Fran Miele ’26 is from Forney, Texas, where the state rock isn’t a rock at all but a fossil, petrified palmwood.

On Aug. 31, Opening Day for the Class of 2027 at �ֲ���ý College — a bit more than a stone’s throw from Texas — Miele, a junior advisor for Parker Hall, had no trouble finding the right and real rock to serve a crucial purpose and fulfill a time honored �ֲ���ý tradition: holding the door open.

Except for one day a year, �ֲ���ý doors are never propped open. That one day is Opening Day, when student leaders like Miele, who are the front-line welcomers and baggage handlers, figure out creative ways to keep the �ֲ���ý doors open for a steady flow of new students moving into their �ֲ���ý digs. 

Meile carefully selected a piece of river stone, rounded by millions of years of water flow over and around it, from the thousands of stones that make up Parker’s rock drip edge. “Smooth and small enough to fit under a door, but won’t roll.” 

Over at Gillespie Hall (the residence formerly known as 280 College Street), the team had a more weighty answer to the problem, using broken pavers as a heavy door stop for one door and a large piece of granite for another.

The piece of granite is a few hundred million years old. And now, suddenly, it has a new purpose. I asked Kendall Jones ’25 Plymouth, N.H., helping out on Opening Day, about the rock, and we agreed: This rock has found its Purposeful Work!

Over at Page Hall, we found a type of doorstop we’ve never seen on Opening Day: A real rubber doorstop! Or, as Amazon calls it, the “Strongest Door Stopper, Heavy Duty Door Stop Wedge Made of Premium Quality Zinc and Rubber Suits Any Door, Any Floor.”

Quinn Hughes ’26 of Villanova, Pa., a junior advisor in Page, gets the credit for pulling out this particular stop. “It was in my room,” he shrugged.

Clason House, on College Street, is one of the smaller �ֲ���ý residences (30 students). Sitting on the porch welcoming students were Caroline Cassell ’24 of Woodstock, Vt., and Delaney Rankin ’24 of Harrison, Maine, each of whom served as community advisors, and Kayla Burnham ’26 of Hartland, Vt., a cross country runner who was among many varsity athletes helping out on Opening Day.

They had given some off-season purpose to a winter staple at �ֲ���ý, a bucket of ice melt, this version comprising environmentally friendly potash, urea, and crushed limestone, safe for both lawns and gardens.

Folks at Adams Hall had perhaps the priciest door stop, a fold-up hand truck that will burn a $100 hole in your wallet on retail.

At Rand Hall, the door alarms hadn’t been turned off by the time students began moving in, so a permanent doorstop wasn’t in the cards. So Alexis Gonzales ‘26 of Hanford, Calif., one of the residence’s junior advisors, took matters into her own hands by holding the door open.

“You get to meet and welcome people this way,” she said. 

Student leaders and �ֲ���ý staff teamed up on a gorgeous Opening Day, Aug. 31, to help the members of the Class of 2027 get settled in their campus residences. Here’s a look, hour by hour.

7:09 a.m. Set the table

Bookended by two student Orientation leaders, Brenda Pelletier, associate director of conference and campus events, readies a table in the arcade of Commons. Soon, first-year students will flow through, picking up their room keys and �ֲ���ý IDs.

7:14 a.m. Ships ahoy

A fleet of five canoes, 1,200 water bottles per canoe, and a world of ice. That’s what goes into the iconic water stations on Opening Day and other big �ֲ���ý events. Billie Coburn, the board plan manager in dining, conferences and campus events, drives the canoes out in a �ֲ���ý pickup truck to place them beside birch trees near Commons, and chain them up there.

Launched, so to speak, several years ago, the canoe tradition is the brainchild of Christine Schwartz, associate vice president for dining, conferences, and campus events. The festive yet rustic outdoor decor spices up the lawns around campus, while keeping folks hydrated on busy �ֲ���ý days.

The outdoorsy water stations have holes in them to allow the melted ice to drain out, which lightens the canoes when it’s time for removal.

They’re tethered to trees to keep hi-jinks minded students at bay. “Two years ago, students dragged them into Lake Andrews. It must have been at Commencement, when there was mischief making. They’re not easy to get out of the water,” said John Lajoie, associate director of dining services.

7:42 a.m. Gotta scoot

Zooming along Alumni Walk, Molly Newton ’11, senior associate dean of students, sports a Barbie-pink skirt complete with a bright pink Jetson Jupiter Jumbo light-up scooter — a stunning fusion of premeditation and serendipity.

Newton, well known for using a scooter to move about campus for her work, had the outfit selected for some time, but the new scooter was last-minute addition to the ensemble, thanks to Suzie Nattress, who manages the college electronic access system and who bought the scooter and brought it to Newton’s office the day before.

7:53 a.m. Tick tock

Cal Dagner ’27 of Crozet, Va., watches an early morning football practice on Garcelon Field, flanked by her parents, Anne and Donovan. 

They were just killing time, they said, waiting for the 8 a.m. opening of Commons for first-year student registration. Cal Dagner will be rowing for �ֲ���ý, but she’s most excited for the snow. “I’m looking forward to learning to ski!”

7:56 a.m. Wishing wall��

Waiting outside Commons for first-years passing by en route to their residences was a free-swag raffle and a Wishing Wall. The Bobcat swag raffle used to be a one-and-done event, but this year the raffle continued throughout orientation weekend to be more inclusive.

The Wishing Wall invited first-years to share their aspirations for their first �ֲ���ý year, such as: “Friends,” “Have work/life balance,” “Make memories,” even the boast: “Become a billionaire.”

“Everyone comments on that one,” said Kate Schulze ‘26 of Hudson, Ohio, who helped run the early shift at the information table.

From left are Sadie Kriegler ’24 of Greenwich, Ct., Audrey Esteves ’26 of Cranford, N.J., Sophie Man-Hudspith ’26 of New York, N.Y., Julia Jeong ’24 of Clifton, Va., and Aydan Gedeon-Hope ’25 of Norton, Mass.

8:01 a.m. All keyed up

The routine on Opening Day is that first-year students — like Brendan Kelly ’27 of Dallas — get dropped off on the Central Avenue side of Commons, walk inside to get their IDs, keys, and some �ֲ���ý swag, and depart on the Alumni Walk side.

For many first-year students, this is their first moment on their own as a �ֲ���ý student. But they’re not alone for long: outside Commons, a cohort of student Orientation students leaders staff an information table with candy, maps, stickers, and even a raffle chance.

8:15 a.m. Great day to be a bobcat!

A buoyant President Garry W. Jenkins and his husband, Jon Lee, greet Alex Appleton ‘27 of White Bear Township, Minn., as he arrives on campus on Opening Day. Jenkins and Lee came to greet new students outside Commons.

8:22 a.m. Traffic control

�ֲ���ý staff are stationed on Central Avenue, outside Commons, to greet and guide incoming families.

Among the staff is Jeremy McFarland, a counselor with Admission. The Admission team spends a better part of a year getting to know prospective �ֲ���ý students through their application materials. “It’s so great to be part of this exciting moment for students,” he said. “It’s so nice to see some familiar faces and get to meet the students who I’ve been reading and talking about.”

8:43 a.m. Three degrees

Jenkins greets Sophia Levine ’27 of Charlottesville, Va., as she moves her gear into Kalperis Hall.

Sophia’s parents, Alison Levine and Stephen Levine, are graduates of Haverford Colllege, as is Jenkins. “We didn’t know each other in college,” said Alison, who had just learned that Jenkins is “a fellow ‘Ford.”

The Levines weren’t expecting to see the new �ֲ���ý president as part of their move-in experience, but then, mirabile dictu, Jenkins “walks into my daughter’s first year dorm room, which was just kind of sweet.”

8:46 a.m. Team effort

The family that makes a bed together, stays together. The Smiths of Essex, Mass., show how. From left, Claire, Chris, and Annie Smith ’27.

8:49 a.m. Rolling out the welcome mat

Owen Gammill ’26 of Seattle, an AESOP trip leader, assists first-year students moving into Kalperis Hall by carrying a rug in from Campus Avenue.

9:13 a.m. Wipe out

Facility Services staff wipe down the rows of chairs set up on the Historic Quad for the annual welcome by President Jenkins and other college leaders later in the day. With 850 chairs to tackle, it’s a team effort.

9:52 a.m. Leap into a new era

Three student Orientation leaders welcome new students under the skybridge at Gillespie Hall. From left, Maddy Ewell ’24 of Ridgewood, N.J., Kendall Jones ’25 of Plymouth, N.H., and May Whelan ’25 of Bristol, R.I.

