The technical “Homecoming Weekend” begins Friday with a “Celebrate Me Home” gathering at Josie’s (one of the best restaurants in Batesville!) for both alumni and current students.  And Saturday, mmm, I get tired just thinking about all the activities planned for Saturday!  For the early birds, the Lyon Cross Country Team hosts a 2 mile Fun Run at 8am.  Then there’s Founder’s Day Convocation at 11am, followed by volleyball and soccer games.  The Homecoming Coronation Ceremony starts around 2:30 on the soccer field and will include the introduction of the 07-08 Homecoming Court and crowing of this year’s Homecoming King and Queen.  Rounding out the day is “An Enchanted Evening Costume Ball” (aka Homecoming Dance) at 8pm.

It may seem like there’s no possible way to fit anything else into this busy weekend, but there’s still more!  The Board of Trustees will be here this weekend, and there’s several times that they meet and talk with students.  I think this is their Fall Meeting….so I guess the students aren’t the only ones that will be busy!  And on Sunday, there will be a Kirkin’ of the Tartans Ceremony in the Chapel.  Also, one of the sororities is also hosting a benefit Golf Tournament.  As for Monday, well, we’ll all try to catch up on the sleep that we missed over the weekend.

 At the same time there has been plenty of things to look forward to in the first week.  Things got kicked off on the first Friday with A Typical Affair in concert in the Lower Student Union.  The band was great, so if you’re ever lookin around My Space, check them out.  The whole weekend there were the back-to-school parties hosted by the fraternities; A great time to get out and meet new peoples.  Monday morning though it was back to the grind, and the first full week at school.

So we’re back in full swing now, and the school year has gotten off to a pretty good start.  The nice thing is, Labor Day weekend is coming up so it’s a three day weekend right off the bat.  It’ll be time to get your mind right for the stretch of school leading up to Fall Break.  So, I guess like it or not school is here, and President Roetger puts it best - “The sun is up - time to start running.”

After I came to a preview day at Lyon, I was completely sold on coming to school here.  I’m still not really sure if it was the campus, atmosphere, attitude of the students and faculty, or a combination of all of those things, but something left a lasting impression on me.  I’ve actually heard many other people say the same thing–once they visited campus, they knew Lyon would be their second home for the next four years.  However, I’ll be honest, Lyon’s not necessarily a perfect fit for everyone; some prefer a larger campus population or are looking for something further away from home.  Therefore, the best thing to do is schedule a campus visit–you may love it or hate it, but either way, at least you’ve given it a shot!

But thankfully, moving in is no big deal when you’re a freshman.  On Freshman Move-In Day, you pull up to the curb and swarms of Lyon students-members of fraternities, sororities, and campus clubs and organizations-start unloading the endless bags and boxes.  All you have to do is tell them where to put it, and they get things moving!

As a freshman, Move-In Day was a neat experience.  I was, of course, a little scared when I first arrived because I had no idea what to expect; college was a completely new and different stage in my life.  But as we were lugging suitcases, boxes, and armloads of clothes, I met a few upperclassmen and just talking to them made me feel better.  I actually remember one of the first conversations I had with an upperclassman while moving.  Shannon, who graduated this past year, saw that I had a bedspread with pink and red roses on it and said, “Hey! I love that bedspread.  The rose is our sorority’s flower!”  That sounds like such a simple comment, but I’ll never forget that.  Somehow, it broke the ice and made me feel much more comfortable.

Honestly, I think Move-In Day is a perfect example of the type of thing that sets Lyon apart from other colleges.  Yes, it’s the middle of August and like 100° outside, and even after endless trips up and down stairs and in and out of buildings, everyone is still willing to tote boxes and do anything to help.

So, this job may not sound like fun to you, but it’s such a wonderful opportunity.  I have to actually think and apply the things that I’ve learned from my biology and chemistry classes, and before this summer, I’ve tended to shut off that part of my brain during the summer…I mean, really, who wants to think about that stuff when you don’t have to?  Also, having experience in the research field is very helpful when applying to any type of professional school or graduate program–they tend to be pretty impressed with that kind of stuff, and it also gives you something to talk about during the interview.  Every single one of our biology and chemistry professors here at Lyon have some specific area of research that they’re interested in, so if you are interested in eventually working in one of the labs, there’s tons of options!

But, in the midst of all the craziness and stress at the end of each semester, finals week can be…fun…in a weird sort of way. When you’re downstairs in the Derby Center at 2am and need to ask someone a question or need someone to drive you to McDonald’s for a late-night snack, there’s plenty of people around. I doubt that there are more than a dozen people who actually get a full 8 hours of sleep during this time. Most of us are lucky to get four…. And not having to get up at 8am to go to class also makes taking finals a bit more tolerable.

I speak from experience when I say that the best way to prepare for finals is to begin early. It eliminates tons of unnecessary stress that comes from procrastinating and trying to cram the night before a final exam. The earlier you begin studying, the better you will do.

 When I was a freshman, I remember being so paranoid about losing my room key.  I didn’t want anyone to think I was irresponsible and didn’t want to pay the $40 Key Replacement fee.  Needless to say, my fear became a reality–I lost my key.  I didn’t flat out lose it or misplace it….it was a bit more interesting than that.  Typically, when I ran or worked out, I would fasten a ponytail holder around my key and wear it on my wrist which was much easier than lugging a bulky key ring around.  One night while running on the treadmill in the gym, I laid my key on the console of the treadmill…. NOT a good idea.  When I began running, the key fell, hit the belt, went inside the treadmill, and was never seen again. 

I learned (the hard way) that you can never be too careful with your key!