Daniel, my brother, is a freshman here at Cornell. Prior to our trek up to Ithaca, the mad dash to claim the last few inches of our ’94 Suburban — a cavernous space I’ve easily filled on my own these past three years — was fiercer than a run with the bulls in Pamplona.

When discovering another Gusz in class or on Facebook, many of my friends inquire about Daniel’s intentions during his four years on the Hill. They ask, “Will he go Greek or shepherd prospective students and their college crazed parents around campus like you? Which history classes have you told him to take?”

I’m no biochemist, but they tell me Daniel is pretty much the most genetically similar organism to me on the planet. Kind of scary, considering the only commonality my brother and I share is the word “Donlon” in our freshman year address (sixth floor will always be better than fourth floor, buddy). Daniel came out of the womb bouncing a basketball while I’ve begged to go to art debuts since age five. He openly cheers for Ohio State and threatens to disown me when I admit my secret (and this year, rather sad) adoration for the Wolverines. Daniel entered Cornell with several AP Science credits whereas I’m sitting through NS 115 as a senior. But perhaps the most vexing aspect of our relationship is that even in our Everyone-Knows-Everybody-Midwest, U.S.A. town, his 6’4” stature has supplied me with a number of inquiries about my “older” brother.

Seniors often chuckle when happening upon a disoriented underclassman. You know, the ones who turn around three times in Goldwin-Smith before finally deciding which way is North Campus. But, in reality, that was us three years ago. And the fact is, we share more in common with the freshmen than we’d like to admit.

During the past few weeks, Daniel headed to Club Fest and had interviews to seek out activities that will shape his four years at Cornell. Meanwhile, I attended my daily appointments with career, fellowship and academic advisors to decide upon my involvements post-May 2008. On Friday night, Donlon fourth floor hits up the frat parties, and 410 Stewart enjoys the 59 offerings on tap at the Chapter House. Underclassmen are currently overwhelmed by prerequisites and distribution requirements; upperclassmen lament about seminars and their thesis projects. Freshmen wonder what kind of ice cream they’ll find at the Dairy Bar as seniors contemplate what breakfast will be like in Dubai.

Both of us are at points of great transition in our lives. Freshmen have a determination to navigate this thing called college and why many people declare it synonymous with “the best four years of life.” Seniors are on quests to find endeavors that can even begin to compare with their experiences at Cornell.

Even with the challenges and the unknown brought about by both of these periods, we all trek forward to create our own unique paths. The most important ingredient in this yet to be determined recipe of life is passion — a devotion to knowledge, understanding, growth and exploration held together with friends, unforgettable memories and the belief we can truly leave our mark on the world.

Over the summer, Daniel asked me questions such as, “Where is Teagle Hall?” or “What is the stereotype of Team X, Fraternity Y or Organization Z?” My friends told me I was heartless when I didn’t answer his queries and told him to get a map and find out for himself. Call me the Evil Older Sister if you must (I even appreciate the “older” part right now), but I think one of the aspects seniors most value about their time at Cornell is the confidence, independence and Emerson- like self reliance they’ve gained. We’ve all plowed our own paths through the snow drifts (and yes, freshmen, the flurries will come soon enough). I’m a supporter of egalitarianism and believe everyone at Cornell can and should create his or her own personalized, unique footprint. Even in the coldest of winter snowscapes, one can discover the definition of success — and the necessity for a good pair of boots.

Freshmen have only inhabited our campus for a few weeks, but they’re already impacting and shaping life here at Cornell. When Daniel told me he wanted to be pre-med in ILR, I responded with, “You love reading and Orgo? Please.” Despite my doubts, apparently this is a perfectly feasible and rare combination he found for himself. He even landed a psych research job related to both fields — don’t tell him, but even I’m kind of impressed.

So to the classes of 2011 and 2008, shoot for those stars — you only see them once in awhile in this seasonal affective disorder-ridden place known as Ithaca, so go out and grab them. Remember, there is always a new challenge or adventure to embrace.

And Daniel, don’t count on all the space in the Suburban for next year yet. Have you heard of “grad school?”

Nikki Gusz is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be contacted at nkg6@cornell.edu. Guest Room appears periodically.