Members of the class of 2027 taking on an Arches excursion. CARMELINA MANIACI/COURTESY
By Grace Cardinal, Asst. News Editor
Returning to campus for the fall semester means a fresh set of faces at the college. Between starting classes, finding activities to be involved in and managing their social lives, our new Jaspers have a lot on their plates.
These first year students discussed their transition into college life with The Quadrangle. With some new changes implemented for the freshman class this year, such as all-freshman housing in Lee Hall, students voiced their opinions about what has made an impact so far and what they hope to experience in the future.
Emily Babio, special education major
The Quad: What has been the best part of your experience on campus so far?
Emily Babio: I would say probably the people that I’ve met. I have made friends in all my classes. I feel like everyone kind of understands each other here. Everyone definitely wants the best for themselves and for others, even professors. I can tell they really do care. Also just the atmosphere, I like being in the city and having the 1 train right there. There’s a bunch of opportunities to meet people here and I think that’s probably my favorite thing so far.
TQ: Overall, what do you think of your experience as a freshman at MC? Positives? Negatives? How does your experience relate to some of your friends at other schools or your fellow classmates here?
EB: I think I’ve had a unique experience [compared] to my friends where I came into school knowing tons of people, knowing my cousin who’s here, having a team I was already working on. I think just having security here was definitely what made it so positive, but also made it so different from my friends.
TQ: Is there anything different from what you were expecting?
EB: I definitely was expecting dorming to be worse than it is. I thought it was gonna be loud all the time, everyone screaming all the time, but it does get really quiet and I love that. Even on a Friday and Saturday night, I have been noticing that it does get quiet and that was a shock.
TQ: What are you most looking forward to for the upcoming semester?
EB: Definitely my fieldwork. I can’t wait to get into a classroom and work with kids and get into the whole teaching portion of my major. I didn’t know it was gonna start this early, I didn’t know we started field work my first semester, but I’m really excited about it.
TQ: Do you feel like living in a building of all freshmen has helped you meet more people?
EB: Yeah, definitely. People are definitely leaving their rooms knocking on doors. I definitely think an all freshmen building did help people come out of their shells because you’re like, everyone’s new here, everyone wants to meet new people.
Carmelina Maniaci, finance major
The Quad: What has been the best part of your experience on campus so far?
Carmella Maniaci: Honestly, I really love how small it is. I love how when I’m walking down the hall, walking to the dining hall, like anywhere, I see familiar faces. I have that chance to smile, say hi to that person, maybe even stop them one day and have a nice conversation with them. I feel like it feels like a community and not as if I was just walking down the street seeing a random person. I feel like it just makes it more homey.
TQ: Overall, what do you think of your experience as a freshman at MC? Positives? Negatives? How does your experience relate to some of your friends at other schools or your fellow classmates here?
CM: I have to say my experience has been really really great. I have such great friends. It was very easy to feel welcomed in the MC community. The friends that I’ve made are definitely lifetime friends. One of my close girlfriends goes to SUNY Geneseo. She’s having a hard time because her community is a bit bigger, the people are all different. Here, we’re very welcoming and everybody just is always included. It’s definitely a positive experience for sure.
TQ: Is there anything different from what you were expecting?
CM: Nightlife is definitely not as big as I thought. I also wasn’t expecting lectures to go the way they are. We’re more involved in lectures than I thought we would be. I thought it would just be like straight note taking. I thought professors would have no emotion, but it’s the opposite. The professors want to know what you think and they want to engage and they want to get to know you. I just feel like it makes going to class so much better, because I’m like, “oh, I get to see Courtney Bryant today!” It’s different. I feel at home here. It’s nice.
TQ: What are you most looking forward to for the upcoming semester?
CM: I’m looking forward to rushing Sigma Delta Tau.
TQ: Do you feel like living in a building of all freshmen has helped you meet more people?
CM: Definitely. I think that when we all walk into the building together, I’m like okay behind me, they’re a freshman, they’re a freshman… I get a jist of who’s where. I feel like if my freshman friend is on the sixth floor, but I’m on the ninth, I don’t have to worry about going to a different building. We’re all together. We all have the same classes. So, it just makes it easier.
Riley Deane, civil engineering major
The Quad: What has been the best part of your experience on campus so far?
Riley Deane: The people and getting to meet everybody. I love my roommates and the social aspect of everything. I love it.
TQ: Overall, what do you think of your experience as a freshman at MC? Positives? Negatives? How does your experience relate to some of your friends at other schools or your fellow classmates here?
RD: I love it. I love everything about being here at school. A lot of my friends went out of state for school, I was the only one who stayed in New York. One of my friends goes to Indiana and she says it’s so far from home, she’s so homesick. So, I guess being close to home is the best thing about coming here.
TQ: Is there anything different from what you were expecting?
RD: I thought my STEM classes were gonna be harder than they are; my teachers are all really helpful with everything.
TQ: What are you most looking forward to for the upcoming semester?
RD: I made the cheer team today! So, I think it’ll be getting to experience being on a team at school. I’m really excited to see how that goes.
TQ: Do you feel like living in a building of all freshmen has helped you meet more people?
RD: Oh, 100%.