10:08 a.m. (Not) all by myshelf

New �ֲ���ý parent Amanda McGovern and her young son, Liam, sit on the floor of a common space in Gillespie Hall putting together a bookshelf for Amanda’s older son, Jack McGovern ‘27 of New York, N.Y. Amanda holds the pieces steady while Liam pushes bolts into holes and screws them in.

“It gives him a little extra storage,” she says.

10:44 a.m. Sing out loud

On a high-energy day, several student orientation leaders take a breather from moving to bust some dance moves on Alumni Walk. From left, Rylee Eaton ’25 of Little Deer Isle, Me., Livia Bernhardt ’24 of Salisbury, Vt., Rosina Makwabe ’26 of Arusha, Tanzania, Verina Chatata ’26 of Lilongwe, Malawi, and Hope Stafford ’26 of Mountain View, Calif.

10:54 a.m. A telling hug

A fun fact about James Reese, who joined the �ֲ���ý Student Affairs team in 1977, just after graduating from Middlebury College: some of the students he knew back in the 1970s now have grandchildren at �ֲ���ý.

Which is to say that Reese, who came to �ֲ���ý the same year Apple debuted the Apple II computer, knows a lot of alumni. Here, Reese greets Benny Bogyo ’27 of Redwood City, Calif., the son of Matt Bogyo ’93 and Becky Allen Bogyo ’94.

We asked Reese to share what it feels like to observe a new generation of �ֲ���ý students arriving with their alumni parents. This is what Reese said:

Within the joy apparent in the graduate family, there is a noticeable rush, akin to a ripple or a wave — a flow of feelings and emotions that is quite detectable going back and forth when I meet grads who are dropping off their now college-aged children. 

The younger family member shows a duality, facing a welcomed mystery in this place that they have heard so much about across their lives from the parent(s) and friends.  

The feeling from the parent(s) is palpable. Clearly the adult really wanted the child to be here (often sharing with me their tough challenge of having to stay quiet while the decision was being made). The hug from the parent to me often feels like it contains the joy of the child’s decision.  

There are smiles; postures of pride; and immense optimism about the learning, the experiences, the associations, and the discoveries that will come — all familial in a �ֲ���ý way.

11:05 a.m. Big day, big lift

Andy Wilson of Medfield, Mass., hauls a mini fridge through Page Hall for his daughter Lara ’27.

11:14 a.m. Words to live by

Otis Caron ’24 of Lewiston, Maine, shows the tattoo he got to honor his late father, David, with an acronym for his dad’s advice, “think before you speak,” and the one got to honor his mom, �ֲ���ý senior visual designer Tammy Caron, with a reminder of her advice: “Patience is a virtue.”

The whole family turned out to help first-year student Ella move into her room.

11:17 a.m. Doggone great crew

Visiting dogs get welcomed on Opening Day, too.

On the lawn behind Page Hall, student Orientation leaders Wyatt Holder ’26 of Wilmette, Ill., Chase Buzzell ’25 of Saco, Maine, Ingrid Lam ’26 of Portland, Ore., and Sofia Hahn ‘24 of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., welcome Hrothgar, named after the ruler of the Danes in the epic Beowulf, on campus with David Hermanson ’27 of Cambridge, Mass.

11:35 a.m. The halls are alive

In Gillespie Hall, Eric Preisig ’27 of North Falmouth, Mass., takes a break from putting together his room to tune his cello. He’s been playing for 12 years, and is excited to find places to play on campus.

2:06 p.m. Sharing and caring

International first-years and their parents gather in the Fireside Lounge in Commons on Opening Day to listen to Reese explain how, as the associate dean of international student programs, he will watch over their children, help them in any way he can, and be a friend to them.

3:15 p.m. Welcome to �ֲ���ý

�ֲ���ý’ newest families gather in front of Coram to hear welcomes from three college leaders.

Leigh Weisenburger, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, speaks of the pride she and her team felt in helping the new students find their college.

Dean of Students Erin Foster Zsiga follows with warm words about entering a brand new community. “Be kind to yourself, particularly when you may experience moments of self-doubt. It takes time to build your life in a new place. If no one has told you yet, let me be the first: You are here for a reason. You belong at �ֲ���ý.”

President Garry W. Jenkins closed the afternoon welcome, telling the students, families, and loved ones that they are all joining a special, kind, and committed community. “Be open to newness, find deeper connections with people whose experiences and backgrounds, and taste in music, may be different from yours,” he said. “I guarantee you, you’re going to be enriched by the process. My college friends are still among my closest friends and confidants in the world.”

3:45 p.m. ‘It’s lived here’

Mya Hicks ‘27 leans on her mother, Monica Hicks, while sitting beside her dad, Tyrone Hicks. The family from Ann Arbor, Mich., was sad to say goodbye. But after hearing Jenkins’ remarks, Monica and Tyrone both said they knew their daughter was in a good place. 

“We are super excited. We are a family of color and to have a president of color so interested in the students, the community, and in welcoming all sorts of people of different genders and races, it drives it home, he means it,” Monica Hicks said of Jenkins’ welcome. “Other people say those things, but it’s obvious it’s lived here. You can see it on a college website but to be here and hear that, it is the culture here, it’s important to know that.”

Tyrone Hicks added: “What resonates with me is that I had a college experience, but I never had a college community. That’s what I want for my daughter. Everyone says this is a community.”

3:55 p.m. Brotherly love

Noah Faragher Houghton ‘27 and his 10-year-old brother, Arlo, of Monroe, Maine, had a tearful goodbye on the Historic Quad as Opening Day became a bittersweet closing. “I’m excited. And I’m sad,” Noah said. “I’m going to miss him.”

Noah tried to convince his younger brother that they wouldn’t be that far away from each other. (Located 80 miles northeast of campus, Monroe is home to a population of 930 in Midcoast, Maine.)

Their mother, Kate Faragher Houghton ‘91, comforted Arlo as he teared up and hugged his brother. “You’ll come visit,” she told Arlo. “You’ll lay on his bed like you did today. He’s been a great brother. He’s still a great brother. He’ll still help show you the way.”

4:05 p.m. Farewell, but not goodbye

Jake Podgurski ‘27 of Canton, Mass., didn’t hold back his tears as he said goodbye to his mom, Lori Jablonski ‘88, who also was crying.

As Jabolinski sat with her son, daughter, Liv Podgurski, and her ex-husband, Paul Podgurski, all sandwiched together on a bench by the Mouthpiece, Jablonski said they were united in their sadness as they said farewell to Jake, even though “ironically we’re divorced.”

“We’re getting the band back together,” Jake quipped. 

With yesterday’s arrival of the �ֲ���ý Class of 2027, the final and most telling number of the 2022–23 admission cycle got etched into �ֲ���ý history. The number is 509, the number of students in the newest class of �ֲ���ý students, which was selected from 8,937 applications, the highest number in �ֲ���ý history. 

Better than anyone, Leigh Weisenburger, the college’s vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid, knows what the new students bring to the �ֲ���ý table. “Engagement and action,” she says. “They’re problem solvers,” young people who are quite capable of putting out fires (sometimes literally: two new students are firefighters) and finding the key to problems (again, sometimes literally: one is a locksmith apprentice).

“They’re the Greta Thunberg generation,” added Weisenburger, referring to the Swedish environmental activist. (In fact, one incoming student joined a Thunberg-led protest in Stockholm.)

Full Coverage

We’ll bring you full coverage of Opening Day and Orientation Week, including weekend AESOP outdoor trips, next week. In the meantime, .

Beyond straightforward advocacy, the new students bring an awareness of how various issues, from climate change to racial justice, intersect with one another, and they feel a drive to be part of solutions for the long term. “They see something and they take it and run with it. They don’t wait for others to take action,” Weisenburger says.

One of the dean’s delightful duties each year is to join the �ֲ���ý president (this year Garry W. Jenkins in his first Opening Day) and Dean of Students Erin Foster Zsiga in welcoming the new students and their families and loved ones on Opening Day. 

For Weisenburger, it’s one of the best moments of her year. “I feel such pride — for the Admission team and for �ֲ���ý as a whole. And I see pride and emotion in the new students’ and their families’ faces and eyes. And also a mix of intention and hesitation: It’s time to begin a new journey.”

The new �ֲ���ý class is the 161st incoming class in college history. Back in 1863, the first cohort entered Hathorn Hall, then the sole campus classroom building for their college studies, and they hailed from our home city of Lewiston and also from lands beyond �ֲ���ý, such as Wales, Vienna, Norway, Lebanon, and Peru. (OK: Truth be told, those early students came from towns in Maine with those international names!)

As usual, within just 509 young people is a dazzling amount of diversity, broadly defined, which means that “students who come to �ֲ���ý will find their place in this community,” says Weisenburger. 

