Leaves are caught quickly in the wind. Fellow Hawks, clad in Saint Joseph’s University sweatshirts, huddle closer in defense against the cold. Soon we’ll be battling swirls of snowflakes as we walk from class to class.
Winter has arrived, and with it, the holidays. This festive season brings out the best in all of us, and should, first and foremost after Thanksgiving break, inspire feelings of gratitude. There is so much to be grateful for. Even on a daily basis, the smallest of conveniences on Hawk Hill warrant gratitude. This week we encourage ourselves and you to show gratitude for all those people and resources on campus that make your life just a little bit easier.
Laundry, for example, may seem like a trivial matter, but Saint Joseph’s offers the service free of charge, which grants students living on campus one less thing to stress over and no need to search for loose change. Even when it comes to finding money for coffee and snacks, we have access to ATMs on campus, so instead of rushing to the nearest convenience store, we can remove cash from our accounts with little to no fees.
If we are hungry, we don’t need the local convenience or drugstores, because we have several on-campus dining options. Even if you don’t regularly eat in Campion Dining Hall, it can’t be denied that students flock to the birthday celebrations or the upcoming Christmas dinner that brings our community together. Campion employees and management work to create a welcoming environment that any student can come to, hungry and tired, and find a place to refuel.
It is important to recognize that as an institution, many people contribute to making this community a friendly and safe space; their work should not go unappreciated. Some of the truest forms of hospitality are found in the desk attendants in every dorm building: they are members of our community who make coming home just that much easier by maintaining safety against any outside dangers. Their 24/7 availability and presence allows us to feel secure even in the fast-paced flow of daily life and the slow tick of later hours.
St. Joe’s also feels like home due to the efforts of university facilities and maintenance staff, who keep the campus clean and beautiful. Too often, we take their extremely hard work for granted. Even the staff of the Package Center, who put in extra work during the flurry of activity that occurs throughout the semester, helps to make sure that our mail is delivered smoothly. When our laptops decide to quit on us the week before final papers are due, the Tech Center is able to bring them back to life; until we receive our newly-cured laptops, there are even several facilities on campus that offer temporary replacements. These everyday faces on campus are deserving of our thanks this holiday season.
Additionally, with a space that is neat, clean, and pleasant, St. Joe’s students are set up for success. Even in the event of catching a cold, our Student Health Center is available to all of us, including those who do not subscribe to university health insurance. In terms of mental health, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), located in Merion Gardens, is also available to all students. For our spiritual needs, mass is said daily in the Chapel of Saint Joseph, and there are two prayer rooms located on campus. These are resources that we can’t take for granted.
St. Joe’s, like any school, isn’t perfect. But gratitude is about giving thanks for the positive things in our lives, the comparatively small privileges that slip through the cracks and are rarely acknowledged. At the end of the day, we chose this school, and it is cared for by dedicated faculty and staff who work tirelessly for our benefit. Timing is everything, and now, on the brink of December and all its celebrations, we sit between two holiday seasons that encourage us to recall those we are thankful to have. We hope you’ll keep these everyday heroes in mind as you finish out the frenzied, final weeks of the semester, and offer them your thanks.
– The Hawk Staff
