Photo by Calvin Carmichael/The Choate News
Choate graduate Mr. Ethan McDonnell ’09 made his way back onto campus in the fall of 2012. As a student member and later faculty adviser, Mr. McDonnell was a part of the Committee on Student Activities (COSA) for many years, playing an integral part in the approval and development of numerous club ideas.
Mr. McDonnell has also worked as a dean in the summer school; coached football, lacrosse, and wrestling; and currently works in the Alumni Relations and Development office in addition to doing some admissions-related work. Today, however, he is here to share his experiences with COSA and how it has changed over time.
What was it like being in COSA as a student?
It was good, but a lot different than it is now, being way more on the practical side of things. The tech crew was super involved with setting up events. As clubs began to increase in size, COSA morphed into an administrative and logistical group by channeling and filtering new club proposals and supporting them through their initial stages by helping them draft a constitution.
Describe the typical day of a COSA adviser.
The adviser works closely with the Chair of COSA on setting weekly agendas, filtering through club and event proposals, and some more “hands-on” advising of clubs, such as assisting with event set up, coordinating cosponsored events, and the like. The adviser also completes room reservations as submitted by club presidents, compiles recent club proposals for review at the next COSA meeting, and is in charge of keeping up to date the club and organization database, which includes leadership, mission statements, and constitutions.
What is it like being a student in COSA versus being its adviser?
It was much more faculty-led when I was a student here. I have always tried to, as the adviser, make it about the kids, so I rarely spoke at meetings unless there wasn’t a strong consensus or I needed to step in. I was present to simply serve as the institutional memory and make sure we had the same policies regarding new clubs from year to year.
Are there any clubs you wish you had been a part of as a student?
I wish I was a part of the Choate Student Diversity Association (CDSA) when I was a student here, but it didn’t exist. Another club was the C-proctors, who I thought were a really interesting group. But I was a three-sport athlete, and when I wasn’t playing sports, I was an artist and an actor in one of the plays, so in general it was hard for me to find free time.
What are the most notable clubs you have witnessed?
I would say the International Student Society three years ago, as there was one particular student who lead that group and got a really strong following. They did three or four big events throughout the year and were super active. Another one was CDSA, which has also morphed into a really good support mechanism for students and faculty.
