After braving the chaos of college residence hall move-in, I bid farewell to my family and it was time to start my college career, meeting lifelong friends, learning my purpose, and preparing for the world outside. But now that my whites and colors were in their proper drawers and my posters were securely stickytac-ed to the walls over my well-made bed, where was I to go from here?
Initially, I was in the directional limbo common to most first-years, not really having any focus but eager to soak in the first thing to come my way. Luckily, SMU has a program for students when they arrive called Week of Welcome, or WOW. Coordinated by the Office of New Student Programs, WOW groups first-years together and assigns them a volunteer upperclass host who takes them to various events like a first-year mixer, hypnotist show, casino night, and other activities.
One of the key events during WOW – possibly the single most important event to beginning a successful college experience – was the Activities Fair. Those words immediately stood out on the page of the weekly guide we’d been given because of a parting word of advice I’d gotten from a high school mentor. Telling me I had more potential for leadership than I gave myself credit for, that person inspired me to seek opportunities that would challenge my own self-imposed boundaries.
So when the fair came around, I went in expecting to see a few fold-out displays with accompanying administrators standing next to them waiting to hand out yet more bland applications. What I got was completely different. I entered a room to witness activity-hungry first-year pandemonium. I was mesmerized by tons of colorful brochures, fliers, pamphlets, posters, and smiles telling me to go there, do this, sign here, talk to them, look at those.
I’d be lying if I said that the excitement in that large room with more than 200 activity groups represented by students didn’t invigorate me that much more. With a childlike anticipation I collected as much of the college stuff as I could in two plastic bags and went back to my room to sift through it all. When the dust settled, I’d filled out applications for Student Senate, Voices of Inspiration, First-Year Council, Association of Black Students, and various other groups that escape my memory right now.
Through the Activities Fair and my subsequent immersion into the student activity realm, I was able to carve out my niche at SMU. And the unique thing about this place is the overt and earnest encouragement for first-years to go for the gold as soon as they step on campus. It was apparent to me early on that even though I was new to the University, I was in a place where I could contribute to my school, and affect my community in a way I thought was reserved for older, more seasoned veterans in the college arena. SMU is truly committed to allowing first-years to grow as leaders and activists. As a first-year student, I saw that once I was able to give a part of myself to SMU through my work and programs, SMU then became a part of me.
