They’re Baaaack…

The anticipation is building. It is the Tuesday before the new freshman class arrives on campus. It is exciting to see really nice Red,White and Blue banners going up around campus to welcome the students to or back to campus. It almost feels like there is a low hum on campus right now getting ready to rev up for the students impending arrival. Here and there I can see a mini-van or SUV loaded with stuff pulling in to unload, and haul the stuff up to a student’s room. No doubt by Friday, there will be hundreds more. It is almost as if the campus has been napping and is slowing waking from a restful sleep.

This time of year is filled with excitement and anticipation. While it has been a long time since I first set foot on campus as a freshman, ok a really long time, I still remember those feelings. Sadness to have said good bye to friends that I had gone to school with for most of my life, excitement for the prospect of meeting new friends, learning new things and anxiety at not knowing what to expect. I was lucky to have a brother and sister on campus, so I was not worried about being homesick, but I can see how students away from home for the first time would be dealing with this as well. It seems weird to me but those feelings come back to me every year at this time. This year, I can add empathy for the moms and dads, especially the moms, for their feelings of pride, excitement and yes, a little sadness to leave their baby at school, since I too took my oldest to college this year.

So to the new students, Welcome!

To the returning students, I’m glad your back!

And to the Moms and Dads, congratulations on a job well done! Remember there is always email, cell phones, texting, oh and the USPS still delivers mail.

– Betsy Quinzio