Me, Cornell, and I

Leaving Chicago felt like ending an unforgettable journey. I don’t know how Ithaca will be able to top the Windy City, but so far, it’s beginning to look like it has. After leaving the hotel in the early morning, we arrived at the airport and boarded quite promptly. Thanks to Dramamine, I was able to fight back motion sickness with the cost that I was extremely drowsy throughout the day, causing me to sleep completely on my flights. Although I have been extremely exhausted throughout the day, my excitement began to burst as we all boarded the shuttle to Ithaca. On the bus, we encountered other Cornell students who came out of the Syracuse Airport including one from Wisconsin, several from the East Bay like us, and even one from Puerto Rico!

Prior to leaving, we knew that we would be staying at Mary Donlon Hall and we went through a surprisingly quick registration there where they gave us our ID cards, room keys, dorm assignments, and very vital packets and papers. Afterwards, we took a shuttle to Bailey Hall where they featured the mandatory orientation session. The orientation went through the program as a whole and how things work around campus. The auditorium was completely filled that many people were even sent to an “overflow” location on campus instead of Bailey. At the front entrance, we were greeted by Mr. Ramsey, which gave me a sense of comfort to see a familiar face from back home.

A view from my seat of the front of Bailey Hall during orientation.

After the orientation, we all split up into groups according to which course we were about to take. This was when I met my professors, Reneta and & Mark McCarthy.. They both explained the course in finer details and spoke of what was expected of us. The campus is a few clicks off, so the Hotelies and I are planning on timing a walk from our dorm to the classroom to see when the most ideal time to leave the dorm would be.

At 7:30, we all attended an “Ice Cream Spree” which gave us the opportunity to eat ice cream and then meet people during or afterwards. Everywhere around us appeared to have been occupied by bustling activity of students wanting to meet others. It was amazing to see one group playing Frisbee while another one was playing soccer.

Students mingled both inside and outside of Mary Donlon during the Ice Cream Spree.

Later that night, we had a mandatory RA meeting with our Residential Assistants so that they could help us in need. We went over policies that were featured in one of our packets. The packet itself breaks down every rule thoroughly. We learned about how Cornell Summer College required others to check-in every night as part of a strict policy on dorm attendance. The day has simply been so exciting that I can’t possibly wait for the course to actually start. I honestly hope this excitement lasts for three weeks!