Welcome to campus, Class of 2016!

The day is finally here. You’re moving into your first college residence hall and busy preparing for what will  (we hope) be some of the best four years of your young life. You may have noticed as you were moving in, or rather having your stuff moved in for you by Team Trinity (enjoy it while it lasts because you’ll be on your own next year), that you and your peers have different approaches when it comes to packing. Some people might look like prime candidates for the show “Hoarders,” whereas others might have shown up with only their toothbrush and pillow.

Regardless of your personal packing preference, the reality is that half of the stuff you brought will probably be useless, winding up shoved in the corner next to your summer Reading TUgether book (check out A&E writer John Mendiola’s review and SparkNotes version on Page 17). You’ll probably also find there’s a lot more you never thought to bring, like a tool kit or costume attire (that purple spandex will come in handy) or a library guide (See Page 11. Spoiler Alert: You can check out a gnome to study with you.)

Lucky for you, we at The Trinitonian have all been through the move-in process at least once, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves this year to not only bring you the paper in time for your arrival by publishing a day early (normally the paper comes out on Fridays), but also to prepare an issue targeted towards you, the Trinity first year.

We hope you’ll find the articles about registration tips (Page 15) and textbook advice (Page 19) helpful. Other pieces like the “Trinity Dictionary” (page 18) and “Trinity Traditions” (Page 15) should give you insight into campus culture, fads, and long-lasting favorites so that you know what’s happening when your roommates kidnap you in the middle of the night to dunk you in the Miller Fountain. We hope some columns like Student Body President Joe Moore’s (Page 10) will inspire you to get involved and make a difference.

But for all of these articles to really make an impact, you’re going to have to modify your packing list. We suggest you leave your high school drama, super expensive sound system and sense of invincibility (you do have to study here, and crashing a golf cart will get you into trouble) at home. We recommend you bring an open mind, school spirit, passion and a desire to learn. Do all of that, and you’ll fit right in.