Geographically, the distribution of incoming students from the U.S. looks like this, which is a similar breakdown to prior years:

• Middle Atlantic 22%
• Midwest 7%
• New England 36%
• Southeast 6%
• Southwest and West 17%

Forty-four U.S. states are represented in the class, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Forty-one students come from Maine, from its largest city, Portland, with a population of 68,000, to tiny villages like Oquossoc, population 120.

In this year’s class, 28% are U.S. students of color, the fourth straight year above 27%. In terms of gender identification, 48 % are female and 52 % male. This bucks national trends: Women comprise nearly 60 % of enrollment in universities and colleges and men just over 40%.

Similar to prior years, 12% are first-generation college students, while 11% are international students, coming to �ֲ���ý from 37 countries outside of the U.S. 

Skills and Talents from a Record-Setting Class 

Other interesting talents and interests from the new class include students who:

• Is featured in a documentary about the immense challenges of being a girl growing up in Palestine
• Has a keen interest in fossil hunting
• Is an expert cheesemonger
• Was a Youth Action Fellow for their state’s affiliate 350, a national movement to advance a just transition to a renewable energy economy, leading protests at the state capital
• Has performed the trapeze with a youth circus
• Has devoted more than 45 hours a week to training guide dogs, including service as a volunteer raising puppies
• Is a soccer referee (a cool thing given the national shortage of youth sports officials)
• Volunteers as a foster caregiver for rats, ensuring they can be adopted as pets
• Is a kite maker and preservationist who saved 20 traditional Bangladeshi kites in their homeland from destruction
• Assembled and maintains a 175 gallon saltwater aquarium in their basement, which is about 6 feet long, two feet wide, and two and a half feet tall
• Founded their school’s skateboard club to create a supportive space for women, people of color, and queers
• Founded a youth organization helping to increase women in STEM in Mongolia
• Has been visiting memory care facilities with her dog since eighth grade 
• Attended the same high school in New Jersey as new �ֲ���ý President Garry W. Jenkins
• Is a top-ranked debater in a U.S. state with a long debate tradition and No. 28 nationally
• One student makes Adirondack chairs; another co-founded club that knits and crochets hats, scarves, and more for those in need; another is welder for a robotics team 
• Had an internship working on electric space propulsion at MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics; another student was a member of their NASA Student Launch team
• Helped install the Field of Light at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, illuminating 16 acres in the Texas Arboretum with 28,000 vibrant solar-powered, fiber-optic lights
• Initiated a successful movement to eliminate class rank at their school
• Interned at an oyster farm
• Is a nationally ranked competitive roller skater
• Is an accomplished fencer
• Is a competitive book reader 
• Co-founded world’s first competitive high school gravel cycling team, which involves racing bicycles on unpaved and varied terrain, often over long distances
• Conducted research at MIT on corn sequestration and climate change
• Runs a Maine business selling firewood
• Founded lobster and aquaculture oyster businesses
• Is an apprentice locksmith and a blacksmith apprentice
• Is a successful business entrepreneur in several fields, including as a reseller of limited-edition apparel
• Volunteered as a coordinator for eight animal shelters and four animal hospitals
• Interned for a Nobel-winning scholar to research the significance of early childhood education on economic outcomes
• Is a competitive Rubik’s Cube solver
• Directs a unified theater program that brings together teens of all cognitive abilities.

There are tax-free days, where you can shop in your state without paying sales tax. At �ֲ���ý, the closest thing is Opening Day — move-in time for the new students — when you can prop open any campus door without getting hit with a fine, as is the case during the school year.

The acceptable, no-penalty rationale for keeping doors open is to create easy passage for all the stuff that first-year students bring to campus.

Since �ֲ���ý doors aren’t made to be propped, students have to be inventive on Propped Door Day — err, Opening Day. Here’s what we saw on Aug. 31, 2022 as we welcomed the Class of 2026:

First Chair

This doorstop gets points for multiple uses. Props a door and rest spot for a tired parent. But see how it lists to the side, as if it knows it’s not supposed to be there and is trying to flee the scene.

Getting hitched

No one at Page could say who decided to use this length of knitwear to prop open the door. But given that the knot appears to be a half-hitch, we’re hazarding a guess it’s either a Scout (boy or girl) or a sailor.

Stone alone

River stones are not a naturally occurring rock at Page Hall, where we saw this example, decorated with a face and the words, “I love me.”

Self-affirmations are important, especially during times of stress. That door weighs a lot.

Bucket brigade

Can’t say we liked seeing this portentous doorstop: It’s a pail of the stuff we’ll be needing soon, salt to melt winter ice.

From Maine Salt Co., the blend is called “Paws Applause,” unrelated to the �ֲ���ý Bobcat but a reference to its pet- and eco-friendly blend of crushed limestone and magnesium chloride.

Mystery stop

The doors of Adam Hall were flung open for arriving families, including this parent taking the steps two at a time. There’s no temporary doorstop here but a traditional industrial door closer, . (This campus is not haunted, promise.)

Stage right

Propping open an interior door at the 280 College Street residence, this slab of iron was both highly effective and a researcher’s delight. About a foot long and hefty, around 25 pounds, it has notches at either end.

So we asked the project managers at Facility Services. They’ve prowled every corner of the �ֲ���ý campus in their work overseeing the construction of new buildings and the endless renovations and restorations of older buildings. We expect them to know it all, and they usually do.

“It’s an iron weight from the old theater rigging system in Schaeffer Theatre,” explained Paul Farnsworth. “They were counterweights that could be added and removed as needed to balance the weight of a scenery set hanging above the stage.”

Schaeffer’s rigging system, also known as a fly system, was replaced in 2007. “But even before that, the extra weights were used by theater for all kinds of things,” says Farnsworth. Since 2007, the weights “traveled on their own across campus.”

Adoorable

The best kind of door stop: a �ֲ���ý student, David Nimura ’25 of New York City. In the at Kalperis Hall, home of the College Store, where he is a Junior Advisor.

From welcoming greetings to parting hugs, from checking out new digs to checking out camping gear, �ֲ���ý’ newest students experience Opening Day on Aug. 26, 2019.

Bobcat Nation turned out in force to welcome the 501-member Class of 2023 on Monday.

Student leaders, 184 of them, were everywhere.

�ֲ���ý staff offered various sessions and programs for parents (plus a barbecue for everyone) while other staff took time from their day jobs to help greet families as they arrived at Commons in the morning.

Top it off with President Clayton Spencer pitching in, lugging gear to the fourth floor of Parker in the morning, and welcoming families in the late afternoon.

Follow along as �ֲ���ý Communications photographer Phyllis Graber Jensen, teaming with writers Doug Hubley and Emily McConville, captured the day in words and images.

7:17 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Soon after Opening Day’s 7 a.m. start, vehicles are parked end-to-end outside residence halls and houses all over campus, where they’re swiftly unloaded by dozens of student Orientation leaders.

Here, Peter Gadaleta hands off pillows to Maya Seshan ’20 of Wilton, Conn., as his daughter Brianna Gadaleta ’23 of Chappaqua, N.Y., moves into Page Hall.

7:52 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Otis Caron ’23 gets a hug from his mother, Tammy Roy Caron, as he prepares to head to �ֲ���ý, a move of just a few blocks.

A Lewiston native, Otis is one of 48 first-year students from Maine and four from the Lewiston-Auburn area.

Bright and early (for him), Caron lays his things on the living room sofa — a suitcase, assorted bags, a hamper that doubles as luggage. He’ll make a couple trips in the family car to get moved into Parker Hall.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Among Otis’ items is a blown-up picture of himself and his friend and fellow first-year, Hunter Landry ’23, wearing their Lewiston High School graduation clothes in front of St. Dominic Academy, where they went to elementary school.

In the photo, they’re holding �ֲ���ý admission letters that Tammy, a senior visual designer at �ֲ���ý, redesigned for the class. Otis’ dad, the late David Caron, passed away in 2009.

Otis is no stranger to the �ֲ���ý community. In addition to his mother’s long relationship with the college, he worked for Dining Services’ catering operation in high school and took Russian courses with Associate Professor of Russian Dennis Browne.

Interested in languages and international affairs, he’s eager to start his intermediate Russian courses and his First-Year Seminar, “Japan on Screen.”

Still, on the cusp of moving in, “it’s a whirlwind of emotions,” Otis says. “I’m mostly very excited.”

8:11 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Commons is the first stop for arriving first-years. They’re dropped off on the building’s Central Avenue side and, after, picking up ID cards and handling other check-in duties, they emerge on the other side of the dining hall.

There, three Orientation Week Leaders — from left, Avery MacMullen, Gemma Rubi, and Shae Gwydir, all ’20 — greet them with cheers, dancing, and then, if needed, directions to their dorm.

