Page 8 - Phoenix2003

Wednesday, September 10, 2003 - Page 8 FEATURES Sophomores Think Like Freshmen Again Poetry Corner Four McDaniel sophomores reflect on their freshmen years. JAIME FALLOWS Sta1!Wr;ler The reactions to last year's fresh- The humidity is on the rise, the fans "God's bowling," Grandma Edie man orientation are mixed, and so are the "I Smell a Storm" are blowing, and McDaniel students are used to say. moving themselves into their donn rooms. thoughts that the four sophomores have For freshmen, this is a whole new experi- about their first week of classes here at I walk out the door and a Big, fat raindrops begin falling ence, a tease of independence, a taste of re- McDaniel College. breeze hits me- ality. Ahmad thinks that the' week around me For sophomores, however, this is a "wasn't too stressful," as did Tawes, who felt I smell a storm coming. Just before the neon blue time of reunion with friends, getting ready thai "it wasn't anything I couldn't handle." It's hard to explain, lightening flashes, for classes (summer was short, wasn't it?), On the other hand, both Eaton and But the air smells like the Lighting up my soul. and reminiscing on their freshman years. Klunk felt overwhelmed by their first week taste of a metal spoon. God got a strike. Four sophomores, Hanif Ahmad, in the classrooms. Eleanor Eaton, Kelly Tawes, and Nathan "I was okay with my freshman Klunk, shared their thoughts about last year's seminar, but 1 absolutely haled my night I can feel it coming, too. Time to go inside, turn off all ... freshman orientation and first week of class, class-I can't sit in a desk for three hours!" The static courses through the lights, and also gave a few words of wisdom for exclaims Eaton. my veins, my muscles my And sit alone, the incoming freshmen. Klunk says that starting classes was fingertips. In the dark, • Hanif Ahmad, a sophomore with an "really rough. I didn't know what college classes would be like, or how the professors There's that first rumble of Keeping score. exercise major, member of the Phi Della thunder in the distance- Theta fraternity, and member of the indoor would run them. and outdoor track teams, remembers his ori- I didn't know anything about col- -Jamie Fallows entation painfully well. lege learning, which made for a very inter- 'If was very unsatisfied," he says as esting week." he shakes his head. ''There was no commu- Every sophomore has something Freshmen Recount Crazy nication in my peer group and there weren't that they know now that they wish they knew any fun activities." a year ago. Campus Occurences Fellow sophomore Eleanor Eaton For some, like Ahmad, it was agrees. "Some of the ice-breaker activities simple: "I wish I knew to' keep up on the normal, it is nice to make my own schedule were just plain stupid. I got so sick of them! work." Klunk agrees, saying, "It isn't like and my own decisions." Ijust wish I'd had more personal time to high school where you can sleep through LAURA PETERSEN Button agreed with Gallow, "1 feel like I get settled in and get to know my roommate class and B.S. your way through it- you need FEATURES ED/TOR am getting the hang of things now. I have a instead." do actually do it!" Whether it is 3:00 a.m. when a break- Some people liked orientation, Eaton, on the other hand, wishes fast craving hits, finding a stranger's shoes set schedule now." however. Kelly Tawes felt "half and half' she'd foreseen for the diverse personalities sitting beside the bed or even watching Of course the most memorable times for about it. The communication major and and interests on this campus. someone run into a wall without even students are often outside of the classroom. member of the golf team says, "Some of the "I wish I'd been prepared to stand flinching, everyone establishes memories "Six friends and 1 walked to Denny's at activities were good, but it [orientation 1was up for what f believe in, because people tried that wilt never be forgotten. like,3:ooa.m. Someone just said 'DENNY'S.' just too drawn out." to get me to do things that I didn't want to. This year's new freshman class is be- and we decided to go, Ihad no idea where It was Nathan Klunk loved orientation. When you first get here, you just want to fit coming acclimated to the campus more and was at and the walk back Seidman so long, it seemed to take forever," said smil- The baseball player with a psychology ma- in." more each day. Along with their