September 19—Now that students have settled to the residence halls and classes are underway, Northwestern students who served as Orientation Leaders share their favorite experiences—belly-laugh hilarious and spiritually gripping moments—during New Student Orientation 2011.

“My favorite moment of orientation was….”

…when one of my students said, “Is it just me, or is everyone super kind here?!”

….when a mom dropped her son off and yelled "Free!" as she drove off. It provided a lot of humor for us.”

…God working through our group. We have all gotten along so well! Our service project was to paint an elderly disabled woman's garage, and we met her and talked to her. We started out with a student praying, and the woman was excited to join in. Students got talking to her later, and found out that she believes in a Higher Power, but that she has looked into all the major religions and thinks that they're all man-made. So some students talked to her about Jesus and the message of the gospel, and I had the honor of praying with her with one of my fellow students and brother in Christ. He asked her if he could pray for her, and he prayed that she would have a revelation of God's love and grace, as well as being blessed. She gave her number to both [my Orientation Leader partner] and I, and she told us to stop by any time and that she really enjoyed having us there and that she was so thankful for us. We are thinking about planning an event for our group to visit her. Perhaps witness more to her through our actions, and shower God's love upon her?!! I almost left her house in tears, because of God's love in our students. And I'm almost crying, now, again, as I type this. I don't know what God's doing. But He's crazy.”

…right before Tangled, when my group and I danced it up at the front of MaHa [Maranatha Hall]. So many laughs and SO much fun!” :)

...the first night and how after a slow start we ended in a circle asking basic questions like "what is your favorite movie" and being able to laugh, comment and agree on another's selection. I also really enjoyed being a part of the line of students dancing while waiting for Tangled to begin.”

…finding out one my students went to the same school in Italy as me!”

…when I was waiting in the Student Center with [my Orientation Leader partner] for our group to meet for Vespers and we got discouraged because only a couple showed, but then when we [went inside] they were all sitting together and called us over to join them and it was an amazing time of bonding, prayer, and worship!”

… the campus scramble because everyone was having fun and really wanted to earn a bag of candy!”

…when we broke up into groups the first day, and did the three questions game after doing a trust walk on the first night, and then afterward, we had them pray for their partner, and then we prayed as a group. Then I fell into the lake, but that is another story. Lol.”