“OWLs, fly!” a leader proclaims upon seeing a first-year come through the door.

8:17 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

After checking in for his �ֲ���ý ID and dorm room key, Tori Kusukawa ’23 of Salt Lake City, Utah, chats with Brenda Pelletier, conference and campus events manager, in the lobby of Commons.

8:29 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

�ֲ���ý staff join the Opening Day team. Here, Alicia Rea, associate director of annual giving in the Office of College Advancement, helps out a family as they arrive on Central Avenue outside Commons.

8:34 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Adelaide Armah ’23 of Accra, Ghana, receives directions from President Clayton Spencer, who welcomed incoming members of the Class of 2023 as they arrived to sign in at Commons on Central Avenue.

8:38 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Outside Commons, Jared O’Hare ’23 of Hamden, Conn., at right, runs into Kenny Aruwajoye ‘22 of Owo, Nigeria. The two are alumni of Avon (Conn.) Old Farms School.

O’Hara’s parents Judy and Kevin, meanwhile, are still marveling at how fast student Orientation leaders worked when the family pulled up to the dorm. “Within two minutes, everything was up in the room,” Kevin says.

Jake is looking forward to taking two philosophy courses, in contrast to the scarcity of electives at the high school level. “I never had the opportunity to branch out,” he says. “The new academic freedom is nice.”

8:46 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

After greeting students outside Commons, President Spencer heads across campus to help student leaders lug belongings into Parker Hall (in this case, to the fourth floor).

8:50 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Amanda Waugh hoists a mirror as she helps son Jack Cantor ’23 of Chevy Chase, Md., move into his Parker Hall residence.

9:33 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Roommates Jackson Chung ’23 of Nyack, N.Y., and Nathan Berry ’23 of Augusta, Maine, hug the wall as a fellow first-year hauls his belongings up the Parker staircase. The new roommates were on their way down to move Berry’s belongings into the room, where Chung had already settled.

It’s about as close to an assembly line as you can get in a college dorm.

When a new �ֲ���ý family’s car pulls in front of Parker Hall, a swarm of OWLs descends, grabbing boxes and suitcases and minifridges and hauling them up flights of stairs, pausing just long enough to get the first-year’s room number.

Cars stay on Alumni Walk for just the time needed to unload; if one lingers longer, a security employee politely asks a parent or relative to move it.

9:05 a.m.

“This is a really big dorm!” exclaims Gabi Meisel ’23 of Chevy Chase, Md., as she sees her room on the fourth floor of Parker Hall. Indeed, in most rooms there’s plenty of room for beds and desks without the need for lofting or bunking.

Gabi gets to the room first; her parents, Deb and David Meisel, are not far behind. Gabi pulls out one unusual item she’s brought from home: a big photo collage shaped like the letter G, a present from her aunt.

Like the O’Haras, Gabi’s parents are still amazed by the efficiency and friendliness of the student and staff volunteers, and they’re impressed with the community their daughter has already found in the swim team, which she’s soon to join.

And Gabi herself? After all the campus visits and applications and scouting and decisions, she’s relieved to finally be here. “This is where I need to be,” she says.

9:43 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Over at Chu Hall, the stream of cars has slowed to a trickle, giving the student Orientation leaders some time to breathe…or do some eye-high kicks for a photographer.

J’Von Ortiz-Cedeno ’22, at left in the photograph, is a junior advisor from Portland, Texas. Ortiz-Cedeno and other JAs serve as peer advisors in residence halls for groups of first-year students.

He says Opening Day is about the “little things” — carrying boxes, making rounds to introduce himself to each first-year as they move in, sharing songs that he solicited from his new residents over the summer.

“I’m making it feel like a place where they can spend four years and be happy,” he says.

Then: “We got a car!” shouts another student leader, and Ortiz-Cedeno is off.

10:02 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Mason Bunker ’23 of New York City enjoys a hug from his father Dan Bunker.

10:15 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Parents Mayu and Kimi Nakamura (right) help their daughter Ayano ’23 (left) of Bethesda, Md., settle into her Chu Hall room.

Behind them is roommate Lia Silberberg ’23 of Jackson, Wyo., who had arrived earlier with her brother, Adam, who is a senior at Bowdoin.

For Silberberg, setting up her room was the last leg of a long journey for the siblings — from Wyoming to New York, then a drive up the coast to Bowdoin, where Adam is a senior, then, finally, to �ֲ���ý. Finishing the setup, they gratefully accepted a �ֲ���ý custodian’s offer to take away broken-down boxes for recycling.

Silberberg, who is interested in law, is looking forward to taking a biomedical ethics course and, maybe, joining club ice hockey.

As she settled in, Nakamura is asked if she brought anything special from home. In response, she pulls out Rirakuma, a stuffed bear designed in the style of Japanese animation.

Nakamura also has a brother close by — a lot closer, in fact.

Taihei Nakamura, a university student in Japan, is on campus for the year as a Hirasawa Scholar, participating in �ֲ���ý’ historic program named after Kazushige Hirasawa ’36 that brings Japanese university students to campus for one year.

Taihei, though, is in next-door Kalperis Hall. “We requested different dorms,” Ayano says.

10:31 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Asked if he brought any favorite thing to �ֲ���ý, Chas Van Damme ’23 (left) of Harpswell, Maine, pointed to his older brother Henry, right, who helped him move in. The two compete for height bragging rights as Chas arrives in his Kalperis Hall room.

10:43 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

At this moment in this room, the count is six: Joanna Atwater ’23 of Short Hills, N.J., shown with her mom, Bernadette; plus Joanna’s dad, James, and her roommate, Molly Connors ’23 of Westwood, Mass., and Molly’s two younger siblings.

Despite the crowd, there’s generally enough room to move around.

Both Atwater (tennis) and Connors (rowing) are gearing up for the start of their athletics programs and have brought their favorite snacks from home. Connors has supplemented the usual dorm decorations with a succulent, a fern, and a bamboo plant.

Like most, Atwater has been impressed with the efficiency of student Orientation leaders. The move-in is “not as hectic as I thought it would be,” she says.

That leaves more time to focus on tennis and her first classes, which include a biology course on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

11:19 a.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Carolyne Chepkemboi ’23 of Nairobi, Kenya, speaks with Laura Conforte of Information and Library Services at the Resources Fair in Pettengill’s Perry Atrium. She’s looking forward to reading more world and U.S. history.

Representing the Harward Center for Community Partnerships is recent graduate Ella Ross ’19, an AmeriCorps volunteer; she says she’s “having major déjà vu.”

Four years after her own Opening Day, Ross remembers the whirlwind of moving in and the dread of saying goodbye to her family at the end of it. The nervousness dissipated in time, and Ross became heavily involved in the Harward Center and the Lewiston-Auburn community, earning an induction into the College Key upon graduation.

With Ross at the Harward Center table is Muskan Verma ’21 of Shimla, India, who as a Bonner leader volunteers frequently through the Harward Center.

Two years ago, Verma’s move-in experience was quite different — she was so jet-lagged that she didn’t feel as deeply the mix of nervousness and excitement that churns through many first-years’ heads.

This year, after being on campus all summer as an Admission intern, it’s like she’s seeing Opening Day for the first time. There’s no jet lag, and all the feels.

“I’ve got tears in my eyes,” she says. “I’m feeling all the things I should have felt in my first year, now.”

12:34 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

After spending the morning moving in, many students and families migrate to the Library Quad, where they can grab classic barbecue fare or, if they want, a nice tofu salad.

Claire Lim ’23, seated under a tree with parents Adrienne and Dominic, is enjoying the relatively cool weather — she’s from tropical Singapore, and she specifically looked for a college in a cold climate. She’s interested in studying economics, and she’s excited about her First-Year Seminar on inequality, community, and social change.

Adrienne Lim says she thought it might be tough to say goodbye to Claire. But “seeing the close-knit community, it’s not going to be too painful to leave her today.”

1:07 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Kian Moaledj ’20 of Doha, Qatar, and his mother, Maryam Moaledj, speak with James Reese, associate dean for international student programs, during the International Circle Students and Parents Group Greeting in the Fireplace Lounge of Commons.

In his welcome, Reese explains that the definition of “international student” is broader than statistics might suggest.

Around 150 �ֲ���ý students are considered international students, meaning they are in the U.S. on a student visa.

But, he adds, more than twice that number are dual citizens or have some other fundamental connection with another country.

And all, Reese says, can benefit from the college’s international student programs. “If you’re wondering if you’re in or out, nobody’s out. Everyone’s in.”

1:43 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Topher Castaneda ’20 of Los Angeles, who is a residence coordinator at Turner House this year, dives into a Bobcatnap in front of Commons.

