Our cover model, Oliver, belongs to Amelia Wilcox ’23, who unboxed his new duds for him last semester.

Unboxing

Today’s student has embraced delivery and, no matter what they need, they’re sending out for it. And we’re not (just) talking pizza anymore. Furnishings, HelloFresh meal kits, feline accessories: They’re in a van and on their way to SNC.

Furnishings? You mean, like futons? Fridges, even? Of course. Why schlepp your larger dorm-room needs from home all the way to school in the back of the family hatch-back if, instead, you can FedEx them straight to campus. Most moving-to-college shopping is done online in any case, and it’s as easy to enter 100 Grant St. in that address field as it is your parents’ home. Less strain on dad’s back, too!

Feline accessories? Well, Etsy makes a nice study break in the middle of exams, and (online) retail therapy is available right there in your res hall. And sometimes you just need a hard-to-source item – a special gift, a prop for your Knight Theatre production, material for your research project, zooplankton, a sea star packed in preservative … Yes, science, too, depends on shipping. (In fact, it’s FedEx that, with all care and respect, brings to campus those cadavers on which the next generation of doctors will hone its human-anatomy skills.)

And then there are the care packages, of course. One SNC grandma even boxed up a month’s worth of Halloween treats in a specially crafted crate: Chase Cassel ’25 and his room-mate enjoyed them on the daily. Some things never change! Read on for more.

Science!
Birdcages and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, equally, arrive by mail. Students of Stephen Ferguson and Adam Brandt (Biology) will be using them in their several research partnerships.

Nom nom
Snacks help you study harder! Jacinta Maslanka ’24 orders her ramen in multipacks; Alyssa Peters ’25 has a mom who was kind enough to send her a hot-chocolate care package “just in time for St. Nick and preparing for finals.”

Meow
Oliver’s human is Amelia Wilcox ’23, who unboxed his new duds for him last semester. Lily Maier ’24, student worker in the magazine office, lent us her new folding sofa (also delivered!), so Oliver would have something to sit on for his photo op.

Adorbs
Roommates Valerie Cohen ’25 and Daphne Johnson ’24 went shopping online. Those cowboy boots spelled country feet; the Baby Yoda plushie was purchased as a gift.

I buttle, sir
For Halloween, William Salentine ’25 needed a costume. He and his friends went as the characters from the boardgame Clue!, and he was the butler.

A Word From Our Art Director
The Unboxing feature was conceived to highlight the varied and unique items students, faculty and staff have shipped to campus – ties for Oliver
 the cat, a plush Yoda and gummy bears, oh my! And Oliver was such a star – proudly strutting around the studio in his tie once he warmed up to the camera. He can also sport an adorable little cowboy hat when the mood strikes.

But planning the photo shoot also reminded me of all the little things that bring us joy and comfort. Students told us about cookies and treats from grandma, cocoa from mom, gummy bears from dad. When I was a student, one of my roommates had a small closet that served as overflow storage for her treats from home. There was always more than enough for all four of us. I’ll never eat animal crackers or see a pink plaid robe and not reminisce about our magical, shared time in that third-floor apartment.

What items evoke your fondest college memories? We love hearing from you! And for our loyal readers making note of the new signature (art director Laura here) below, fear not, Susan will once again pen the summer issue editorial. – Laura Treichel

March 17, 2022