Augustivus: the moment in a Highlander’s life when the stress of moving in meets the energy and excitement of the upcoming semester. Throughout the years this event has welcomed incoming freshmen with trials that test strength, mental mettle and teamwork. It is here, at Augustivus, that friendships are formed and memories are made. For many, this event shapes and changes their view of Cairn and their classmates. It is an event of first impressions. The question then is, “What impression is being made?”

Personally, I remember when I entered Cairn (at the time, Philadelphia Biblical University) four years ago and the great mix of feelings that whirled inside of me during the Weekend of Welcome. I was excited to be on my own, meet new friends and study what I wanted to study. However, I was also nervous to be on my own and meet new friends. College was a foreign world that was far from the bubble of high school. Then Augustivus happened. Suddenly, that tension and energy was released in a flurry of competition. To me, Augustivus was an intense kickoff to a new chapter of life that left a good and memorable first impression on my mind.

As it turns out, I’m not the only one who feels this way. To prepare for this article I interviewed several incoming freshmen about what impression Augustivus made on them. One freshman, Joe Mancuso, described Augustivus as “a crazy exciting event that was awesome for getting my mind off of all the stress of moving in and being new.” After Augustivus he was encouraged, and felt that Cairn offered a great balance between the serious and the fun. Other freshmen related with Joe’s view; they were “encouraged by meeting people that were friendly and fun,” and found that they liked Cairn even more after participating in Augustivus.

But incoming freshmen are not the only group that are around during Augustivus. Student leaders are also present and Augustivus impacts them just as much as it does the freshmen. These student leaders bring a different perspective to the interview because they have experienced Augustivus not only as a student but also as a leader. Some have even enjoyed it enough to be a student leader two years in a row.

David Wolfe, Captain of the silver team, has attended Augustivus twice, once as a participant and once as a team captain. He describes being team captain as “the most fun I ever had.” He was encouraged by the opportunity to mentor and motivate others as well as the positive response that his team showed to that motivation. For him, Augustivus was a way to invest in and serve others.

Olivia Bomgardner, who has attended Augustivus three times, once as a student and twice as a student leader, remembers that she hated Augustivus as a freshman because of the high energy and craziness. However, a year later, when she returned to serve as a student leader, that same energy and craziness made it so much more enjoyable. This year, that energy and the initiative that the incoming freshman showed in the events was an encouragement to her.

In all, I think Olivia’s description of high energy and craziness, sums up the essence of Augustivus and once again Augustivus has succeeded in welcoming a new class to Cairn. So welcome, class of 2019, and may the rest of your adventures at Cain be full of “high energy” and “craziness.”