On behalf of the Pittsburgh Standard editorial board, we want to welcome you to the University of Pittsburgh. You will be embarking on a new journey unlike the journeys you have known. College life can be exciting but at times overwhelming. The key is having the right support structure while you are here so you can receive a helping hand.

It will not always be easy being away from home especially if home life is a loving atmosphere but the friendships you build here now and the decisions you will be making will affect your college stay and your future, so choose wisely but don’t forsake the friends you have known.

No matter who they are, the friends you hang out with could also determine your actions. Be influenced by those who want the best for you and want you to be on the right track whether it is in academics or your personal life. If you are not comfortable with an action you see happening or are being asked to perform, it is ok to say ‘NO!’. In the long run, you will receive more respect by sticking to your good convictions than going with peer pressure.

Students come to college to receive a good education so make that your primary goal to study hard and set a good example. There will always be time for partying but be wise in the parties you go to and stay away from alcohol unless you are 21. Always have a buddy partner and please remember sadly out of control drinking and sexual assault do have a correlation if you are a female. So many students face that but keep it to themselves which is not healthy and many students are cited for underage drinking. Don’t be part of that statistic.

You can have a social life without engaging in actions that are detrimental to you and others so go after those activities. Don’t let the good principles your parents or guardians instilled in you to go out the door. If you were an active member of a church or fellowship, find a church or fellowship while you are here on campus. This is just one example.

Get involved with Panther football and basketball for it can be so much fun. Get to know your cheerleaders and dance team members. They are there for you to give you a good time even if your team is losing.

Get involved in a student organization that you have a passion for. If you love writing, reading, photography, multimedia, reviewing foods and movies among other things, we invite you to come and join our team at Pittsburgh Standard. We are a monthly online newspaper but update our site daily with new updates as we receive them and are very active in covering campus issues. We are read and watched all over the world at http://www.pittsburghstandard.com

If you are thinking about joining Greek Life, don’t shy away from it because of stereotypes you have heard or the movies you have seen. Pitt Greek life has a wonderful advisor in Chris Meaner and the Greek Life at Pitt does a lot for the community and most of our student leaders are from Greek Life. They do all kinds of positive things such as Big Brother & Big Sister, Pitt Dance Marathon, Greek Sing, etc to name a few to support different causes.

Know the food you are planning to eat especially at the new place called Market Central which is deemed the best in the nation. Their menu for each week’s cycle can be found online in the food section of the newspaper at http://www.pittsburghstandard.com/AUG2007/FOOD/MarketPlaceCentralMenu.htm Visit the other cafeterias too which offer unique foods that the rest don’t offer.

We hope to set a benchmark for all the other universities food service establishments. The General managers Jodi Lodovici, Abdou Cole, and Keith Baumann will be a wonderful resource for any students with any food related issues as they work closely with Student Government Board’s food service committee and want to work with you anytime so you have a good experience with food away from home.

Know your Student Government Board (SGB) members and Shady Henien, their president. They were elected to be your representatives and address your needs as they work closely with dean of students Dr. Kathy Humphrey. Get to know her because she is very outgoing and kind who will be such a resource for all students regardless of their walk of life. She will be there for you.

In closing, have a balanced life in all you do! Too much focus on just one thing can affect other areas. You have more freedom now than you will ever have. Use it to make yourself and others proud. Never shy away from asking for help when you need it and always be there for others to give a helping hand. When you graduate, you will leave wonderful memories in the lives of others and will take wonderful memories with you.

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Editorial Archives:

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Ediorial: "Patrons peering past panhandlers promotes purposelessness" (Aug 16, 07, 8:42 a.m.)

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