As a Freshman Music Major

When I arrived in Los Angeles August 27th I had no idea what awaited me at Occidental the next day. I was an incoming freshman and experiencing the typical array of emotions one feels when one is being abandoned by parents, is 500 miles away from home with no real means of transportation to return and all the expectations (related to school or not) that come with a college education. Then something amazing happened. The next morning as we slowly rounded the turn onto colorado street two girls dressed in bright orange attire, waving obnoxious and equally orange paws screamed as they gave me a new perspective of what caffeine can do for college students. And as they pointed in the direction of the campus (and towards more caffeinated, paw bearing, orange wearing cheerleaders I might add) a song popped into my head. Strauss' Fruhlingsstimmen Op 410 began to play through my head as I was raced to my dorm room. See, the problem with being a music major is that you have a song for everything. I just know that, if I could, I would have a soundtrack going in the background all the time. For orientation, if such a power existed, the finest string section of London Philharmonic would be racing away with me as brightly dressed overzealous 20 year olds shepherded me into every different type of event possible. The grand brass section of the song would be playing as we gazed upon all of the magnificent buildings for the first time. The light and dizzying section perfectly fitting with all of the awkward ice-breaker games we were forced into playing and of course the heroic buildup as we commenced into Occidental, heralded by the dazzling speaking skills of our new Dean and Vice President of Student Affairs, Jorge Gonzalez. And then we all of the sudden had classes. That is where the next song begins and from the perspective of a freshman music major the following song is just as busy and fast-paced as the last. Orientation was amazing and I wanted to thank all of the courageous O-Team members for welcoming us wide-eyed freshman to Oxy (and please don't take it personally that I associated you with Strauss!)

Best Regards,

From a Freshman Music Major

Picture taken from Occidental College