Five Senses of Wake Up Wednesday

In this Issue: It’s FDOC! (First Day of Class) and our first Wake Up Wednesday

This morning we had the first Wake Up Wednesday of the semester in Benson. Students had the chance to grab a cup of coffee and some homemade pastries, donut holes, and fruit cups for breakfast, plus take a picture for FDOC. I thought it would be a good chance to do a Five Senses post, so here goes!

I see…

• Lots of people shivering as they walk in the door. It’s really cold outside. My Weather Channel app says the current temp is 20 degrees, but it feels like 11 degrees.
• Nearly everyone is wearing warm, heavy coats or parkas. Some have hats and scarves.
• A senior student in an adorable winter pantsuit. She looks like a million bucks, as my late mom would have said.
• Groups of students – sometimes two or three arrive together – eagerly grabbing a cup of hot coffee or tea.
• Dr. Shea (VP for Campus Life) and Dean Jackie Krasas (dean of the College) greeting students warmly and chatting.
• A student with an Amazon box (the Post Office is right below us).
• A senior fill out one of the “Last First Day of Class” posters that are here (there is also a “First Day of Class” for non-seniors). Students can fill out the poster and get their picture made with it.
• Three senior women taking a group photo together. They are all smiling and it makes me happy to see their obvious bond of friendship.
• Students filling out their FDOC or Last FDOC posters and proudly smiling for their pictures.
• My colleagues from Campus Life and academics chatting with students and encouraging them to grab treats and get their pictures made.
• Some extremely stylish winter coats and parkas. Your students have good taste. Also saw two terrific hats: a really sparkly pom pom hat and a male student in a trapper hat.

I hear…

• “I’m from Hawaii originally…” says a student when asked “where is home for you?”
• “Good morning, happy Wake Up Wednesday!” from our staff and administrators.
• The opening bars of a Harry Styles song I like; there is a peppy playlist going on to get the students ready for FDOC.
• “Welcome back!” and “Happy FDOC!” are frequently said.
• “I was at Worrell House in the fall” from a chat with female students.
• A student decline the offer to grab a treat because they said they are running late.
• “Are you a senior or a sophomore?” to a new student arriving to fill out their poster. Student is a sophomore.
• A Miley Cyrus song comes on now. Whoever picked this playlist is on point.
• A student saying “I’m from Texas, so I am FREEZING!” when one of our staffers asks them how they are doing.
• A student apologizing that she is running late and is only going to grab a coffee and run because she is late to class.
• The click click click of the camera shutter going as students get their pictures made.
• “How are you doing? How was your break?” from one of our administrators.
• “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison comes on the playlist. Hard not to feel good when this is playing. Several of us on staff comment how much we like that song and start singing along.
• “YES! Oh my god!” from a happy student. [This is not in reference to us singing, let me assure you :)]
• Giggling from some students as they chat together.
• A student gratefully accepting the offer to grab a tube of lip balm. It is chapped lip season, after all.
• A couple of seniors rattling off some of the memorable moments of their time here: the fertilizer fire, when they no longer had to wear masks. Our seniors have seen some things for sure.

I smell…

• Coffee
• Cinnamon from the pop tarts and donut holes on the treats table.
• Cold air. Every time the door opens, a burst of frigid air comes in and smacks you with the cold. This Pennsylvania-raised girl does not miss this kind of cold.

I feel…

• Grateful that our students are back. They seem cheerful for first thing in the morning, and a new semester means a new start.
• A sense of whimsy and silliness. (Even I filled out a first day of class poster!)
• A frisson of maternal concern when I see student in shorts, presumably fresh from a workout. My hope is their residence hall is very nearby and they don’t have a long walk in this cold.
• A lot of school spirit – lots of people are wearing gold and/or black today.
• Genuine care emanating from our staff and administrators as they talk to the students. When they ask ‘how was your break?’ I know they really mean it; it is not just a conversation starter.
• A mild sense of anxiety from a first-year student when I asked how they were doing. FDOC can feel unsettling since they have to learn a new set of expectations from new faculty, figure out their schedules (and how it meshes with friends they used to dine with last semester, plus recruitment is going on for many of them). I hope I reassured this first-year student that things fall into place with time and keep at it.
• Amused to see a group of three students with their FDOC posters on a table, commiserating about what they want to write down as their favorite memory.

I taste…

• Coffee. I brought my own because I like it quite strong 🙂
• One of the delicious donut holes that is on the treats table. It is light and airy, with a hint of cinnamon sugar on top. It’s a perfect bite-sized sweet.

Once the gallery of images students took is posted, I will link to it (it might be tomorrow, so stay tuned).