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By Chelsea Farnam
Johnson City Press
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MILLIGAN COLLEGE — This year’s freshman class at Milligan College said goodbye to their parents and hello to college life Sunday with a welcome week kickoff event at Doe River Gorge.
“This is a really big community building activity that we do,” said Katy Mosby, director of campus activities at Milligan. “This is the first day they have to run around and get to know each other.”
After moving into their dorms this weekend, the 265 freshmen bid farewell to their families, then rode in vans to Doe River Gorge Sunday afternoon, where they participated in a day of sports, adventure activities and worship.
Milligan has made the event part of welcome week for the past four years.
“Sunshine and lots of water are the magic mix for college freshmen having a good time on their first day of college,” said Mosby, as the newest herd of Buffaloes played beach volleyball, slid down the zip line and swam in the lake behind her.
Many students — especially those who came to Milligan from lengthy distances — found the event to be a helpful transition.
“I’ve already met a lot of people,” said 18-year-old Delila Danch of New Wilmington, Pa. “I’m coming into this not knowing anybody, so it’s just a whole new experience becoming more independent and getting to meet people on my own today.”
Danch said one of her favorite parts of the day was bouncing on the Blob — a 25-foot long inflatable water trampoline that students jump on from a platform.
Stephen Joiner, 18, agreed. “Today has been pretty great. I got Blobbed. I Blobbed. It’s been the coolest day so far,” he said.
While many freshmen said they came to Milligan because of church connections or opportunities to play sports, the small community focus was also a big draw for newcomers.
Tyler Ward, 22, attended the event as a transfer student, coming to Milligan as a junior.
“It’s definitely a different environment,” said Ward, who will major in Bible. “It’s small and gives you the opportunity to get much more involved with everybody and everything going on. You don’t get lost in the shuffle.”
Mosby explained that events like Sunday’s Doe River adventure are important at Milligan because the college experience is more than what takes place in the classroom.
“Education is something that we embrace as a community,” said Mosby. “It not only shapes the person; it shapes the group as a whole. We grow and we learn together because we are the body of Christ.”
After a student-led worship service in the evening, the students ate s’mores and headed back to campus. The campus starts classes on Wednesday.