“Check your emails!!!”  

That was the advice of Tyler Goss, the planner of the “fun stuff on campus” and the Residence Director of Cedarwood. Friday, Sept. 4th, EMU held a welcome event in the quad. Newcomers and returning students gathered around warm campfires. It was an opportunity to meet new people and get more familiar with the EMU spirit. Aliyyah Haggard, sophomore and Campus Activities Council (CAC) vice president gave out ice cream.

Last week, many students moved on campus to prepare themselves for being in classrooms and learning in person. After long, painful months of quarantine students were finally able to see their friends in person. It felt different for many to walk around and not see people’s smiles. Sophomore Seth Andreas, a member of CAC, discussed the important issue. 

“I am happy to be back on campus; however I do feel distanced from the social scene, which I don’t love. I feel such a disconnect from everyone in my hall,” Andreas said. 

Sarah Shank, first-year and Social Work major, shared some things she loved about her class “Exploring Conflict and Peace,” because the pandemic makes her think about peace. 

“I was raised to think that pacifism was just like… not fighting and war, but we are talking about how it’s more like an active commitment to peace.” 

Shank also mentioned a quote from her roommate, ”It’s not peacekeeping, it’s peacemaking.” She also talked about her interest in an upcoming General Psychology project on having unequal resources in education.

The campfires were a space for students to begin to connect with each other, learning each others’ names and dreams for the future.