Clancy O’Connor, Kambi Gathesha, Vanessa Williams, Keith McDonald, and Mary Rasmussen enjoyed the annual Circle Line cruise, which included dinner and dancing as well as spectacular views of the city. (Photo by Clara Jackson)

Sunday, Aug. 25—Day One
I will always remember August 25 as the day I stepped into the world—away from my parents' watchful eyes and into a community of artists. I arrived at Juilliard after driving around the block a total of three times! Greeted by smiling veterans of the unknown, my parents and I unloaded my belongings. Amazingly, four hours later, my things were all in my room and my parents were gone. My roommate, a dancer, had left a note saying that La Traviata was in the CD player; I knew right away that we would get along.

That evening, we had our first floor meeting with the R.A. The mix of people and cultures gave the evening a strange sense of togetherness as we all prepared to give up our lives to our passions. Later that night I went to Triad, a club where the Juilliard Jazz Ensemble was playing-my first night on the town.

Monday, Aug. 26—Day Two
I woke up to find my roommate in the suite area, already warming up and stretching. After breakfast, I went to several orientation meetings, including the president's welcome and Playfair, where I met so many types of people and had a blast! We fought in pretend arguments, back-danced—and I began to feel the Juilliard community as a distinct and life-changing experience. Another favorite activity was the N.Y.P.D.'s New York City safety meeting, which taught us how to protect ourselves when out on the streets (with skits performed by the talented orientation leaders).

Amy Ward and Daniel Shelley came to “Get the Full Scoop” on writing for The Juilliard Journal at the newspaper’s ice-cream social on September 3. ( Photo by Lisa Leon)

Tuesday, Aug. 27—Day Three
I woke up late and almost missed breakfast—then took the L&M test, ate lunch, and took two more tests (in ear training and piano). With my first experience as a Juilliard student, I was eager for school to begin.

Wednesday, Aug. 28—Day Four
After registration, I went to an interesting seminar on "Exploring the Big Picture in the Arts." We paired off with completely different majors and learned a great deal about how expressions can change when you perform them. In this exciting class, the freshmen were introduced to the mentor program—with which I am quite enthralled! Later that night, Juilliard's annual Coffeehouse brought together many wonders and delights from many restaurants around the area.

Thursday, Aug. 29—Day Five
There were two sessions of great importance today: "Man, I'm Broke…" (addressing finances) and the "Here's to Your Health" (introducing Juilliard's Health and Counseling Services). Several of my new friends and I attended both. At night, everyone gathered in the 11th-floor lounge to watch the MTV Video Music Awards. What a great place to meet even more people! Juilliard has begun to seem small—yet infinitely large at the same time.

Anna Wolff, Jessica Sharp and Phillipe Treuille enjoy a little Cajun spice on Mardi Gras Night in the cafeteria. (Photo by Jesse McCormick)

Friday, Aug. 30—Day Six
After a workshop on sexual assault and a tour of musicians' resources in the city, we went to see the Broadway musical Into the Woods, starring Vanessa Williams—a fabulous show! I got back to Juilliard just at the tail end of Karaoke Night, in time to see Group 35 perform their "song of the year" as the last song of the night. I stayed up late again, getting to know different people one-on-one and becoming acquainted with the Big Apple.

Saturday, Aug. 31—Day Seven
I took this day to sleep in, and rest from all the tiring events—then practiced non-stop for several hours. Later, six of us saw Les Misérables near Times Square and ate dinner at Planet Hollywood.

Sunday, Sept. 1—Day Eight
Because of the rain, I passed up the Ikea trip—but laser tag was unbelievably entertaining! A group of many majors and departments, we wore crazy vests and shot lasers at each other in a game of strategy and luck; it was "every man for himself"! This was my third trip to Times Square this weekend.

Monday, Sept. 2—Day Nine
Figuring that no one else in their right mind would go to a theme park on a rainy day, the Juilliard crew decided to forge ahead to Six Flags. Hardly anyone was there, and we were able to ride every ride we could have imagined and more—and still had time to leave on the early bus!

Who were those masked students? Mardi Gras Night brought out the wild side of (left to right) Joy Fellows, Jon Kretschmer, Dorival Puccini, Scott Borg, Kevin Sanders, Gabuka Booi, and Elizabeth Bacher. (Photo by Jesse McCormick)

Tuesday, Sept. 3—Day 10
I went to "Get the Full Scoop," to learn about writing for The Juilliard Journal and enjoy some ice cream. I also met the entire Vocal Arts Department at another meeting. It was eye-opening to discover such a small and intimate group of talented performers, all discovering parts of themselves through their contributions to society. At night, the Circle Line cruise brought everyone closer together with dancing, dinner, and a beautiful sunset. The many sights were astonishing, and I was given another taste of New York—with the sparkling lights as countless as the dreams that abound here.

Wednesday, Sept. 4—Day 11
I had two more vocal meetings, then a Colloquium introduction course. All were interesting and incredibly informative. At Convocation, we were introduced to new technical instruments and ways of performing—with a body suit worn by a dancer that allowed movement to trigger sound. Never have I seen such an interesting piece of art! The last part of my week was spent standing in line, waiting for Reneé Fleming's autograph at Tower Records.

As the night drew to a close and Thursday-morning classes drew nearer, all the excitement and anxiety that had been building up through the week was released. The chance of a lifetime had finally begun, at the greatest conservatory in the world!