2:45 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Grace Warder ’20, an environmental studies major from New York City, hands a key piece of overnight gear — a fork— to a first-year during equipment checkout for the mid-week Orientation program known as AESOP.

AESOP is a four-day, three-night overnight Orientation program offering everything from hiking and surfing to community service, farm visits, and arts exploration in Maine and New Hampshire. Warder is one three AESOP coordinators.

This year’s AESOP program offers 57 outdoor trips, each led by two upperclass leaders.

“I loved AESOP,” says Ellie Beckerman ’22, an environmental studies major from Washington, D.C., who is leading a backpacking trip to Franconia Notch. Last year, her own first-year AESOP destination was Mahoosuc Notch.

“Spending four days with a small group, including upperclassmen, means that when you’re done, you can remain a group for a bit until you start to find your niche at �ֲ���ý. It’s really hard coming in as a first-year and not quite knowing where you fit in, and AESOP gives you a group and a space very early on at �ֲ���ý.”

2:46 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Lilah Lesniak ’22 of Philadelphia and Will Sylvia ’20 of Newtonville, Mass., juggle sleep bags during the equipment handout for AESOP outside Chase Hall.�� Will is the son of Jim Sylvia ’84 and Lori Rogers Sylvia ’83.

2:57 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Emily DiBartolo ’23 of Florence, Mass., strikes a pose for parents John and Patty on the steps of Coram, a prime location for countless family photographs all afternoon.

So, what happens if Emily — or any other �ֲ���ý first-year — calls home in a few weeks, worried that they may never be able to pursue a certain career because of a bad grade or two?

What advice might be relevant for that student?

“I hear this a lot from students — I’ll have students literally sitting in my office crying, saying, ‘Well, I thought I wanted to be a psychologist, but look what I did in Psych 101,’” Rebecca Fraser-Thill, director of faculty outreach for Purposeful Work and a visiting instructor in psychology, told parents in the workshop “Your Evolving Relationship: Parenting a College Student.”

“But when you’re applying for jobs, transcripts really aren’t a huge part of that process, honestly. Certainly, being a diligent, conscientious worker plays a big role in what kind of references you get from faculty members.

“But I will say I’ve given some glowing references to students who weren’t my A students by any means, because they were creative thinkers, they’re bringing a lot of enthusiasm into the classroom, and we’re speaking on a regular basis and thinking in new and novel ways.” ��

3:13 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Linden Jones ’22 of Leicester, N.C., leads a campus tour along one of the walkways on the Historic Quad.

3:50 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

“Each and every one of you is an innovator and an inventor with an entrepreneurial drive on your path to �ֲ���ý,” Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger tells the first-years during her Opening Day welcome.

“All of you are coming to �ֲ���ý with this palpable intellectual curiosity, generosity of spirit, and an authentic and compassionate welcoming way about you. Again, we are so, so proud of you. … We look forward to knowing each and every one of you and watching you flourish over the coming years.”

4:02 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

A parent listens to President Clayton’s two-part Opening Day welcome.

Part one is for parents, in which Spencer acknowledge the high emotions of the day. “So, kids, be nice to your parents today. It’s hard to let you go,” she says.

Part two is for the students. Here, Spencer asks the first-years “to risk letting go,” to “stop holding fast to the things that got you here — the narrative that you’ll major in pre-med or econ even if you’ve never taken a course in pre-med or econ; the identities that have defined you throughout high school.”

Why? “A residential liberal arts education, more than almost any kind of experience you will have, gives you the opportunity to explore, to try new things, to take risks. But it’s up to you to seize this opportunity.”

4:19 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Oliver Kaplan ’23 of Los Angeles poses with parents Lauren Tom and Curt Kaplan in front of Coram.

4:35 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Following President Spencer’s welcome, it’s close to farewells. Lena Soares ‘23 of Memphis, Tenn., shares a moment on the Library Terrace with her mother, Kathy Steuer.

4:36 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Nearby, Maeve Mikulski ’23 of Western Springs, Ill., shares a moment with her parents Mike and Jayne Mikulski on the Library Terrace. Maeve is Lena Soares’ roommate.

4:38 p.m.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Opening Day is an multigenerational emotion-filled day. Najá Crockett ’23 of Washington, D.C., welcomes a hug from mother Florence Kreisman and grandmother Elena Kreisman.

Opening Day for the Class of 2022 was Monday, Aug. 27, and the �ֲ���ý community turned out in friendly force to welcome and guide �ֲ���ý’ newest students.

Follow along as �ֲ���ý Communications photographer Phyllis Graber Jensen, teaming with writers Doug Hubley, Emily McConville, and Jay Burns, captured the day in words and images.

7:31 a.m.

Some of the first customers at Forage, a popular Lewiston coffee spot, were Belle Bernhoeft-Gutierrez ’22 and her parents, getting a leisurely start to what would be a packed day.

The family had flown in from São Paulo, Brazil, over the weekend, and Bernhoeft-Gutierrez, as an international student, was able to move in early.

“It’s the only time in life you feel so happy and so sad at the same time — and so proud.”

They’d tried to get their bearings on campus the day before. “People keep referring to things, and I just nod and smile for a little while,” Bernhoeft-Gutierrez said. They had marveled at the New England brick buildings, the Gomes Chapel, and the friendliness of the people.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

“Everyone was really nice, from Security who helped me open my room to students that were walking by,” said Bernhoeft-Gutierrez.

As they ate Forage’s bagels and breakfast sandwiches and talked about the experience of dropping their oldest off at college, her parents, Carmen Bernhoeft and Gregorio Gutierrez, teared up.

“The best way I have found to describe it is, it’s the only time in life you feel so happy and so sad at the same time — and so proud,” Gutierrez said.

8:22 a.m.

As family cars bearing new first-years pulled up at Chu and Kalperis halls, the high energy among the Opening Day student helpers got a bump from loud pop music from tiny speakers, Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins, and well-stocked hydration stations.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Milan Lemon ’21 of Plantation, Fla., said that the new-student influx had started right on time at 7 a.m., and about 40 first-years and families had arrived since then. Progress was smooth and the new students “were excited to move in,” he said.

It was a dancing move-in next door at Kalperis. “I think I’m more excited than some of the first-years,” said Nellie Breen ’21 of Pasadena, Calif., who danced to Camila Cabelo’s “Havana” as she talked to an observer. “I remember how excited I was when I got here.”

The music, she said, “adds some character and makes me feel excited just to be standing here dancing.”

8:22:19 a.m.

A few seconds later, there was a boisterous “Yay!” from student greeters as another family arrived. Half-a-dozen or so student, including Breen, descended on the arriving vehicle. The campus-wide goal for unloading each new student’s car was 15 minutes.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Another greeter, Alexia Sahue ’19 of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, was fascinated by parents’ responses to the situation — “how nervous they are,” she said. (Coming from Africa, Sahue had first arrived at �ֲ���ý alone.)

She recounted an exchange between one dad and the younger brother of an arriving first-year: “‘In a few years that will be you.’ The brother had the scaredest look on his face.”

8:40 a.m.

Inside Commons, Stacia Poulin (right) of the college’s��Dining, Conferences, and Campus Events office helped Gilleyanne Davis-Oakes ’22 of Vinalhaven, Maine, get squared away.

Her mother, Wanda��Davis-Oakes, watched as Alex Campbell ’22 of Garden City, N.Y., waited his turn.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Nearby, Jenny Graves, business manager in the events office, reported about 30 students having signed in so far, from as far away as Hawaii and as near as the Maine towns of Falmouth and North Yarmouth.

Graves had started Opening Day greeting families as they pulled up outside Commons to drop off their students. One father told her, “�ֲ���ý has been so welcoming today.”

8:51 a.m.

Outside Commons on Campus Avenue, �ֲ���ý President Clayton Spencer joined the �ֲ���ý Welcome Crew — staff who help with Opening Day — greeting students as they were dropped off by family members.

She met Enrique Dolores ’22 of Hailey, Idaho, as he went to check in at Commons, joined by his godfather, Bob Knoebel. Dolores already had a good sense of where things were on campus — he’d been on campus for a week with the Bobcat First! program.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Bobcat First! supports first-generation students as they gain a sense of belonging and community on campus throughout their first year, starting with a pre-orientation program.

Dolores had especially enjoyed a ropes course, he said. “Besides that, we did a whole bunch of workshops, like time management. I thought that was really important, really helpful.”

8:56 a.m.

Director of Admission Darryl Uy was part of the garnet-shirted �ֲ���ý Welcome Crew on Central Avenue, outside Commons.

Central Avenue is the arrival spot for most first-years: They exit their vehicles, pick up IDs, and handle other check-in duties before rejoining their families (and gear) at their residences.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

9:20 a.m.

