Fresh freshmen speak their minds

It may seem like those dorm days are long gone. All those days of student activity fairs, big lectures, and lost walks to class may not even seem to be in your memory. But yes, you too had to go to Student Orientation. Inside found four fearless and fresh freshmen to share about the experience they hope to have in Hoosier country.

Name: Kyle Murray

Hometown: Georgetown, Ind.
Dorm: Wright
Major: English
What made you decide on IU? The first time I visited I was in awe of its bigness and beauty. I didn’t visit many other universities; I just knew I wanted to go there.
How are you going to keep IU fresh? Well, actually my ultimate goal is to become a professor in English at IU.
What activities do you want to get involved in? I am a part of the Marching 100 so I will be on that for four years...I also want to write for one of the IU publications.
If you were to go down in the history books, what would your legacy be? I guess to be a noted author who graduated from IU.
Are you working on anything now? I’m actually starting to write a book now; I’m a couple chapters into it. It’s a mix between science fiction and fantasy, I call it surrealism.
What are hopes for starting at IU? I hope to succeed and that I don’t slack off.


Name: Owais Khan

Hometown: I’m moving from Dubai but I actually moved to Dubai in 10th grade and before I used to live in Chicago since like third grade and I was actually born in Houston.
Dorm: Briscoe
Major: Maybe finance or political science
What made you come to IU from United Arab Emirates (Dubai)?
I was visiting campuses around the area and a few in Boston, but as soon as I got to IU’s campus I knew it was the school I wanted to go to because of the gorgeous setting. And then I found out later that the business school is top ranked in the nation.
What qualifies you to be a Hoosier?
Well I don’t exactly know, but I love basketball so I guess that’s a start, and I hope I can figure that out when I’m actually there
What fresh ideas and qualities do you bring to IU? I hope I can bring some diversity to IU considering where I’m moving from and the places I’ve been and I also want to contribute to the school’s already amazing academic reputation and just get into the business school!
How do you see yourself when you graduate? I hope to graduate as a well-rounded and balanced person that has accomplished a lot at IU and as a person who is ready to deal with the challenges of the real world.


Name: Dayana Arellano

Hometown: Highland, Ind.
Dorm: Teter
Major: Business
So what do you want to do at IU and what fresh ideas do you bring? I want to join a lot of clubs and join the newspaper. I went to Mexico this summer and there was this magazine that found the coolest people in the city. It was a Gossip Girl thing. I want to find people at IU that stand out and write about their lives.
What do you hope to accomplish at IU? My main goal is to get good grades and succeed and do well in school. And to get the most out of everything offered at IU.
If you were to go down in the history books, what would your legacy be? It would be cool to do something that helps kids that are abandoned and volunteer. I want to be a philanthropist.
Describe yourself: I’m pretty responsible. I try to get things done and if they aren’t done the right way I take charge.
How do you see yourself at the end of your four years? I see myself done with a good GPA and a diploma. But I’m not sure about my future career.


Name: Brittney Brown

Hometown: Evansville, Ind. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky.
Dorm: Read
Majors: Psychology and Theater Arts
Why did you choose to go to IU? My junior year I went on campus tours that were part of this honors class. I looked a lot into the school and found out it has an amazing music school and I really admire that. I don’t think I fell in love with anything faster than I did with IU.
Your majors are a pretty interesting combination. What made you decide on them? I really love musical theater, but I didn’t audition for the program; I will next year. I love learning about theater and I’m really excited about taking an acting class for my major this semester. I love psychology, but I’m not ready to stop studying theater.
What’s with psychology? I want to be a therapist. I’m realistic. There is a really small window for musical theater so I want to have an interesting backup plan, one that I know I’m good at and will enjoy.
What qualifies you to be a Hoosier? I’m really excited to go to IU games and get really into it. I plan on going fan crazy. I used to never watch professional sports, but it means more to me because I have a part of it.
How are you going to keep IU fresh? I’ve gotten e-mails to audition for West Side Story. There are a lot of musical and play auditions coming pretty soon. West Side Story auditions are a week after I move in!
Wow! You are getting involved with everything so soon. Why’s that? If you pay as much as you do, get the most out of your money for it.


When Michael Rolland, 2008 IU graduate, was a freshman, he and his buddies were in his dorm room and craved some Chinese food, but didn’t know where they could order it. An idea was born. Rolland and his friend launched Btownmenus.com, a Web site where students can order from an array of Bloomington restaurants online.

Rolland informally surveyed IU students from McNutt and Briscoe and asked how they determined where to order food. “Most students replied 411, 855-IUIU and Google,” Rolland said. “And I knew the Web site had a real possibility of working.” Getting the menus onto the Web site was simple, but having restaurants sign up for online ordering was more difficult. “The toughest part was to get a 45-year-old restaurant owner to rest trust in an 18-year-old college student,” Rolland said. But he prevailed. Btownmenus.com now has 35 restaurants that students can order from online. The Web site launched in August 2005, Rolland’s sophomore year. With lots of passion, dedication and promoting, Rolland has made Btownmenus.com known throughout the IU campus. Here he gives freshmen some valuable advice on how to enjoy college and make your ideas a reality.

* Do what you want to do; you don’t have this luxury after college.
* Stay open minded. People go into cliques even though IU is very diverse. Meet people from all over the world.
* A lot of people talk about great ideas, but don’t execute them. Don’t be afraid!
* I learned more from having a hands-on experience with Btown menus than I had in the classroom. Experience life. Don’t just expect to spend time studying, experience new things.
* Be passionate and dedicated to whatever you do.