8:31 a.m-- Arrival at Susquehanna University. My mind is racing, my parents are in front of me in our jam-packed Toyota Sienna, and we're sitting in what seems like an infinite line of cars. They are the vehicles of other freshmen and their families who are waiting to get unpacked and moved into a residence hall. I hear the pep band in the distance, and once I catch a glimpse of the sousaphone, I also take in what seems to be 40 kids dressed in matching maroon and orange shirts. The kids are swarming the cars one by one, unloading boxes, fridges, carpets, and tote bins and then disappearing, with the luggage in tow, into a tall brick building. As we pull up into the impromptu unloading zone, I see a familiar face and become even more excited. Then, the football team comes out of the fitness center, and suddenly, my parent's car is nearly out of sight: 16 different people swarmed around the car, and it only took the move-in team 3 seconds (literally) to move all of my boxes out of the back of our minivan. Moving into the dorms was a million times easier thanks to the hard work, happiness, and dedication of the Move-in team, so on behalf of the Class of 2020: thank you!!!
While I thought that the Move-In team was my first experience that contributed to the feeling of homeliness here at school, I realize now that it was actually the O-Team that welcomed me "home." Numerous upperclassmen in orange shirts came up to my car as I sat in that long line to unpack, asking if I had any questions, and introducing themselves to me, along with hundreds of other First-Year students. I was overwhelmed with emotions (fear and excitement), so I took it as a sign of temporary happiness that I was sure would wear away. However, I was wrong. After convocation and saying the dreaded goodbyes to my family, I met my O-Team leaders. I am not a shy person, but I am also not someone to jump out of my box right away. However, my O-Team leaders made me feel like I had two new friends right off the bat. I thought they did an awesome job at leading their groups, especially since, for many of them, it was their first time doing so. The meetings went smoothly and we all discovered a safe, confidential place to discuss ourselves and our opinions. Plus, we all made at least one new friend thanks to all of the icebreakers we had to play. Some O-Team leaders were very adamant about sticking together throughout orientation; others let us do what we wanted when it came to sitting with our friends at lunch. However, they always offered an open invitation to join them for a meal in the dining hall. At the end of Orientation, my O-Team leaders offered up their friendship to each and every one of us; they encouraged us to say "hey!" to them on campus, to text or Snapchat or message them on Facebook, and to ask them if we have any questions, anytime, throughout the next four years. Aside from my own orientation leaders, I had great interactions with random leaders, too! They would come up to us during Simon Says, and try their hardest to make us feel comfortable and bold during the biggest icebreaker we had. Their energy was both electrifying and overwhelming, and it was evident that they were just as excited to watch us participate as we were to try not to get out (or at least some of us were). One O-Team leader was also a group leader during Summer Preview Day, and she held conversations with me on more than one occasion after my arrival on campus. Regardless of how exhausted they were, the O-Team leaders made us feel extremely welcomed, and they were great examples of showing how Susky really is one big family.
Lastly, our wonderful room advisors. I don't know about anyone else's experience with their RA, but my floor's RA has proven himself to be both laid-back and respectable. He is funny, wants us to feel like we are safe and secure, and is literally willing to do anything for us at any time of the day (as an RA should). If we have a question that he isn't sure about, he finds the answer for us as soon as possible. If there is a complaint about the shower, he is sure to address it. His "lack of creativity" has supplied our hall with beautiful family tree featuring leaves with all of our names on them. He has proven to be happy to help us with anything we are struggling with, even outside of our dorm rooms, and that he will do anything to make our SU experience the best it can be. Along with the icebreakers and nightly RA hall meetings we've had over the past four days, my RA always says "hi" with a smile, always lets us know when he is in or out of the room, and emails us frequently with updates and little "thank yous". So here's a little thank you to our RA (I can't name names because confidentiality is very important) for being a great guy and an awesome friend.
Whether you are a staff or faculty member, a pro-box-mover, an O-Team leader, or a room advisor, you have made our first four days at Susquehanna literally the best they could have been. From moving in, to eating, to scavenger hunting, to shopping at Target, I can honestly say I feel at home here. Thank you all endlessly for dedicating so much time and happiness into my first weekend here.
