In the sweltering Connecticut heat (it’s been 95 degrees here, y’all), first years have been getting acquainted with campus and their new class. It happens every year, but each class adds a new perspective to the rich, nutrient-packed smoothie that is our student body. Here are a few insights the class of 2022 had to offer about their orientation experience:
“I really enjoy orientation thus far,” Saoirse Lewis ’22 said. “Everyone is super nice and welcoming, and I’ve been having a good time in general.”
“I really enjoyed the stargazing last night,” Joanna Gerber ’22 said. “It’s something I’m interested in and hadn’t gotten to experience before, so it was cool to get to do that on my first night and also get to meet people while doing it. We got to see Saturn really up close, and it was really cool.”
“I’ve been having lots of fun meeting new people from very diverse backgrounds,” Ivanna Morales ’22 said. “It’s shown me that people are really friendly and open-minded.”
“I was honestly really nervous about coming here,” Carliza Bobb-Semple ’22 said.“I was thinking about staying in Boston for school, but as I was applying I realized that this was the school I really wanted to go to. I’m getting familiar with the campus, and even if I don’t keep the friends I’m meeting right now I think it’s a really important adjustment period.”
Having attended the prior international student orientation, students from outside countries are now meeting the rest of campus.
“I’m an international student, and because I live in 200 Church which is a social justice community, they’ve been very inclusive and diverse,” Zian Zhang ’22 said. “I’m pretty excited to keep on keeping on.”
“The experience has been very fast,” Alice Musabe ’22 said. “I’m from Rwanda, and when I came I didn’t know anybody except for like two Africans, but I’m starting to make more friends. The food is not that good, and there are still many social things I cannot relate to, like certain topics or TV shows. But it’s also not as bad as people from outside say.”
Not everyone’s first days on campus have gone so smoothly.
“I lost my key already,” Jay Kim ’22 said.“That was terrible. But Jesse, my RA, he came through for me. Orientation has been pretty chill otherwise, and it’s cool that there are so many events and activities to help me out. Most of the resources I need for now are given to me.”
“When I was in orientation, the first thing they asked us was our experience in the dorms,” Julian White ’22 said. “I told the RA that there was a wasp nest in the boys’ bathroom, and then all the boys started yelling about the wasps. So that probably needs to be taken care of, I live in Clark 3.”
“During orientation when we were moving in, I live on Clark 4, and in the corner near the vent there was a whole infestation of black mold,” said Yaiza Kinney ’22. “We called the RA, and it turned out that they knew the infestation was happening but no one did anything about it. So if anyone’s listening, please, please fix Clark. It’s very nice but please take care of the wasps and the mold.”
Well, there you have it, folks! The class of 2022 seems to be adjusting well, with the exception of those Clark kids.
Brooke Kushwaha can be reached at bkushwaha@wesleyan.edu.