As a junior, I’ve attended Christopher Newport University’s infamous tradition of “Light the Night” for three years in a row. Light the Night is an evening event hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Campus Activities Board (CAB). The event was held on the Great Lawn in front of Christopher Newport Hall where President Kelly, Mrs. Kelly and SGA President Mckenzie Hurley led the countdown to the glow stick throw. This is to celebrate the first week of classes and the start of a fantastic year at CNU.
During the Light the Night celebration, various students were interviewed about their excitement for the first semester.
“I am very excited for my new classes and the chance of forming new friendships,” said junior Jarod Missler.
He also mentioned how important it is to find your community here at CNU. Similar to Missler, others are excited to step into CNU’s community for the first time.
“I think that I am most excited to be given the opportunity to experience college and the people within it,” freshman Lily Donovan shared.
Along with finding a sense of community here at CNU, some returning students have also described their enjoyment of catching up with friends again. Junior Emily Sarar said how excited she was to see her friends again and make new memories with them. Junior Brandon Williamson has similar feelings.
“I’m pretty excited about the social aspect this semester. I want to go to more events on campus and connect with my friends even more.” he said.
Other students shared their excitement for the academic aspect of their lives. Junior Katherine Becker says that she’s excited for her classes this semester, particularly her French ones.
“I am excited for my new classes and to try a lot harder this semester to succeed,” explained junior David Okonkwo.
When asked about possible goals they had for this semester, sophomore Millikan Himm said he wants to start a new club. Just like Himm, many students had huge goals that they wanted to accomplish this semester.
“One thing that I want to accomplish is to apply to the Luter School of Business and get accepted,” sophomore Hayden Stanek said.
While Himm and Stanek had more academic related goals to accomplish this semester, other students had personal goals that they wanted to accomplish. Williamson explained that “[his] hope is that [he] can stay motivated and healthy this semester.”
Another personal goal that was shared was from Katherine Becker. “One thing I want to accomplish this semester is to manage my time better so that I have time for the things I need to get done,” she said.
All in all, this was a fabulous way to celebrate the start of a new school year and welcome the class of 2028 to campus. Cheers to another great semester and an even better year here at CNU.
