Be the (happy) face of the Park School! (great food, cool sweatshirts...)

When I first arrived in the Park School two years ago, I used to walk around behind the campus tour groups, just to get a sense of the campus and its communities; it was a great way to be introduced and to see the college through the eyes of our prospective students.

That experience taught me a few things, though -- at least one of which was that most of the tour guides didn't really like giving tours of the Park School and often weren't really all that sure about all of the details (who can blame them? take a walk through the first floor and try to imagine what it would be like to NOT live down there....).

After about a year, I decided that the best way to improve the experience of our visiting families AND the tour guides was to create our own Park School student group, a community of "Dean's Hosts" who: a) are as excited and enthusiastic about the Park School as I am (OK, well, close, anyway); b) really like speaking in public (small groups of public); c) know a lot about the school or are willing to learn what they don't know; d) like to serve the community as student leaders; and e) like to order takeout once a month and have lunch with me to talk about cool projects and whatever else happens to come up.

A bunch of really great students volunteered, and we spent the whole year talking about our ideas, eating Chinese food (mostly), and setting up a new tour system. Everybody agreed that it worked much better, and the students who participated said they enjoyed the opportunity (not to mention the Park sweatshirts and the lunches).

Now we're looking to expand the group. And we would love it if you would join us. (I've already invited one first-year student into the group; she is the most enthusiastic and energetic freshman in the history of the school, I am sure of it).

Here's what you need to do:

1. Email me and explain why you think you would like to be a dean's host. We're looking for all different kinds of students from all different parts of the school. We want this to be about Park, in all of its shapes and forms and manifestations. If you're the kind of student YOU would have liked to meet on a college tour, we want you in the group.

2. If you're selected, you would have to participate in a training session in Park and another training session through the Presidents Hosts over in Admissions. Cheryl Horihan coordinates the program, and she would schedule you to conduct a Park tour once every week; usual hours are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, though we did schedule a few extras last year.

3. You'd be asked to participate in other kinds of 'special events,' including some orientation sessions. And I would ask you constantly for ideas about how we can do a better job reaching out to high school students and their families. You remember better than I do what it's like to be a high school student, so I am always looking to you all for brilliance and innovation and effective strategies. And lots of times, you actually come up with them.

So do think about joining us. It's fun and not too much hassle. I promise.

Email me by Friday, please. We'd like to get the group together by our first meeting on Sept. 12.