Laura and I moved Hannah into her dorm on campus at UD Thursday night. Move in and orientation coincides with the end of the January term, but the number of students on campus is small. Everyone else who didn’t attend January term will be back in Newark this weekend.

Hannah’s room is on the 5th floor of Gilbert Hall. One of her roommates, Marissa, has been on campus during January term, and the other will return soon. Kristy and Mikaela from World Scholars are also on Hannah’s floor, and many of her other WS friends are in dorms nearby.

We met them all yesterday for a coffee before attending the opening session of Spring term New Student Orientation. Including parents, there were probably 500 people in attendance. The university president provided opening remarks, and it struck me as fitting  for these xenophobic times that the president of a major regional East Coast research university hails from Greece. In Hannah’s less than 10 month affiliation with UD, I’ve already found myself proud of the university, its people, its programs, and its decisions and voice more than a dozen times.

I probably immerse myself more than I should in all of the decisions around meal plans, housing, clubs and teams, and classes to help ensure that while Hannah may be far away in distance, she stays nearby in heart and soul. I also happen to be pretty good at sifting through the minutiae, and I have the patience for it and the ability to make rational decisions. I know my over eagerness drives Hannah crazy, but she also appreciates that I care as much as I do. I couldn’t be more proud of her and all that I know she’s going to do in her life.