In Unorthodox Year, Freshmen Find Comfort In On-Campus Involvement
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State freshman Madison Miller never expected that her bout with COVID-19 would lead to the discovery of a benign tumor, a lavish living situation and a newfound appreciation for on-campus involvement.
Miller and other first-year students say their first year in Happy Valley has been tough at times due to pandemic restrictions and virtual classes. However, extracurricular activities have helped them make the most of an unexpected introduction to college life.
“When it’s so hard to meet people, especially face to face, finding a club or group is essential,” Miller said. “I think the pandemic really pointed that out. College won’t be any easier if you’re going through it alone.”
Miller said finding a “support network” is important for any student. But she discovered that was especially useful when she was recovering from surgery that removed a benign tumor found in her sinus cavity in February. Doctors discovered it months after she tested positive for COVID-19.
“When I was sick, my friends were texting me, calling me, making sure I was OK — same thing with my surgery,” said Miller, who’s now fully recovered. “I’ve just met so many great people with the same interests as me, and I think that’s important when we can feel so alone.”
Miller eagerly returned to campus weeks after her procedure. But to save money, she opted out of her on-campus housing contract and moved into downtown State College’s new Scholar Hotel, located at 205 E. Beaver Avenue, for the remaining weeks of the semester.
She said living in the hotel comes with some perks, including a private bathroom and a kitchen that lets her cook around her dietary restrictions. But Miller noted living the “suite life” on her own only made her more eager to get involved.
“I’m not worried about anyone else anymore. But in a way, I think that’s pushing me to put myself out there,” Miller said. “College and life don’t happen just inside a room. Pandemic or not, it’s good to get out of your comfort zone.
As a broadcast journalism major, Miller sought out extracurricular opportunities that fit her career aspirations. She’s now a Penn State women’s hockey reporter for the university’s athletics department and also spends time with Penn State Network Television, a student-run broadcast outlet.
This semester, Miller joined Centre News Digest — a student-led local news aggregator launched through an entrepreneurial journalism class at Penn State. Through it, she met fellow freshman Emily Grill, a news correspondent for the group who also stressed the importance of getting involved.
“I don’t know what life was like on campus before the pandemic, but it’s dead now,” said Grill, another broadcast journalism major. “Having clubs to join or groups to do things with is sometimes the only thing getting me out of my dorm every day. And I feel like I’m learning and growing, too.”
Both Grill and Miller, alongside a dozen more students, meet weekly to discuss local journalism and plot out each week’s worth of newsletters, social media threads and more. As first-year students, they said getting to know nearby media outlets, including WPSU Radio and the Centre Daily Times, was “eye-opening.”
Professor Anne Hoag leads Centre News Digest alongside multimedia journalism instructor Curt Chandler. She said the project has helped provide undergrads with real-world experience.
“Centre Digest gives our girls a chance to really get out there and curate news while building a brand,” Hoag said. “They get to network, develop Twitter and Instagram threads and get a real feel for journalism in Centre County. In just a few months, we’ve really developed into a tight-knit group.”
Similarly, freshman Jason Vanderhoff said getting involved has helped make up for lapses in education from his online classes. Before coming to campus in August, he joined Penn State’s Engineering House, an on-campus special living option that groups together engineering undergrads at McKee Hall. There, Vanderhoff said he immediately felt welcome.
“It’s such a supportive environment, and everyone’s really friends,” he said. “We study together, hang out and support each other’s projects, which helps when we don’t usually get to go to class in person or get hands-on experiences in labs. Having an academic resource like E-House outside of Zoom means a lot to us, I think.”
Freshmen make up about 60% of E-House’s 300-person population, according to President Michael Tauriello, who said he also joined as a first-year student to get involved right away.
“It’s really a special group. I think E-House is even more important this year since freshmen aren’t able to just experience college the way we had before,” he said. “Freshmen were dealt a rough hand when they got to Penn State, but [special living] options like this are hopefully making a difference for them.”
As their freshman years come to an end, Miller, Grill and Vanderhoff said they’re all looking forward to what comes next at Penn State. All three specifically said they’re excited to head to Beaver Stadium on April 17 as the Class of 2024 receives an exclusive “gameday experience” at one of Penn State’s spring football practices.
Even without that perk, though, these freshmen can say with confidence that they’re living the Penn State experience thanks to their involvements.
“Any freshman needs to find what they love, get involved with it, and find their group of people,” Grill said. “I’ve met my best friends here, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
