Officially Now a Mule

Trying to think on the positive side, tonight I was able to attend convocation at virtually Muhlenberg. In a typical year it would not have been live streamed. I still wish it was a "typical" year and she was having the experience of signing the book all previous Mules signed and standing outside with the other 539 members of her class in the official candlelight ceremony. May we get Corona virus under control and be able to gather in person again.

We have been on a roller coaster of emotions for the past few weeks. Muhlenberg has moved from Plan A (typical year) to at least Plan G (for Dean Gulati). One plan called for everyone moving back on campus this week. The latest plan was only first year students and select upper class men (RAs, people doing research, people demonstrating a need to be on campus). Most classes will meet virtually. Everyone will have a single (which will make attending virtual classes easier). They are encouraged to keep their doors open and make friends -- just keep the mask on!

The closer we got to the August 21st move in the date we started to hear about bigger schools already sending their students home. Would Muhlenberg do the same? Should we really buy stuff to fill her dorm room? Is this making any sense at all? 

To answer the last question, it makes sense to us, especially to Ashley. She needs to spread her wings. She will be as safe in Allentown, PA as she would be at home. She will meet more people in person than online. In short, it was a family decision, the same one the vast majority of her classmates made. 

The day before move in day Ashley was in absolute tears about going. This is not a typical Ashley reaction. She was scared. Petrified. I advised her to give it a week. She has gone away for a week before. One week was less scary than 13 weeks. If at the end of the week she truly hated it, she could come home and learn from home. I truly anticipated she would love it.

We arrived at 11:30 for a 3 pm move in slot. Why so early? Because once our slot was over she had to jump into being a college student. There were mandatory meetings. We wanted an opportunity to walk the campus with her, help her to become comfortable with her new surroundings. Where is the book store? The technology room where her loaner laptop was waiting (it has been a week)? The local ice cream parlor? The closest grocery store? Is the area safe (yes!)? We simply spent time together that we have not been able to do with Ashley saying good-bye to friends, and squeezing in last shifts at Jerry's Artarama, and finally striking the set with her favorite teachers and best friends. I will always be grateful that worked out for her. Two days later and she would have left Lawrenceville.

The time came. We got the key to her room (fortunately the gave her the ID earlier when we said we had to pick up the loaner laptop). Being this is 2020, we each had to do a health screening and be cleared to be healthy enough to go on campus. Being it is 2020, there were no strong guys on hand to carry the fridge up a flight of stairs (the rest we could handle). Being this is 2020, we had to vacate in two hours, and are not allowed to return until we move her out -- hopefully on November 21 (the same day as my gala).

I made her bed -- likely for the last time in her life (she makes her own bed at home, this was for me). We unpacked. Don went to Wegmans to fill the fridge with dairy-free food. At first two hours seemed like a long time, but then it was time to leave her. How did that happen?

Her room is next door to the bathroom. Abby, a girl she was going to room with, is across the hall. She has met her "family unit" -- the couple of other people whose rooms she can enter. Muhlenberg hopes to expand that to the floor, then to the dorm, the school, etc. All depends on how the virus behaves. Her "family unit" is the same as the girls she will share the shower and toilet with (taking turns, of course). The school has worked hard to create new plans. They want this to succeed. They want the students on campus. 

The time leading up to Friday was stressful. Take the normal stress of sending your child off to college and add in a pandemic. That level of stress. We didn't actually start to believe she was moving into her room until the students who had the Thursday shift moved into their rooms. Every time we received a message from the school we held our breath before reading it. Would this be the one saying they cannot move into the dorm after all?

We held off on buying the bigger items (like the fridge) until last week. Oh, and the new laptop. The old laptop cannot handle Zoom --  a necessity in 2020. The one we ordered disappeared between Target and UPS (we can cancel it). The new one is on back order. The ones in stock are $1,600 instead of the $200 model we want. Muhlenberg is loaning her one. When the new one arrives after September 1st we'll drive it up and celebrate my birthday.

Her mailbox for the next four years

Really not that much stuff.
Extra pillows are for the spare bed in the room.

Settling in

Welcome Packet 2020 -- masks, hand sanitizer. glow stick for candle lighting ceremony, and contact-free door opener.

Her view

Brave smile -- which is growing as she meets people

A single, but with the furniture of a double.
How is a second person and her stuff supposed to fit in here?

So far so good. Ashley is making friends. No more tears (though I suspect there will be some at some point, it is only normal). Her "family unit" is petitioning to add Abby (they currently have three people, and Abby's unit has four) because Ashley and Abby were planning to room together in the first place. Ashley is going to activities, and meeting more people.

This won't be the freshman experience we anticipated, but neither was senior year. Speaking of senior year, we received an email as we pulled onto the Muhlenberg campus that her yearbook is finally ready to be picked up. A day earlier... High school is over. Time for college.