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The start of another school year signals a time for fresh beginnings. New friendships flourish, teams kick off a new season and the campus comes alive once again. 

From the construction of new buildings and the renovation of traditional campus landmarks to new memories formed with our classmates in our residence halls and on the field, every August brings with it an opportunity to remember more fully why we chose this place. 

As a new chapter is written in the story of life under the Dome, I, too, welcome the sight of new faces and the host of new experiences that await us all. We welcome the Class of 2022 to campus as they hold the most enviable position of all: beginning the first of four years in this special place. 

While those experiences — in clubs, residence hall life and athletics, among others — certainly carry their weight, the guiding principle to this university is its prestige in the classroom. No matter what our desired fields of study — be they business, psychology, literature, science, etc. — Notre Dame offers us the chance to pursue academic tracks that suit our unique interests and desires. These majors, then, provide a foundation for us to enter the real world with an academic experience curated to our own distinct paths. 

As I write this letter and prepare to navigate Scholastic through another year full of these experiences, I am excited to look ahead to the future for the student body as a whole. The fusion of our unique backgrounds into one community contributes to the university’s rich and storied legacy, and that cohesion speaks volumes about the individuals that we grow to be as we embark on our journey at this place. 

No matter what we study or which activities we are involved in, one aspect remains constant and unites us always: we are students at the University of Notre Dame, the greatest university in the world. 

Welcome back to God’s Country, Notre Dame. Welcome back to another year of Scholastic. 

Go Irish! 

Sincerely, 

Juan José Rodriguez