growing ing. "I have also noticed that downtown . jor thought that last year's orientation was Each student interviewed had some sense of the advanced academic atmo- Westminster is pretty scary, it is my first two "very interesting. I didn't know anybody at advice to share with freshmen. sphere, first year students are also learning weeks here and Ihave already walked past an first, but by the end, I knew pretty much ev- "Don't do it unless you believe in that college life can prove to be crazy at arrest taking place." erybody that J needed to." Klunk also felt it," warns Eleanor Eaton, who is a strict be- times. Matt Rouse, a freshman cross-country run- that orientation was well organized and that liever in having your own morals and be- Jessica Seidman, a first year honors stu- ner, has also experienced some interesting his peer group helped him get through it. liefs. dent from Upstate New York, is relieved to One thing that these four students "Keep up with the books and don't be finished with orientation. situations in his first weeks at McDaniel. have in common is that they all loved start slacking- if you start slacking then "I thought that the point of freshman "I had to remove a locust between our two Choices. Eaton specifically remembers her you'll pay for it," advises Nathan Klunk. orientation was for us to meet other fresh- windows with duct tape because it was just, reaction to the show. Kelly Tawes urges freshmen to "set men, it didn't really work. It was annoying got stuck. r attached the tape to its wings and "I was just sitting there, goals and follow your instincts." to have everything scheduled, 1 wanted got it out," Rouse recalled. listening to someone talk on the !\!:age when She also says to get involved in some time to settle in," Seidman explained. In addition to the lodged locust, Rouse also all of a sudden these two people down in school activities. "Join anything-religious Rachel Button, a commuter first year had a run-in with a fellow freshman neighbor front starting making out, and the girl next groups, sports teams, academic societies- student from Westminster, believes that the who had locked himself out of his room .. .in to me started singing The Star Spangled Ban- anything. Just get involved!" orientation was not suited for commuter a towel. ner and throwing condoms everywhere! Hanif Ahmad has a very original students. "He asked to use my phone to call cam- Iwas so confused, until all piece of advice. "Keep the work up, and "There were these long spaces between pus safety to let him in," Rouse laughed. "And of a sudden it hit me- they were part of the while you're at it, pledge Phi Delta Theta if each event for me," Button explained. "The he said, 'Yeah, I am locked out and I don't have any clothes on.:'' show! It was hilarious!" you can!" If it worked for him, then it must honor code presentation was also awful, they kept going ofT onto tangents." Craig Mackenzie, also a first year cross- As orientation country runner, attests to feeling comfort in concluded and classes the smaller teacher-to-student ratio in contrast We Sjo c-c-tcstiz e- ;n (; I~E I'~K I I~'I" I' E I~ Sj-rlrts began, some first year to his very large high school. J students became ner- "I really like it here," Mackenzie stated. vous about the diffi- "There are less people than my high school." culty level of their Outside of class though, Mackenzie en- courses. countered something more surprising than the Freshman Mel- small class sizes offered at McDaniel. issa Gallow admitted "This one kid was in the bathroom, he cfp L::s=-cre::l"e~n~PrlndnU& Embroidery to having some reser- wasn't drunk or high or anything," Mackenzie said. "But he just walked into a wall and then vations. "I was nervous T-shirts Sweats Hats Jackets & Much More that I would get some he left, like nothing happened." Seidman be- New Jessica Yorker and the occa- professor STUDENT DISCOUNTS crazy would be some or lieves that McDaniel's classes are just right for atmosphere crazy sionally there WESTMINSTER. MD ;~~~~s~~:~~~tI ~~~~~ her. "Any college where my suitemate's 837 EBaltimore Blvd. 410.871,9600 not answer," Gallow drunken friend leaves his shoes in our room," ~=========~-=-=-=-=-=-=-===::.:.=-=-===========_ explained. "But now I Seidman said pausing to laugh, "AND THEN Boomer's FAX: 410.871.9661 Highway Center - Above wanders around is a looking for his dorm, great place to me!" feel like this is pretty