Entering college is never easy. A million obstacles are standing in your way, ready to knock you down and make you stumble. The anxiety of fitting in and excelling in your classes is omnipresent. The challenge of online school for my first semester in college only heightens the daunting nature of freshman year. So, welcome to “Becoming a Blue Hen”, where I’ll keep you updated with the highs and lows of this semester and every funny story in between.
Spending the day setting up my desk in my childhood bedroom on August 31st was never the way I imagined the beginning of my freshman year in college. I felt a resounding sense of sadness as I thought about the isolation I was sure to feel this semester. With the Blue Hen family spread out across the globe, it has certainly been difficult to feel like a part of the UD community this semester. As an out-of-state freshman, I feel particularly out of place. While many of my friends from high school have established relationships at their in-state colleges, I entered this semester knowing exactly no one at UD. Because of this, I would be remiss if I didn’t try to find ways to be involved this semester. Through my Munson Fellow, Sean Wirt, and the UD 1743 Welcome Days events in August, I’ve been able to connect with a wide range of RSOs and start forming relationships with my peers in the Honors College before heading to campus (hopefully) in the spring!
One of the amazing RSOs I’ve joined is E-52, a student theatre group at UD. I auditioned for their Short Attention Span Theatre XVII (SAST) show, which is a series of short student-written one-acts that they perform each year at the beginning of the fall semester. This year there are six one-acts written and directed by members of E-52 that will be performed on October 23rd and 24th. I am in the show Big News, which is written and directed by the talented Heidi Fliegelman, a senior at UD. While I don’t want to give anything away about the show, I can say that it is absolutely brilliant and the cast has been putting in a tremendous amount of work to make it an amazing show. I can’t wait to see the other five one-acts!
Being a part of E-52 this semester has given me a much needed creative outlet amid a very STEM-heavy course load. I have been in theatre since I was fourteen and I have sorely missed it during quarantine. Returning to learning lines, developing a character, and feeling the chemistry between characters is incredibly refreshing after a 7-month break from the magic of theatre. It has also allowed me to connect with my peers and engage in social activities from my home. My director, Heidi Fliegelman, has become someone I can look up to and trust at UD. My fellow cast members are from multiple diverse majors across campus, and I am quite sure that I wouldn’t have met them without the connection of E-52.
Another bright light has been the Honors community as a whole. My Munson Fellow, Sean Wirt, is an invaluable mentor to myself and the rest of my Honors section. He has created an overwhelmingly positive environment for my peers and I to adapt to college, even if it is through a busy GroupMe. He has gone above and beyond to find ways for us to connect online, including virtual section dinners and virtual game nights.
Between Honors and RSOs, the semester is off to a great start and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
For more information on E-52, visit: https://www.e52theatre.com/
Photo Credit: https://www.e52theatre.com/
