Once upon a time...
There was a little penguin named Sven. Like many other penguins, he lived at the South Pole, along with the rest of his family. For most of his life, every way he turned, he faced North; but he really loved the South and wanted to explore other "south"s. So, after a long deliberation with his family and friends, Sven decided that he was going to leave the South Pole.
He packed up some of his favorite items and set off one morning. He walked and walked, watching the sun in the sky until he reached the edge of the ice sheet. Here, as the light beamed against the roaring waters and the misty silvered world curved at the far reaches of his vision, finding a new place to call home seemed like an infinite, unnavigable, lonely journey. How could Sven possibly navigate the impossible vastness of this world by himself?
All of a sudden, Sven heard a muffled cry in the distance and pulled out his binoculars. He was trying to find the source of the noise. Was he listening to cries of college students who were yearning for his company? Voices echoed from across the expanse of Antarctic waters, called to him across the cool arcs of southerly atmosphere, beckoned him to follow them. That night, as Sven stared up at the cosmos, he noticed something: where he expected to find the five bright stars of the Southern Cross, instead he saw the outlines of blazing “D”!
Sven peered at the horizon and saw the glittering path of a shooting star, seemingly guiding his path. Excited, he dove into the water and began swimming, following the route illuminated by the shooting star. He swam left and right, up and down, day and night, through icy waters and warm coasts. Finally, he arrived at the mouth of the great Connecticut River. He kept swimming upstream where he saw students fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and near the river. Oh, how he longed to be a part of it all!
He climbed up the riverbank and began to walk around. And the sights he saw! He passed beautiful Baker Tower and the Green. Soon, he began to feel sleepy. He had been traveling for a long
time. Sven looked around, searching for the familiarity of a South Pole igloo, when he at last laid eyes upon something that reminded him of home: the Onion! It seemed like a safe haven in this foreign land. Sven wandered over to this big white structure, made his way inside, and finally succumbed to his fatigue. He fell asleep on an overstuffed bean bag.
When he woke up, he was quite taken aback by his surroundings. Sven found himself in a sea of warm, energetic, and passionate faces. He saw humans, but he felt right at home as many of them sported stylish black and white gear with the words ‘South House’ on them. Their voices reminded him of the muffled cry he heard before he embarked on his journey, and immediately knew he was where he was meant to be. Sven decided right then to become the official mascot of South House, and the students welcomed him with open arms. Ever since, he’s called Hanover his new home.
by the South House Leadership Team 2019-2020