The second that Michael and Carolyn Obel-Omia of Barrington, R.I., pulled up to Kalperis Hall, a group of student helpers, including junior advisor Milan Lemon ’21 of Plantation, Fla., swarmed the vehicle and grabbed gear, including a bike, to carry up to son Jackson’s second-floor room.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Jackson arrived from check-in a few minutes later, his newly issued �ֲ���ý ID on a lanyard.

After moving in, he planned to get ready for his late-week AESOP trip on the Grafton Loop Trail, see if he could change a course or two, and dive into his studies — maybe psychology, maybe sociology, maybe a natural science.

Of all the colleges he toured, Obel-Omia remembered �ֲ���ý as the one that was the most “together.”

“The main thing was just the one dining hall — that’s how I distinguish it,” he said. “It was the community.”

9:24 a.m.

Next door to Obel-Omia, Anna Landgren ’22 of Boxford, Mass., had pretty much finished decorating her side of the room, with the help of her brother Anders, 15, and her sister Lizzie, 8.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Asked what her favorite things about the room were, Lizzie pointed out a three-tiered rolling cart and two avocado-shaped pillows.

When Landgren first visited campus a couple of summers ago, she immediately thought, “This is where I want to go to school,” but her parents figured that would change after seeing other colleges. “But I was like, ‘Nope, this is where I’ll go to school.’ Truth be told, here I am.”

That didn’t preclude a little sibling sadness over leaving home for the first time. Lizzie said she was “half on the good side, because she’ll be close, but half on the bad side because she’s going to be gone on my birthday.”

“There’ll be lots of FaceTime, lots of letter-sending,” Anna said. “But I can’t wait to be here. I’ve been waiting for a long time.”

9:40 a.m.

As he assembled a storage cart in the hallway of Chu Hall, David Dimond identified himself as the father of, “and contractor for,” his daughter Olivia Dimond ’22 of Henrico, Va.,

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

9:45 a.m.

“Everyone’s very excited,” said Molly Newton ’11, assistant dean of residence life and health education, as she made the rounds.

Predicted temperatures that could hit 90 played a role in her planning for welcoming the new students, Newton said. “There’s plenty of water, we gave everyone the hydration talk, and we’re giving the greeters extra breaks.”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

For Newton, Opening Day is its own reward.

“We put in so much preparation. And when the first-years and families finally start showing up, the campus comes back to life, and it reminds us why we love this work.”

9:52 a.m.

On the second floor of Chu Hall, Opening Day helpers, first-years, and parents darted back and forth between rooms, elevators, and staircases.

“I get so pumped, so excited, because the kids have so much to offer.”

Up came bedding, boxes, and storage containers full of belongings, mini fridges, and, in the case of Peter Philbin ’22 of Bedford, N.H., a double bass. Inside rooms, students made beds, hung up posters, and met roommates.

Philbin’s roommate, Noah Pott ’22 of Great Barrington, Mass., brought a keyboard to the room, complementing Philbin’s double bass. “It worked out well,” Pott said.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Nearby, Chu custodian Max Payne stood by a large container, happily greeting students and accepting their broken-down boxes.

“I get so pumped, so excited, because the kids have so much to offer,” said Payne, who’s worked at �ֲ���ý for 16 years. “I want to see them reach their goals. I want to see them come in safe, healthy, happy, and I want to see them go home the same way and do whatever I can to encourage them.”

Ashley Cleary ’19 of Albany, N.Y., a junior advisor in Chu, pointed out that things were calmer than they had been a few hours ago.

“I was telling one of my friends, ‘It’s like Christmas morning when there starts to be less presents under the tree, and you’re, like, no, I want it to last longer!’” she said.

10:15 a.m.

Amanda Becker ’22 (left) of Brooklyn, N.Y., had an extra set of hands to help her move into her room in Chu: her “�ֲ���ý mom,” Hannah Palacios ’21 of West Vancouver, B.C.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Becker stayed in Palacios’ room last October as part of Prologue to �ֲ���ý, which flies in students from underrepresented backgrounds and introduces them to campus for three days.

“She’s a huge reason why I chose �ֲ���ý.”

Becker and Palacios became fast friends, seeing each other at �ֲ���ý twice more and once at Becker’s home. “She’s a huge reason why I chose �ֲ���ý,” Becker said.

Becker, whose high school graduating class was about 40 students, was excited to meet new people and, she said, to learn for learning’s sake, diving deeply into her chosen subjects.

“I’m excited to do that with very specific classes rather than just, here’s 100 years of history you have to go through,” she said.

10:20 a.m.

After getting everything squared away at his room in Page Hall, Nathaniel Badger ’22 of Edwards, Colo., and his father, Lance, stopped by the bookstore to pick up a T-shirt for his little sister.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

10:56 a.m.

The Bibro family of Cornish, Maine, were making good strides on unpacking, and all three��— Camden ’22, mom Sandy, and dad Ed��— helped make his new bed.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

“At first, I always wanted to go to technical school,” says Camden. “But then I started looking at liberal arts schools — it was only like last year, during my senior year, and I had a teacher who went to Bowdoin.”

After interviewing at �ֲ���ý last year, he “just fell in love with everything that was offered. It just seemed to fit my character. That’s why I chose �ֲ���ý.”

10:57 a.m.

Marissa Bale ’19 (right) of Northford, Conn., and fellow helpers carried gear up the stairs at Parker Hall. “The first-years seem super-excited to move in,” said Bale. “It’s pretty high-energy, which is nice.”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Lucy Faust ’19 of Piedmont, Calif., agreed. “People have been buzzing around campus since 7 a.m. sharp., and it’s a really fun day to be a Bobcat.”

The pair were impressed by the smooth flow of first-year intake at the other end of Alumni Walk, in Commons. “Very organized, streamlined,” said Faust. “Well-oiled machine,” Bale agreed.

“You get your IDs, and your mugs, which we didn’t have freshman year,” said Faust.

She added, “Some dad told me that this wasn’t his first rodeo, and this is the best move-in experience he’s ever had.”

“It’s a major opportunity to savor my final lap.”

Helping newbies move in got Faust and Bale thinking about their own arrivals at �ֲ���ý.

“We moved in near each other freshman year, so it’s kind of full circle now,” said Bale. She was feeling a little nostalgic. “I’m remembering all the excitement and nervousness of freshman year, and now we’re going into senior year. It’s pretty crazy.”

“It’s a major opportunity to remind myself how fast those three years have gone by,” Faust said — “to savor my final lap.”

11:11 a.m.

Opening Day features a resource fair in Pettengill Hall’s Perry Atrium. There’s no cotton candy at this fair, but instead a suite of information about various �ֲ���ý offices programs.

Soaking in the new information were, from left, Yueh Qi Chuah ’22 of Petaling Jaya, Malawi, Mathieu Moutou ’22 of Vacoas, Mauritius, and Ognyan Simeonov ’22 of Novi Pazar, Bulgaria.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

11:48 a.m.

The buffet lines weren’t the only things moving swiftly during the Family and New Student Barbecue.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

1:05 p.m.

As 1 p.m. approached, international students and families filed into Commons’ Fireplace Lounge for a welcome session with James Reese, associate dean of students for international student programs.

There, Reese greeted Biruk Chafamo ’22 of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as Ella Fischer ’22 (second from left) of Raleigh, N.C., and Niharika Tuladhar ’22 of Kathmandu, Nepal, waited their turn.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Joining Reese in greeting the first-years were Francesca Biondi Morra ’20 of Santa Ana, Costa Rica, and Ahimy Soto-Garcia ’21 of Trenton, N.J.

The pair directed the first-years to pick up a sheet of paper with the Concord Coach Lines schedule and a recommended cab company. Members of the International Club, they had been helping Reese welcome the international students since yesterday.

“It can be very overwhelming with a new culture, new country, new everything,” Biondi Morra said. Her goal was to help the new people “settle in and see some familiar faces, and know that if you have any questions, we’re the people you can come to.”

1:26 p.m.

Lacrosse head coach Peter Lasagna does something similar every year. After the Athletics Welcome for prospective Bobcats and their families, Lasagna gathers his new players for a heart-to-heart outside Alumni Gymnasium.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

While their sons listened to their coach, Tim Farrell and Michael Kim, fathers of John Farrell ’22 and Maxwell Kim ’22, chatted on the side. They had met over the summer at a lacrosse tournament in Massachusetts, to which the first-years were invited.

The team’s involvement of new students and parents impressed and reassured the dads — particularly Farrell, whose three older children were athletes at other colleges.

“That’s the beauty of a smaller school.”

“Having a built-in infrastructure and having an adult that’s coached at Brown and coached here for 18 years — he’s got experience,” Farrell said, referring to Lasagna. “I’m really happy about that.

