When you go away for the weekend, it's always nice to hear the familiar sound of your keys dangling in the lock as you jiggle the door open upon your return. It's funny how we all love to leave campus for a few days, but we love to come home just the same. At Wofford, it's a blessing to know that coming home will be just as great as getting away.
Many of us have had the opportunities to go camping with the Outdoors Club, perform with the equestrian team, travel for a tournament, experience Fall House with a fraternity, visit family, explore Charlotte or Charleston or Columbia, or root for Wofford at away matches and games. Not all of us like to leave, however, and that's okay. Some of us make plans every weekend to get off campus. Regardless, we all know the sentiment of returning to Wofford after some time away (or even the "Wofford Welcome" we get when visiting campus for the first time or arriving for move-in day) and can't deny how glad we are to have a place like Woff to welcome us home.
No matter which side of town you return from, you just can't miss the Krispy Kreme signs. They're equivalent to the gates of Heaven, truly. Because they flank either side of N. Church Street, it's hard to miss them. And if you return in the night, you may be overwhelmed with a rush of sentiment if the red neon letters, "Hot Now", glow amidst the background of a starry, Spartanburg night sky. In my opinion, seeing the Krispy Kreme signs is essential to my welcome-home to Wofford.
Not all of us necessarily enter campus at the main entrance, so we don't always see the fountain upon our return. I can attest, however, to my arrival at campus on the night before move-in day: my father turned the car onto Campus Drive and my first glimpse of the fountain filled my heart with joy. After a long day of driving, I couldn't have been happier to see the fountain. Only true Wofford students know the traditions that fountain carries. Admittedly, I don't always notice the fountain on my walks to class in Olin or lunch at Phase V, but I know that each time I return to campus, seeing the fountain is a sign that I'm home safe and sound.
If you're lucky like me, you will call your roommate as you are getting out of the car to see if she will help you inside. She will run down the hallway to open the door, and you'll hear a difference in the time lapse between each door she has to get through to get to you; normally there is a greater pause, but her anticipation causes her to burst through each door at an incredible speed. Upon seeing each other, your first instinct is to scream because the preview text you sent in summary of the weekend calls for high emotions and insane anticipation. She helps you carry your bags down the hall to your room, and you both drop them to walk across the hall where your other friends await a weekend's worth of stories.
Would it be an article about Wofford without a mention of Old Main? Obviously, we all can recognize that, no matter what time we return to Woff after a weekend away or holiday break, Old Main seems to watch over us. In the daylight her warm, eggshell color and grand columns remind us of our campus' beauty. In the night, the lights she casts down on The Seal comfort us in our walks to our favorite study spots (as it isn't a Sunday night without a handful of hours devoted to school work). Forever and always, Old Main will be a staple of our welcome-back to Wofford.
Krispy Kreme, the fountain, emotional reunions with roommates, and Old Main: they all represent the obvious highlights of returning to Wofford after an absence. But what about the smaller, under-appreciated ones that are just as memorable? I like to consider the warm glow of the library lights on a Sunday evening an integral part of my "welcome back". The constant flow of students in and out, along with the academia that rings from the silence of students hard at work, are reminders of what makes Wofford so great. We love our fun weekends and like to get away to forget about school, but it truly seems like we all are ready to come back and invest in our educations--not because we have to, but because we want to. I might be naive in believing this, but I am certainly lucky to be surrounded by students who love what they do. All of us complain and procrastinate, but I think we secretly enjoy bragging about who made it to the 12 a.m. "Walk of Shame" from the library to Milliken.
Even when the weekend ends, the "welcome back" doesn't. If you're motivated enough to get up for breakfast, a quick chat with Miss Cathy in the omelet line reminds you for the millionth time why you are lucky to go to Wofford. She knows exactly how you like your eggs and she even rushes to get you mozzarella when the line is long because she knows that's how you prefer your cheese. Talking with Miss Rita as she prepares your vanilla cappuccino or iced mocha might just be the best part of returning to campus because she always cares that you've returned to Wofford safely and loves to hear your stories. Women like them might not be actively missed over the weekend, but we sure are glad to be back when we see their smiles come Monday morning.
We can't forget to mention the familiarity of walks with friends to dinner, the comforting sound of the laundry room door opening and closing (because we all still think it's a good idea to wait until Sunday to do laundry when everyone else plans to as well), or even the squirrels who seem to give a big "Wofford Welcome" after your weekend away from campus. Personally, I love returning to a place where I can wave at friendly faces and know many of the people I pass by on my way to the library or Milliken; Wofford is a community that treats you like family and loves when you come home because you were truly missed by people who care about you.
As Thanksgiving break approaches, let us all recognize in our eagerness to leave how lucky we are to have such an incredible place (and equally incredible people) to return to come next Sunday afternoon. May the rattle of your keys as you unlock your door ring out, "Wofford, I'm home!" and may the warm glow of lights in the library comfort you as students settle once again into our routines.
