A Mountian

Your parents just left town after moving you into your freshman dorm and this rush of freedom runs ramped through your mind and body. You just met a few kids from your floor and all anybody wants to do is go out and explore your new surroundings. Not being familiar with campus (one of the largest in the country) you don't know where to start the "journey" with all of these new found friends. Then somebody picks up a flyer for the annual white washing of the A on Tempe Butte (A Mountain) and there it starts. The "A" on A mountain is one of, if not the most recognizable symbols at ASU. Every year the school organizes a freshman gathering where everybody climbs the mountian and paints a small part of the A white. I remember it was 109 degrees my first journey to the summit and I learned a valuble lesson: Always bring water and a sweat rag. There's a certian feeling you get while your at the top and it's not just dehydration. Not only can you look around and see the entire campus, Mill Ave, downtown Phoenix, and mountians in the distance but some would argue you can see your future. I compared that initial feeling of being at the top to what Rocky must have felt like at the top of the staircase in Philidalphia. As you look out you realize alot about yourself and it serves as one of the first surreal moments your likely to have while attending school. I met alot of friends that I'm still close to today at freshman gatherings and hiking A mountian was one of the most fulfilling.

Advice: Meet the people on your floor and use going to the mountain as a bonding experience. Don't forget to invite the shy kid at the end of the hall (he might just become a good friend) and even more importantly the cute girl/guy that lives next door (you might just find a "cuddle buddy").