Furman’s Fall Orientation

Meet Anthony:

Hey everyone! My name is Anthony Morgan and I’m a politics & international affairs and communication studies double major from Annapolis, Maryland.

Furman’s Fall Orientation as an Out Of State Student:

As an out of state student, I knew absolutely no one when I first came to Furman. Luckily, Furman’s freshmen fall orientation program helped me to find my best friends on campus. Right after move-in, two upperclassmen students led my small orientation group (O-group). This group became my main source of finding friends throughout the next few days.

I immediately hit it off with another student and after exploring campus for a bit, we went to watch the women’s soccer team beat Presbyterian College 3-0. Following the game, that night was the main event of the whole week: Dins After Dark.

The Value of Dins After Dark:

Dins After Dark is a massive event held in Trone Student Center with games and activities held throughout the building. After dance parties, craft tables, and lots of snacks, it was time for the real fun to begin: the trivia competition. Furman brought in a game show company complete with podiums, buzzers, and answering devices.

Working with my new friend from my O-group, under the assigned username of ‘Buttercup’, my team soared to the top of the leaderboard. Before long, I reached the semi-finals, and they called me to the stage to compete in the lightning round. With buzzer in hand, I racked up points and made it to the final round.

Down to the final four, it was a fierce competition between ‘Buttercup’ and ‘Doctor’ for the top spot. It was a close game, but after a final question about the DeLorean from Back to the Future, we took home first place and won $200!

For the rest of orientation week, I was a mini-celebrity on campus. People came up to me, recognizing me as ‘Buttercup’. With $100 in my pocket (splitting the total with my friend), I continued to explore Dins After Dark and wound up outside at the cornhole boards.

Trivia may have been my strong suit, but cornhole was certainly not.

Friendships Through Fall Orientation:

After a few games of cornhole after dark, my O-group friend and our new cornhole crew went back to the basement of Geer Hall for some late-night ping-pong. I may not have known at the time, but those very same people I played trivia and cornhole with would become my sophomore year roommates and best friends across the Furman campus community.

Fall orientation is so much more than just a ‘Welcome to College.’ It’s a chance to get acclimated to a new environment, meet new people, and make countless memories that will stay with you throughout your time at Furman.