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Darrell

August 23, 2008

WOW. There are more than a few words I could use to describe this past week, but for some reason that’s the only one that seems to represent it accurately. Well, I guess I better start from the beginning, right?

Well, I moved in on Sunday, August the 10th. I know, early, right? Well, I had to, since I’m in the Emerging Leaders program, and we’re required to move in early. Although most Emerging Leaders are required to stay in Lowndes, but I was given the option to stay in Patterson, which I much appreciated. There was only one other person moving in with me in Patterson named Keenan, who is now a good friend of mine.
After getting all my clothes and belongings situated, I stayed in my dorm most of the night because, after a while, walking the halls began to creep me out.

The next day, Keenan and I, as well as the other 60-plus Emerging Leaders took a retreat to St. Simon’s island for team-building activities and group orientation. We tackled a few ropes courses in smaller groups. Some were fun (particularly the zip lining and rope-swinging ones), while others were daunting, to say the least. (40-foot wires and 50-foot telephone poles, anyone?) Oh, and did I mention that I had the rare opportunity of seeing dolphins in the nearby harbor? So, overall, the retreat was an enjoyable and fun
experience, and I was glad to have been a part of it.

What came next is a day many would refer to as “a day of chaos, destruction, and pandemonium.” Most people know it as Wednesday, August the 13th, or the more aptly titled “Move-in Day.” After taking a
brief tour of the massive Odum Library earlier in the morning, I traveled back to my room to find my roommate Michael, moving in with his parents’ help. I had reservations at first, but we ended up getting along great, and his parents were pretty cool, too! They took us out to eat, and gave us a grocery spree at Wal-Mart! Later, we went to eat at Palms, where I found several of my friends from V-Connect and Trailblazin. (Great sites, might I add!) Needless to say, we’re formed a “crew” of sorts, something I’ve never really had before. Dan,
Davionne, Derrein, Quinton, Adrian, Mike, Reggie, Aundrea, Sam, and I make up “The Funky Fresh Freshmen,” or so someone suggested. There are also all my good friends in the Emerging Leaders program as well. I’m looking forward to meeting even more new people as the year progresses.

Ah, classes. The fun couldn’t last forever, could it? But honestly speaking, college classes aren’t the absolute nightmare I thought they would be. I mean, where’s the incredibly hard material? The rude,
tough, and sarcastic professors? The three-hour classes? Nowhere to be found, as far as I can see. Of course, that could all change soon enough, but for now, I’m having a pretty positive outlook. I mean, this
is the first week and all, but look at what all has happened! I’ve met great people, took some fun trips, ended up with some fun classes, and even more!

So, how would I describe how I think this semester is going to turn out?

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Thanks for reading!