Author Archives: Maya McKone-Sweet

Remember Why You Came To Olin

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Three years ago, I stepped on campus, suitcase in hand, to move into my home for the next four years. I was excited to meet new people, explore the local area, and work in the machine shop. Since that day, there have been many life-changing moments, favorite memories made, and days that went on for too long. There were times when Olin and life were very frustrating. I got tired of being here and wanted a break. I felt that Olin was far from what I loved it to be. 

When you have these days, I urge you to remember why you came to Olin. Reflect on what made you excited in your first few weeks. Remind yourself of your favorite moments. Who were you with? What were you doing? Why were you doing it? Now go do those things! See those people. Take a break from your schoolwork and extracurriculars. Enjoy this college that you will have attended for four years. Experience your favorite parts of Olin again. 

Here is a list of what I do to remember why I love Olin, reset, and take a breath:

  • Go on a night walk around Needham with friends
  • Read or join OCF in prayer on the benches overlooking the marsh
  • Cut out a fun shape out of scrap wood in the green shop and paint it
  • Sew a new dress or skirt in the library
  • Take an early morning walk in Parcel B
  • Get lunch with my favorite faculty or staff member
  • Ice cream trip to one of many local ice cream shops
  • Walk around Milas Hall offices and meet new people
  • Double-decker hammocks between CC and West Hall
  • Visit my communities outside of Olin (e.g. my church)

These are my favorite things to do on those long days. I hope you can find your own things, share them with others, and remember why you want to be here.

Ways to Meet Eachother

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Recently, I’ve heard people complaining about different groups of people on campus not being reachable. I realized my experience has been quite different. I am the student who emails admin invitations to the dining hall and introduces herself to as many dining hall staff as she can. Here are some ideas so that you can start your own conversations.

To Meet Dining Hall and Facilities Staff

  • Say hi to them in the hallways and introduce yourself! 
  • When they help you out on campus, thank them and go from there!

To Meet Students

  • Sit with them in the dining hall. Really just sit down if there is an empty seat next to them and introduce yourself. Oliners like to talk!
  • Email them! Even if it is a stranger.
  • Email our CORe representatives! There are elected members who run events, meet with admin, and much more. Feel free to reach out to Kenneth Xiong… he’s happy to talk CORe or about parking spots in Boston…
  • Reach out to a fellow student who you want to get to know better! You know you have that person; send them a random text or email about meeting up!

To Meet the President’s Cabinet (if you are wondering who they are, try a google search)

  • Email them! 
  • Sit down with them in the dining hall. Al Sacco and various members of the cabinet have lunch in the dining hall on Thursdays from 12-1. They are there to meet everyone!
  • Show up to their office. If the door is open, go in and say hi!

To Meet Staff and Faculty

  • Email them! Most of them have informational pages on the Olin website. See what they do and reach out about it.
  • Sit with them in the dining hall, schedule a meeting with them, or go to events that they advertise!
  • Ask them about their research or what they studied in college!

To Meet Babson Police

  • Say hi to the officers when they do their rounds through campus. They like to hear about our projects!

To Meet President Barabino and the Board of Trustees

These might all feel awkward at first and that’s okay. To help, I have added a few tips below:

  • People want to talk with other people! That means you!
  • Some conversation starts: Favorite hobby? Favorite sports team? If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be? 
  • To send an email: Start with “Hi my name is ___!” and maybe follow that up with something like “I do XYZ at Olin. I would like to learn about XYZ things you do. Could we find a time to meet this week?” 
  • My favorite thing to do when I meet up with someone: Get some ice cream! Suggestions of places: Trim for soft serve, Olin dining hall when we have it, Truleys in Wellesley.

I challenge you to do one of these things listed above and meet someone new this month! I am looking forward to meeting more of you!