In the minds of many Ohio University students, Athens has become home.
For Carter Eckl, a freshman studying journalism and Danville, Cali., native, the 2,500 miles between Athens and his hometown didn’t deter him from embracing an entirely new culture.
“The community and my new ‘family’ here (made it very easy to adjust). Everybody is so inviting,” Eckl said.
The first year, Eckl said that being away from his parents did not necessarily make the adjustment process easier, but the return for Spring Semester assured him he made the right choice.
“Home is a place where you are comfortable enough to go back if you left,” he said.
Ray Wolfe, a senior studying music education, said Athens has become his home after attending OU for the past four years.
“(Home is) definitely Athens. Even when I go back to Findlay, my family even calls Athens my home,” Wolfe said.
The Findlay native said that his experiences with his friends during his time at OU were what made him feel right at home.
In addition to Wolfe’s on-campus friends, he said he has also found himself reaching out to the Athens residents.
“Since (my freshman year), I have been able to branch out and meet a lot of great people who are permanent residents of Athens,” Wolfe said.
Tim Anderson, an associate professor of psychology, said he feels the independence that college offers allows students to feel like they have built their own new home.
“Wherever you set up your own place away from your parents, that place may feel more like home than any other place … It has a special significance for a lot of people,” Anderson said.
While many students find comfort in Athens from day one, Anderson acknowledges that becoming acclimated is a difficult process for many new students.
“For some people, it feels very foreign and scary. People will go back home for a while and come back again,” Anderson said. “Maybe later on they will find a sense of home; the process is unique to every individual.”
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