The Start of Something Special: “I mean . . . so far, so good”
Eight hundred and eleven. That’s how many newly minted freshmen descended on campus today, lugging boxes and duffels and ukuleles and fog machines (just kidding) from Westco to Eastco to Foss and beyond. It happens every year—mass chaos, familial sentimentality, and eighteen years’ worth of material accumulation swallowed up in some spirit of greetings and beginning—but somehow still feels like a miracle, like childbirth or getting slimed. [813 is also roughly how many miles of driving lie between Brooklyn and Chicago, as depicted in that one TMBG song, but never mind that now. The Wesleyan Connection now reports that 811, not 813, freshmen have arrived. Wesleying staff have not in fact counted freshmen.]
Add to this the 87 international students already chillin’ at the Cardinal Inn, and you have the largest incoming class in the history of this fine institution—safely on campus despite the hurricane, earthquake, and whatever other Acts of God may have blocked its arrival. Bienvenue, frosh!
Above, a video, courtesy of the Wesleyan YouTube channel, depicts a few moments of clarity and joy (“it felt like how I wanted college to feel”) amid the chaos of Move-In Day. Kudos to Wes for the speed video-editing—and don’t miss the WesCeleb at 0:55 (hint: I am not talking about a freshman).
Also, pictures of Arrival Day. A lot. These were taken by Chelsea Goldsmith ’13, except the last six, which were taken by Olivia Drake or Nick Lacy for the wonderful Wesleyan Flickr account.
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that header picture makes me nervous…like ptsd or something