My First Day at Emory

Being Involved as an Emory Freshman from Day 1

What is the Student Activities Fair About?

I have to tell you, the most stressful part of the “starting college at Emory” journey for me was probably the student activities fair on the first day of school. There is truly nothing like a huge field lined with tables, tents, and students bombarding you with fliers, candy, and e-mail lists to remind you just how large and inconceivable college seems to be. After the stress of signing up for intramural basketball (it should be noted that I can’t play sports) and to audition for an a cappella group (it should be noted that I can’t sing), I reached the Student Programming Council (SPC) table. When I put my name on the sign up list, I had no idea that I had just found the perfect place on campus for me! SPC is a student-run organization whose mission is to enrich the Emory community by providing a variety of quality entertainment for the entire university, making the Emory experience both enjoyable and memorable. I help to plan and execute SPC events open to the Emory community!

 
If you had told me on day one when I got to Emory that I would be setting up green rooms for huge artists such as Timeflies and The Chainsmokers, ordering hundreds of beanies online to hand out to students, jumping on the bubble wrapped covered Asbury Circle for hours, or dancing in the middle of the Cox Hall bridge to encourage my peers to come to a trivia night, I would not have believed you. However, amongst this jumble of bubble wrap, ridiculous dance moves, and winter apparel I was able to truly find my place here at Emory.

The forty or so members of Student Programming Council have quickly become another family for me on campus, and their passion to bring fun to the Emory Community in as many creative ways as possible is what made it so easy for me to feel a part of it all. This same passion is universal across all campus organizations, and is present in every single Emory student. It’s what gives any new freshman that walks onto campus a place in the community, as everyone is so excited to expand their enthusiasm and excitement for what they are passionate about beyond themselves in any way possible.

So, if you have the opportunity to step onto that field on the first day of school lined with tables, tents, and students, and you are bombarded with fliers, candy, and e-mail lists, don’t turn them way. I am so glad I didn’t, as I cannot imagine what my first year at Emory would have been like without the beanies, the bubble wrap, the awkward dancing in public, or my SPC family.

Abbey Kelly

Pre-Business, 19C

Newton, MA

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