The University of Mississippi welcomed its largest freshman class in history in the fall with an impressive 5,241 students. Like other freshmen, Hunter Parry, a geological engineering major and a member of the fraternity Delta Tau Delta, took a little over a month to adjust to college life, as he endeavored to find his community.
“I’d say it took me about a month and a half to get fully adjusted. I think what I struggled most with, like a lot of young students do, was finding my place and rhythm during the first few weeks of being in Oxford,” Parry said. “It took time for me to find my people, but now that I have, it’s been amazing.”
Once Parry found his rhythm at the university, he says that he came to appreciate the independence and social opportunities of college.
“My favorite part of university has to be the freedom and array of choices that you get to make as a college student,” Parry said. “I’ve also really loved all the people I’ve met, whether it be my fraternity brothers or the people that have come along with it.”
Parry stated he has high expectations for the rest of his first year, planning on keeping his grades up and making connections to help him in his future career as well as enjoying the spring semester.
“This semester, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with all the new friends I’ve made and getting back to the flow of Oxford. I’m also excited for beer showers in Swayze, since baseball has been my sport since I was a kid and is always my favorite. I’m looking to volunteer as a youth baseball coach in the spring,” Parry said.
Like Parry, fellow freshman Brenna Wetsell has had a rewarding first semester despite some struggles along the way. Wetsell, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater arts, stated that she adjusted to university life after a few weeks and has since been heavily engaged with the performing arts community.
“So far this year, I have been able to work within the (theater) department’s costume shop and help actors in main stage productions with their costumes, hair and makeup during shows,” Wetsell said. “I have also been able to perform in the Ford Center’s black box theater in the Ghostlight Repertory Theatre’s production of ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.’”
Wetsell is also a member of the theater honor society Alpha Psi Omega. Highlighting some of the difficulties that can come with pursuing a BFA, Wetsell explained this degree can sometimes be more time-consuming than others.
“While my courses are mostly major-specific ones, my downtime is also often filled with major-specific requirements outside of class,” Wetsell said. “I am required to audition for every mainstage show and to help with any show I am not cast in.”
Despite the challenges she has faced, Wetsell remains steadfast in her passion for the BFA program.
“Even if it can be tiring sometimes, I love what I do, and I’m rewarded with the amazing people I meet and interact with,” Wetsell said.
Wetsell said she looks forward to learning more about theater and performance and having more opportunities to work in different sections of the theater during the spring semester.
Reflecting on his experiences as a freshman, Parry stated his time at UM has exceeded his expectations.
“My expectations coming into Ole Miss were relatively high since it has always been my dream school,” Parry said. “But my experience has been 10 times better than whatever I could’ve imagined, and I cannot wait for all the ups and downs to come along with the rest of my college career.”
