It’s the final countdown. In less than four weeks, you’ll find yourself standing in the stifling heat in a parking lot on North Campus. Dad will be off parking the car, Mom will be running about trying to find the next available luggage cart, and you, dear freshman, will be one of many, looking lost and confused, surrounded by a barricade of luggage, boxes and things.

But soon enough, Mom and Dad will shed a tear or two and be off, leaving you to face the most exciting four years of your life.

Cornell is an awesome place. Sure, there’s the daily grind of classes, papers and exams. But if there is one thing you take away from this issue of The Sun, may it be this: The academics are only one slice of the pie that makes Cornell so great.

Do not let the libraries swallow you up and spit you out four years later. See the light of day, and feel the vibrancy of an Ithaca night. Explore beyond what your curriculum stipulates, and learn things that you may not think you need to know. Join clubs and organizations, or write for a publication. Stand up for something and yell, whether it be for a political cause or on the sidelines of a sports game.

These are the things you’ll remember 10 years out, and the things that will make college, well, college. So get ready to study and work really hard, but approach the next four years with an open mind. Soon, you’ll find Ithaca your home, and that’s a great thing.

— E.C.