College as well as a panel of current students.
While not confirmed yet, the following event might be a dodge ball tournament.
There are several options for staying updated on what unity events are coming, including checking on Novoconnect and checking NCF email for newsletters. Also, there will be posters around campus with details about the events listed.
NCSA Co-President Colin Jefferis provided the Catalyst with some background information on the collaborative efforts of the NCSA and NCA. Jefferis elaborated on the goal of Unity to recognize the divide between old and new students and “to help newer students get to know old students and the campus culture.”
There is a need for Unity events in the changing social climate at NCF. Jefferis said he recognized the need for student government to focus on welcoming the new students. He explained that the reason for establishing Unity was “the general feeling of knowing that there would be a new demographic introduced, this required extra effort.”
Unity is seeking to address this semester including:
- Making sure new students feel welcome.
- Make sure student athletes are involved on campus.
- Make sure old history is translated to new students.
To get an idea of the kind of events Unity will be planning, here are summaries of the Unity events so far:
the After Hours Tour with new students to discuss fun stories from NCF’s past and help new students familiarize themselves with campus, the Pizza and PJs Mixer where the documentary The New College Experience was shown to display the history of the school to newer students; and, the biggest event so far, the Unity Wall party hosted to “introduce new students to walls as part of the New College experience,” according to Jefferis.
To combat sectoral feelings between veterans and newcomers, Unity events are the first steps in the direction of friendship among all New College students. Thucydides’ words on the mind and body coexisting are the perfect allegory for modern New College. With our old quirks and new boldness, the campus has the potential to craft students fit for an ancient Greek Lyceum.
Old and new students who are interested in making new friends and working towards building a collaborative relationship among all students are invited to check out the upcoming Unity events.