First Day of Class

Hal writes:

The new hall that I am overseeing is truly isolated for the rest of campus. Unless you are at the top floor (6th floor), there is not much to see of the rest of campus. I first began to sense how separated we were during move-in this weekend. I knew that my fellow RDs were also having students move-in, but it was different not to be able to physically see them. Today my realization came during the lunch hour. As per our usual routine, the RDs meet for lunch in the student center around noon. The campus was swarming with people and the first-years have discovered the student center as a lunch option which slows things down until they get to know the routine. I enjoyed, yet took pity, on those first-years who were looking for places to eat by themselves. Too shy to ask to sit with anyone or go to eat with someone on their wing, they made eye contact around the room that seemed to call out that they wanted a friend to say, "Hey, come sit here." The stereotype with the individuals I see wondering with hope for a friend are males with the facial hair that just doesn't quite reach "full" status and are wearing a graphic t-shirt portraying an ill-fated attempt at humor. (i.e.: "Psycho Ward" or "Alcatraz Swim Team") My hope is that they do find their niche, that group that they feel comfortable with, so they do stay in school. The first six weeks of a first-year student is very telling of their potential success rate and one of my duties is to help students find those connections.

Today my friend Jim shared stories of memories of first days of classes. In a similar fashion, let me tell you my story of the first day of school at Gustavus. But my story surrounds itself around food. On the first day of classes, I had an hour between my FTS (First Term Seminar) class and Calculus (aka: the last math class I took, fall 1997). I went to go to lunch at the dining hall to find that the lined stretched from the dining hall, across the sky walk, through the student union, all the way to the doors by the library. I thought that there was no way I could eat lunch and make it to Calc. I instead went back to my room (Co-Ed 209C) and ate triskets dipped in peanut butter that my mom had left with me at move in. I called my dad that night (the first time I called home after being on campus for four days, pre-cell phone era 5 cents a minute) and told him about my concerns about not being able to eat lunch during the semester. Now keep in mind that my dad was concerned for me because the summer prior to my senior year of high school I went to a basketball camp alone and did not make any friends, so he was most likely concerned that I was not fitting well at GAC and it was more than just the food. But he encouraged me to try again the next day and wait in line to see what happens. Same drill the next day, long line for dining hall, but this time I waited. 5 minutes later I was in the dining hall, and 20 minutes after that I was finished with my meal, a full 30 minutes prior to my next class.

I share this story as a way to talk to first-year students and their anxieties. I look back on this situation and laugh, but at the time I thought that I would not be able to eat lunch and that was anxiety producing for me. It may seem strange that "the little things" make students want to leave school their first-year, but to those students "the little things" might seem a lot bigger to them. I was fortunate to get through many anxiety producing experiences (mostly living at the FCA house) and feel that I am a better person for it.

Other tidbits to share:
* Ryan Hoag was released from the Vikings. I hope that someone picks him up.
* I am playing fantasy football with some RAs at UWP. I'll let you know how I do.
* My dad came out of retirement (a la Michael Jordan?) to teach until a new teacher can be hired.
* Check out the Beloit College Mindset list to learn more about this year's new college students.
* I'll be at Gustavus this weekend for Leadership Day. My 5-year reunion is this October and I am part of the planning committee.
* My new office has more wall space than my previous office. Please send me a post card, random poster, flyer, or anything fun for me to stick on the wall. I enjoy covering my office walls with fun things. I'll post pictures on the blog of the walls when I get some more items up.