ESSO in Action

Hello, ESSOnians!Well, we made it through the fall, and it is the start to a new term. Soon, we will be heading back home again and spending time with family and those about whom we care most. With the winter season come holidays and, most importantly, the spirit of giving thanks. That’s right. In a world such as Exeter that offers us so much, it is our moral duty as Exonians and human beings to thank those who contribute to the environment that shapes us.You may be thinking, “Why do I need to thank those around me, who simply fulfill their duties either as students, faculty, or citizens of the planet?” The answer is quite simple: they are creating, either directly or indirectly, a world in which you can thrive. It is to our colleagues, our elementary schools, our parents, our teachers, and so many people to whom we owe thanks.An excellent way to begin giving your thanks is by reaching out to ESSO club co-heads and faculty advisors. Write them a letter, send them an email or stop them along the path. No act of graciousness is too small. They ought to express their thanks to you as well. In fact, I would like to thank you for reading this column and supporting ESSO. Your contributions as an Exonian—raising your own awareness about ESSO and its impact—have a rippling effect. By mentioning an article you read to a fellow student, that student my share what they hear, and you create a chain reaction of events that spreads the word of Non-Sibi.Truly, however, all are worthy of receiving thanks. By working hard, we consequently create environments that push others to work hard. Thus, our environment generates our mindset to strive further than we had previously reached for and the world is better off for it. ESSO wishes to found such an environment for low-income families around Exeter. Clubs such as Junior Computer Programming and any HFCC club create a community within which the children of Exeter can come together and push each other to work hard, just as we Exonians do.I suggest that you all examine the ways in which you can broaden your impact on others. Try joining a new club, acting on that one idea you have always had but have never found the “right time” to start, or most easily, reinvigorating the communities closest to you. Ask your dorm-mates how their days were. Ask a child that you may be tutoring how their classes went. The best way to show your thankfulness is to verbalize that thankfulness to the people who influence you the most. This holiday season, I will be thanking my Mom and Dad, for letting me do what I love; ESSO, for being the medium through which I can explore my fervor for environmentalism; and the world, for blessing me with every opportunity I have encountered, every door ready to be opened and every untraveled path waiting for a wanderer.