Another Year

The past week or so has been phenomenal and I apologize for the inconsistent paragraphs that may follow. I have not had a full amount of good time to jot down all of my thoughts lately.
I moved in a week prior to freshmen move-in day to begin Residence Assistance training, which was an awesome experience in itself. The days were long and the policy was punctilious, but the time spent with the other members on my staff was golden. Our icebreakers and team bonding exercises genuinely brought everyone closer, and our trust, respect, and compassion for one another was palpable at the end of training.

One night before the freshmen moved in, a fellow Randolph-Yates staff member and I were jammin’ out to some tunes while she was sitting duty in the Randolph office. Connecting with someone else on a musical level is always stunning—Phantogram’s ‘Mouthful of Diamonds,’ SBTRKT’s ‘Wildfire,’ and Casiokids’ ‘Finn bikkjen!’ are only just some of the songs that thrashed Tazewell.

I cannot speak for everyone, but the night before the freshmen move-in I did not sleep too much. In fact, I found myself eager to meet all of the guys on my hall—eager to help them adjust to their new homes. The eve of my own freshmen move-in was spent listening to Little Dragon’s ‘Feather,’ as I flipped through my high school senior book; however, I wondered as I tried falling asleep in an empty hall where each of the residents were at that moment. Were they in the Hospitality House with their family, or were they cozily asleep in their own beds at home?

I even wondered what my fellow peers were doing, too. When would they arrive? What classes do I share with each of them? Everyone is at the point of narrowing their vision solely on their majors, fishing deeper into the depths of his own study. Junior year, I believe, is definitely going to stand as the year of change, whether I enjoy it or not. And truthfully, I hope the bonds I have made over the past two years can only harden.

The actual day of move-in was energizing and exuberant. Meeting all of the residents and their parents in between shuffling radio hits and dancing to ‘Friday’ with one of the Orientation Aids made up for lack of sleep and the number of staples I used all throughout training. Everything seems a blur now, with all of the ice breakers and bonding games, but the day could not have been more finely topped off than with the traditional ‘secret’ serenade of the President’s house.

In fact, I have enjoyed Orientation and the events therein every single year at the College, and this year was no exception. Kudos to everyone on board with Orientation, especially whomever assigns OAs to their halls because I do not know what I—or anyone on the entire floor—would have done without the support of our two amiable aids. Cheers to them, indeed!

And the chance to serve as a mentor and aid to some of the newest—and finest—members of the Tribe is more than an honor. I cannot express the pure gratitude and raw humility I have for this chance at extending guidance and friendship.

This year will be electric.

Welcome home.