Items freshmen ‘couldn’t live without’

Moving away from home for the first time can be a little stressful, but many of this year’s freshmen class entered the residence halls armed with at least one item that would make them feel at home anywhere.

We asked a few freshmen the question, “What is the one item you couldn’t live without?” Here is just a handful of the responses we received.

Freshman Taylor Rasmussen hails from Wichita and decided on Newman because the theater department “hooked” her in high school. “I will be double-majoring in English and theater, and I’m most excited to live away from home,” she said, smiling. “I brought all six of my ‘Saw’ movies with me, and I don’t even have a TV yet.”

Freshman Max Bajza is from Boulder, Colorado and brought a shoe rack filled with every pair of shoes he owns. “I like it because it’s a different thing I can wear every day,” he said.

Bajza’s roommate, Crae Pfannenstiel, also arrived at Newman with his favorite item to wear — his pineapple outfit.

“It is a pineapple shirt with my matching pineapple shorts, and it just depends on the day what type of shoes I wear with it,” Pfannenstiel said. “But this is definitely my go-to and I couldn’t live without it.”

Pfannenstiel, who is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to Newman to play baseball and will study pre-medicine. “Besides showing off all of my cool outfits, I’m probably most excited for the classes,” he said. “(I like) how small the campus is and how the community is so tight.”

Freshman Keith Williams came to Newman to study information technology and is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to attend, plus it wasn’t too far away from home,” he said.

“I brought my wooden sword that I got from Japan two years ago,” Williams said. “In high school, I was given the chance to go to Japan as a student diplomat, as a part of the Student Diplomacy Core, and I had a great time while I was there and thought it would be a great way to remember the trip.”

Freshman Elena Cummings and her family moved to Wichita from Stuart, Florida, over the summer. “My family is all around here, so we visited at Christmas,” she said. “That’s when I fell in love with the campus and decided that this is where I have to go. I liked the homey feel and the smaller community — it’s like you know everybody.

“I brought my blanket that I’ve had since I was a baby. His name is ‘Bluey,'” she said with a laugh. “We used T-shirts from all of my old clubs and everything that I have done since middle school on, and we put it as a cover. It even has its original buttons.”

Curious to see what other “must-have” items freshmen brought with them to the residence halls? Check out our photo album below!