By Steve Stricker

Columnist

Monday, July 8, 2024, in my home office closest dangerously risking being buried in there, looking for something else ran across my HP Mini Notebook purchased on eBay Sunday, May 26, 2013 for $125 plus $22 shipping, total $147. 

Per my Journal notes of Tuesday, June 18, 2013 – to the Ole Miss Union Barnes & Noble Café to be with the “cool kids,” hot coffee slowly getting cold while discerning the topic for my next Oxford Eagle column, hands excitedly poised over the keys of my “new” Notebook, blinking cursor demanding input from my dim brain for words of wisdom…perhaps this wasn’t a good idea as my introverted self was totally distracted by all the activity and couldn’t think!

Gestalt! Suddenly became aware of the drama unfolding directly in front of me over the laptop computer screen: Ole Miss Summer Orientation ongoing since March was in full force, although winding down for Fall classes starting that Monday, August 26 as they ironically are this August 26, 2024.  

Ole Miss Summer Orientation generates enough energy to power the campus and Oxford for a year!  To me, putting a man on the moon was a snap compared to the immense organization and personnel required to smoothly channel through the summer approximately 9,000 potential students, parents, new friends, countless Ole Miss Alums returning home to introduce our prestigious, beautiful, beloved university to daughters, sons, and dear ones – Well Done, Ole Miss.

Freshmen have always been my favorite group of students for the enormous changes they are experiencing, forced to deal with as I did.  Orientation to college is vital to the success of our incoming students, parents and significant others who are perhaps separating ties with their daughters, sons, loved ones for the first time – oh the drama!   

Orientation is also vital to the success of The University of Mississippi for if during this welcoming and familiarization phase, students are made to feel comfortable, at home, wanted, they are more apt to have a positive attitude when they return for their freshmen year and stay with us until graduation.  Of course if the student is okay, it will make it easier for parents and guardians to sever those very strong home-strings. These first impressions are so important and the beauty of the Ole Miss campus and our impressive academic reputation of course are major contributing factors to our appeal; and the fact that our sports programs are riding a crest of success helps as well.

Witnessing this passing of the higher education baton from one generation to the next is one of the things I loved most about having worked at Ole Miss and speaking to our new wide-eyed students, parents, guardians at summer orientation was extremely enjoyable and fun for me.  As each university department representative welcomed our new students, I never tired of hearing the offerings available from each unit to help make the degree pursuit a bit more trouble-free for them.  I especially enjoyed listening to Dr. Marc Showalter (then Director of the Ole Miss Counseling Center) as among other words of wisdom, he would give a heads-up to the new dormitory residents that they could very well encounter a roommate who had been, uh, “Raised by wolves.”   Ha!  It still makes me laugh – and it’s true!   

This life-changing transition for most students is huge because it might be the first time they have left the safe and comfortable confines of home.  For many, this transition will be a welcome relief to escape the restrictions of home, for others however, this dramatic change to their life can be wrought with anxiety.  

Congratulations and welcome new students – you are going to love Ole Miss and Oxford, IF – you put your full effort into it!  Swell choice, Go Rebels, Hotty Toddy, Fins Up!

Steve is an Oxford resident and received his Ph.D. in Counseling from Ole Miss.