Whether you are a savvy newspaper reader, or you just decided to pick up The Flat Hat to mop the sweat off your forehead as you carry boxes, fridges or toasters — which we’re pretty sure are illegal — through the staircases and halls of the Barrett and Dupont Hotels or the Botetourt Dungeons, we’re certainly glad you’re reading. We are also happy to have you, the new, diverse and talented freshmen class, here at the College.
p. What will follow in the coming days and weeks will be a whirlwind ride of new names and faces, getting lost on the way to class, bonding with your hall mates and, for your sake, hopefully picking up a sandwich with extra house dressing at the Cheese Shop. Immediately following all of this will be the fastest four years of your life: a hackneyed expression that you’ve probably heard from parents and friends, but whose meaning and validity you will soon discover.
p. All of this being said, we move on to another overused, yet applicable, phrase: dive in. There is no better way to approach your time here, particularly your first several weeks, than to visit the activities fair, explore on and off campus (but stay out of the steam tunnels), ask questions of upperclassmen, professors and staff, play sports with friends or run for a position on hall council or student government. Sure, you may not be able to participate in all 50 clubs you signed up for at the activities fair, but who cares? On a related note, try signing your friends up for everything possible on campus without them knowing — it’s hilarious.
p. You are beginning a very special time in your lives — a time of unparalleled excitement, apprehension, fun and, inevitably, a time that may necessitate more showers in a single day than you’ve ever taken before. Dive in and live before it’s too late.
p. And yes, we hate the name game too, but it actually is useful and may give you ammunition for senior year jokes and reflection.