“I’ve been looking forward to this meeting. It was nice of the athletics department to let you know what’s going on right away. I have not had that with any other school.”

“That’s the beauty of a smaller school,” Kim added.

1:41 p.m.

Outside the Chase Hall headquarters of the �ֲ���ý Outing Club, Peter Griffin ’20 of Beverly, Mass., an AESOP assistant coordinator, helped distribute loaner gear to first-years in preparation for the annual three-day, student-led outdoor trips.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

AESOP leaders handed sleeping bags, mats, plastic dishware, and other gear to students lined up on the loading bay of Chase Hall.

“I love �ֲ���ý so far, and I’m very excited.”

Oliver Barrera ’22 of Waukegan, Ill., picked up a sleeping bag and mat for his upcoming trip to Nezinscot Farms. He and his fellow AESOPers would participate in farm life and eat Nezinscot’s popular homemade food.

Barrera was also gearing up to explore his interests in rhetoric and film, including his First-Year Seminar, “Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin: Young, Gifted, Black, and Queer,” taught by Charles Nero, Benjamin E. Mays Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies.

“I love �ֲ���ý so far, and I’m very excited,” he said.

2:40 p.m.

And there was time to just sit and relax on the Historic Quad, outside Hathorn Hall.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

2:41 p.m.

Besides leading one of the AESOP outdoor trips later in the week, Jake Atwood ’19 of Natick, Mass., is an assistant for a First-Year Seminar, “How Do You Know That?” taught by Benjamin Moodie, a lecturer in sociology.

Preparing for his work, Atwood found a shady spot in the Historic Quad to read The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone, by Philip Fernbach and Steven Sloman.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý Collegel

3:11 p.m.

The Gomes Chapel porch affords a view of the comings and goings on Opening Day.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

3:16 p.m.

With Opening Day moving toward its close, Margaret Flynn ’22 of Gambrills, Md., sat with her parents, Tonya Flynn and Roger Flynn, on a bench on the Historic Quad.

Mom and Day said that it was a “few last moments” to spend with their youngest child. “Who’s going to take care of us at home?” they said with a laugh.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

3:39 p.m.

“It’s easier now than when I’ll be home, close the door, and pretend he’s still there,” said Afton Disunno as she, her son Dylan ’22 of East Hampton, N.Y., and husband Chris Disunno took seats on the Historic Quad for the traditional college welcome. “But we know he’s in a great place.”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

4:28 p.m.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger kicked off the college welcome, held in front of Coram Library. “The record-breaking Class of 2022 has arrived,” she said, prompting cheers and applause.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

The Class of 2022 was selected from a record number of applications, 7,685.

“We are so proud to welcome you and to support you as you learn and grow,” she said. “Congratulations from the entire college: faculty, staff, students and alumni.

“You should be very proud.”

4:36 p.m.

Alixandra Zabin ’22 of Milford, Conn., sits between parents Amy and Steve Zabin as they react to President Clayton Spencer’s welcome address.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

4:38 p.m.

“I love this moment,” said President Spencer as she took to the lectern in front of Coram Library to welcome students and families of the Class of 2022. “You bring such energy and excitement to campus. It makes up for the end of summer!”

Opening Day, she continued, “is when humans emerge from admission statistics. It’s been a long chrysalis period, and now the butterflies are right here. It’s our own butterfly effect here at �ֲ���ý.”

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

4:40 p.m.

Some parents were seeing �ֲ���ý for the first time on Opening Day. Others, like Steve Brackett ’85, were returning to the embrace of alma mater.

Steve and his wife, Kathryn, are the parents of Stephen ’22, and they were accompanied on Opening Day by their younger children, Maeve and Michael.

An active �ֲ���ý alumnus and volunteer, Steve has been back to �ֲ���ý dozens of times since his graduation.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

Judging by tears welling in his eyes as he and Kathryn said their goodbyes to Stephen, this was a lot different.

In fact, the tears came because he felt something familiar. “It just keeps reoccurring. A feeling of comfort,” he said. “Now, it’s the feeling of comfort knowing that my son belongs at �ֲ���ý.

“It’s hard to let go. It’s going to be tough heading down the turnpike. But I know Stephen is with family.”

4:46 p.m.

The president’s welcome concluded, it was time for families to say their goodbyes, and time for Neeshi Hullavarad ’22 of Fairbanks, Alaska, to get a big hug from little sister, Esha.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

4:48 p.m.

Jamari Amrham ’22 of Richmond, Calif., had his eyes on his mom, Cherie Hill, as she took a selfie. She planned to be in Maine for two more days, looking forward to the quieter pace of Maine in late summer.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

5:00 p.m.

Stella Santucci ’22 and her younger sister, Chloé Santucci of Falmouth, Maine, hugged and laughed as they said goodbyes.

Their parents, Jacques and Patricia, are Mainers by way of France, settling in the Portland area in the early 1990s.

They noted how the French language, once spoken widely in Lewiston by residents who had emigrated from Canada, was making a comeback thanks to recent immigrants from French-speaking African countries.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

5:11 p.m.

For Emily Dewey ‘22 of Sudbury, Mass., next up on the schedule was dinner with her Frye House residents and their junior advisor. Then a walk up Mount David to watch the sunset. Then fun class events until late in the evening.

But first things first: hugs for her father, Will Dewey ‘88, and her mother, Susan Luther Dewey ‘88.

Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College

A �ֲ���ý celebration that kicked off in January, prompted by a record number of applications for admission, peaks on Monday when the 550 members of the Class of 2022 arrive on campus.

After morning move-in, a noontime picnic, and early afternoon information sessions for parents, the Class of 2022, whose members were selected from the largest applicant pool in �ֲ���ý history, will gather with their families on the Historic Quad in front of Coram Library.

“This class represents �ֲ���ý College history,” says Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger, who, along with President Clayton Spencer, will formally welcome the new students and their families on Monday afternoon. “So that’s the moment I’m most anticipating: When we can, together and in person, celebrate their achievement as the most selective class in �ֲ���ý admission history.

“I want them to know just how talented and diverse they are, and how deserving they are of their opportunity.”

During an April reception to welcome newly admitted students to campus, a prospective member of the Class of 2022 joins other admitted students and their families for the short but steep hike up Mount David. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

In the admission field, the journey from prospective student to newly ensconced Bobcat is known as the funnel. In the digital age, the top of the admission funnel is larger than ever.

During the past admission season, �ֲ���ý was able to reach some 5 million prospective students and families worldwide through stories and photography shared on �ֲ���ý social media platforms and email; through traditional print publications and mail; and through face-to-face interactions around the world with �ֲ���ý Admission staffers and Alumni in Admission volunteers.

+The 2018 Admission Season by the Numbers

These strategic and amplified efforts, combined with the college’s decision to eliminate the supplemental essay requirement, created the historic surge in interest: The record total of 7,685 applications is a 45 percent increase over last year’s 5,316 applications. (The previous high-water mark was 5,636 in 2014–15.)

For Weisenburger and her team, the huge influx posed an equally large question: Would the 2,300 additional applications be quality ones? Would they be, in marketing parlance, quality leads?

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Leigh Weisenburger welcomes first-year parents and students on Opening Day for the Class of 2020 in 2016. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

“As an admission team, you ask the same questions each and every time you read an application. Does this person know �ֲ���ý? Have they done their homework? Are they prepared for the rigors of the �ֲ���ý classroom? Do they want a �ֲ���ý education?”

As the Admission deans performed their usual close scrutiny of the thousands of applications, “over and over, the answer was ‘yes,’” Weisenburger says.

“The pool was historically strong academically. They had done their research: They knew �ֲ���ý,” Weisenburger says. “It was a very self-selecting applicant pool, just as it always has been. The only difference was that it was 45 percent larger!”

“The numbers are dazzling, but the story is human.”

Additional proof of the pool’s quality came in the spring as students around the world, many with multiple offers of admission, made their final college decisions by the traditional May 1 deadline.

This year, that important “yield” rate��— the percentage of students admitted by �ֲ���ý who accepted the college’s offer — increased to 24.4 percent, up 2 points from last year. “The increase in the regular-decision yield is another indication of the college’s market strength,” Weisenburger says.

+Class of 2022 Demographics

The 550-member class also retains historically strong rates of diversity in race and geography and continued strength in first-generation-to-college students, financial aid recipients, and students who attended a public high school, says Weisenburger.

“The numbers are dazzling, but the story is human,” she adds. “Growing our applicant pool means lowering barriers to admission among talented students everywhere. It means attracting students whose talent and interest in �ֲ���ý are commensurate with the excellence that �ֲ���ý offers. It means, eventually, producing �ֲ���ý alumni who champion the values that have defined �ֲ���ý since its founding.”

