First Week Down!

Of students on campus that is. Fall semester is here! Our small town has swelled by an additional 30,000. The busses were slower and not hitting their time checks. The foot traffic on campus is unreal- people everywhere! Construction is still going on down Main street so cars are backed up both ways daily. But in the midst of all that, it is a new start. A fresh academic year where first time college students are here and thrilled to be a Hokie.

The 'Welcome Week' experience for me here has been much different than life at Arkansas the past three years. I'm not housed in the Student Union with immediate access to every event that is happening daily outside or inside of where we were. My office is on a corner end of campus, not near the Union or Library or Drillfield. I've met with more students this week, but it has been inside my office, in air conditioning, while dressed in business slacks and blouses. Student Conduct is a different kind of routine than Leadership programs.

I've missed my friends more (again) this week and hated not being there to kick off a new year in a familiar community. I wanted to be in shorts and a hat, sweating outside by a grill and talking to freshmen about involvement opportunities. So I grieve a little more this week in my loss of the UofA.

Today was Gobblerfest on VT's campus. Similar to Razorbash, but on a larger scale with carnival rides and shut down city blocks to accommodate. I worked our booth and created the game we played-- Penny Pitch. It was fun and our student leaders for the office who serve on committees came to help. I even wore Maroon and Orange, together. I'm getting there. :)