As of May 1, 2016, I was permitted the privilege of calling myself a Penn Stater. I had chosen Penn State to be my home for the next four years. When it came time to move in, Mae and I had similar aspects of our new environments to get used to.
Penn State at University Park is a huge campus. There are so many buildings, so many people, and so many activities to get involved in. In The Circle by Dave Eggers, the character Mae is faced with the same challenges. She was awarded the opportunity to work at an organization called the Circle. From the description given in the book, the location is much like the campus of Penn State. Both Mae and I are surrounded by people we did not know and a community that was nothing like we were used to. My high school was not nearly as big and beautiful as Penn State and Mae's old job was completely outdone by her job at the Circle.
Most of the time, when entering a new environment full of people, there will be a welcome committee to get the "newbies" started on their journey. Over the summer, I attended NSO (new student orientation) on campus. The orientation leaders were very helpful in showing us around, where the hangout spots were, the good food places, and what classes to not take. For Mae, on her first day, there were many people who were eager to show her around and help her get accustomed to the Circle. Annie, her sister, showed her the three story library, the glass elevators, and explained to her how the company got started.
Much like the Circle, Penn State has many traditions that multiple generations are expected to carry out. For example, students are not allowed to mix flavors at the Berkley Creamery and whenever someone yells "WE ARE", we are expected to reply by saying "PENN STATE". At the Circle, there are three fundamentals the each worker is required to carry throughout their work experience; communication, understanding, and clarity. Essentially, Mae and I both have to be open to meeting new people and creating new experiences. Also at the Circle, Mae was given new technology so she could keep up with the rest of the organization. This new technology included a new phone and a new tablet. Much like new technology, here at Penn State I was given new software and websites to complete my assignments and do homework on. All of these traditions and items are necessary to becoming fully acquainted with our new homes.
Being a Circler and a Penn Stater required both Mae and I to adapt to being a "newbie". Although it may take some time to getting used to, before we know it Mae and I will be saying "I remember when I first came here".
I really liked how you linked the NSO leaders to Mae's "welcome committee", I hadn't previously connected the two! What I also thought was interesting was how you referred to the "We Are" chant as an expectation. While everyone gets caught up in the excitement while chanting, you forget that it's practically a requirement here. I think you tied the two experiences together really well!
ReplyDeleteI like that you compared the new technology Mae receives with the technology that we have to use at Penn State. I was going to do it, but I couldn't decide on where it would fit into my blog post. You have very good style and tone, but there are a few suggestions I would like you to consider. Try using the present tense for these types of posts, and make sure your facts are straight (i.e. Annie is not Mae's sister; she is just like a sister to Mae). Your transitions and organization are really good, though, so keep up the good work!
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