Monday’s Opening Day kicks off a seven-day Orientation that comprises events intended to help new students get their �ֲ���ý bearings. They’ll learn to navigate the campus, get a sense of student-facing programs and offices, and tour downtown Lewiston-Auburn.

+A Few Facts About Students in the Class of 2022

A taste of �ֲ���ý academics comes early. The day after move-in, new students have their initial First-Year Seminar class session. Later in the week, the Annual Entering Student Outdoors Program offers three-night trips off campus, from camping/hiking/canoeing excursions to local opportunities for community engagement.

Last August during Orientation for the Class of 2021, Assistant Professor of History Patrick Otim collects hand-made nameplates following the first meeting of his First-Year Seminar. “I know you are making the transition from high school to college,” Otim told the first-years. “The most important thing is to believe in yourself.” (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

This year, the Common Reading selected for the class is Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-Haims. The new class will have several chances to dig into the themes of the book, including a Common Read Brunch on the morning before classes start and a book-focused debate offered by the famed Brooks Quimby Debate Council. The book will also figure in the college’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day book discussion on Jan. 21, 2019.

The Common Reading for the Class of 2022 is Real American: A Memoir by Julie Lythcott-Haims.

Besides teaching the basics, Orientation helps students leave their high school mindset behind, however much it’s helped get them this far.

Orientation comes to a close on Sept. 4 when, with the campus community, the new class gathers for Convocation, the ceremonial opening of the new academic year.

Following an introduction and overview of the new �ֲ���ý year by President Clayton Spencer, Associate Professor of History Joseph Hall, chosen to address the incoming class by the Class of 2018 last spring, will offer his remarks, “Questions for �ֲ���ý.”

At the start of their child’s college hunt, parents tend to speculate about their children’s prospects for career and happiness.

But in the weeks and days before the start of college itself, they start drilling down to the basics.

Carrie Murphey ’06, assistant dean of students for first-year experience and housing, is a prime mover in the activities during and around Opening Day and Orientation. When she hears from parents and family members of new students during the summer, it’s often about issues like, “’They’ll need to know how to do laundry!’ or ‘What if they need a snack and the dining hall is closed?’”

Such concerns only make sense. “They’re watching their child live at home, and then feeling like, ‘Well, what will that look like at college?’”

Nevertheless, there’s only one answer to questions like that, Murphey says: “Their students won’t know until they’re here, and they can begin figuring it out for themselves.”

A prime mover in the activities during and around Opening Day and Orientation, Carrie Murphey ’09 (left) poses with Molly Newton ’11, assistant dean of students for residence life and health education, on Opening Day in 2016. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

In fact, of all the ways parents can support their newly fledged students, one of the most valuable is easing back and trusting them to figure college out — and to trust schools like �ֲ���ý to help them do that.

In her chats with family members, Murphey says, “I’ll try to include phrases like, ‘What I would tell your student if they called,’ or ‘What your student might hear from me is —.’”

“It’s important for parents to step back so that their children can develop their own strategies for problem-solving.”

The important point is that “the developmental process of college is students emerging further into their self-advocacy. There shouldn’t be anything that a parent or family member can get for their student that the student can’t get for themselves,” she explains.

“We recognize and embrace parent and family members as integral to the experience” — but it’s “really as support for their student’s experience.”

�ֲ���ý parent Genny Allard agrees. “It’s important for parents to step back so that their children can develop their own strategies for problem-solving.” More instructive than supplying answers, she continues, is “encouraging them to find the resources they need on campus to make their own decisions.

“Acting as a guide on the side is really the role of a parent of college kids.”

Jason Seeger ’21 of Belmont, Mass., embraces his mother, Kim Seeger, following the Farewell Reception and Family Goodbye for the Class of 2021 last August. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

In three words, Angela Church, the mother of Maya Church ’20 of Atlanta, conveys the ��internal conflict that parents feel. On the eve of Maya’s matriculation, she said that she and her husband felt “proud, thrilled, and nervous.”

The first two words were because Maya would venture far from the familiar South for the school of civil rights leader Benjamin Mays, who graduated from �ֲ���ý exactly 100 years before Maya’s anticipated graduation date. And “nervous” because she wondered “how Maya would manage the cold weather and when she would get homesick.”

So Angela and her husband responded by looking outward and inward, “by calling Maya everyday, sending special care packets, flying her home for holidays, and most importantly, praying that Maya would have an outstanding college experience.”

Even as a child gains independence and maturity, parents often still see the vulnerabilities and uncertainties that remain. For Ed Walker ’02, who was a �ֲ���ý student when his daughter, Tiauna Walker ’21 of Millbury, Mass, was born, he saw the things that “that I’ve spent her whole life trying to shelter her from,” such as the dangers of alcohol.

Ed Walker ’02 speaks during a��Q&A session for parents held in April during an Admitted Student Reception in the Mays Center. At left and right are parents Missy Moreland and Genny Allard. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

To allay those worries, Walker has learned to “trust. She is a young woman now, and I’ve had to come to terms with that. And I have strong comfort in knowing who she is as a person,” he says.

As Tiauna looks ahead to her sophomore year, that trust has “allowed our relationship to get stronger,” Ed says. “She talks to me much more openly now, I think. She still checks in with me often and she solicits my advice on a lot of things regarding her academics and just her personal life.

“Most importantly, at least to me, is that she still shows the utmost respect to herself, which was a foundational lesson for her. As long as she’s doing that, there’s not much more I can really ask for.”

College as a developmental process for parents and students alike is also on the mind of Rebecca Fraser-Thill, a member of the psychology faculty and the director of faculty engagement and outreach for Purposeful Work at �ֲ���ý.

Rebecca Fraser-Thill delivers the college’s Purposeful Work message to new parents on Opening Day in 2016. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

She says that the “guide on the side” concept dovetails neatly with the goal of Purposeful Work: helping students gain self-knowledge that can enable them to align who they are with work that will satisfy them — and bring them happiness after college, every parent’s hope.

Now beginning its fifth year of implementation, Purposeful Work has a parent focus. The first year in college, and even the first weeks, “are about setting students up for feeling purpose and meaning in their work,” says Fraser-Thill.

Encourage your student to range around — and be sure to reflect back to them the things that worked and those that didn’t.

That process requires exploration. “This is the time to try out different clubs. It’s to try out different courses — don’t zero in on a major and take four classes in the same topic the first semester.”

She says, “Something that, often, is a tension point early on is when parents encourage narrowing, by and large, faster than we as a liberal arts institution would encourage it.” Instead, encourage your student to range around — and be sure to reflect back to them the things that worked and those that didn’t.

And while you’re being encouraging, help yourself to some of that too, Fraser-Thill suggests. “Being easy on yourself as a parent is really key to the whole process as well — understanding that it’s a developmental journey for you, as much as it is for your child.”

Allard recalls the time, a few weeks before she launched her son, Jack, on his college career in 2012, that she got a phone call from the mother of a �ֲ���ý senior. It was a welcoming phone call, initiated by �ֲ���ý as a way for veteran �ֲ���ý parents to reach out to new ones — but it was also a call that Allard welcomed as she contemplated her concerns about sending Jack off.

“She honestly alleviated any silly concerns I had,” Allard laughs. “He was only going to Maine, not the moon.”

She and the caller “talked honestly about the concerns mothers have for their children who head off to Maine to college,” says Genny, who teaches at a New Jersey high school.

“This mother was also from New Jersey. She informed me that buying him L.L.Bean boots would be a good investment for the Maine winters.”

Allaying Allard’s fears about the distance from New Jersey to Maine, “she assured me that that the college was equipped to assist Jack if he needed anything.”

On Opening Day in 2015, Daniel Fichmann ’19 of New York City gets out of the family vehicle as parents Jose and Barbara drop him off at Commons on Central Avenue. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

“She honestly alleviated any silly concerns I had,” Allard laughs. “He was only going to Maine, not the moon.”

Allard’s daughter, Katie, followed Jack to �ֲ���ý three years later. Genny adds, “I’ve had confidence in them to strategize solutions. We always let our kids know we were here for them if they needed a sounding board, but that they were ultimately the ones who had to make the choices.”

An active volunteer with the college’s Parents and Family Association, Missy Moreland has been on the giving end of those �ֲ���ý phone calls. Her son is Ned Moreland ’19 of Monkton, Md., and while he’s been a self-starter at �ֲ���ý, she satisfied herself that �ֲ���ý could deliver top-notch services, especially academic and career advising.

“The faculty advising is critical to a good start for students, and I’ve seen a lot of wonderful things that �ֲ���ý has done that have really eased my level of anxiety there,” she says.

“We are there to help and support Ned. And if questions come up, we always bring it back to, ‘Have you utilized the services available to you at �ֲ���ý?’”