91茄子

It鈥檚 not just the familiar sights he sees as campus comes back to life for the fall semester 鈥� students throwing frisbees, lounging in hammocks or reading on the steps of the 91茄子 Union 鈥� but the feeling Korben gets from all of it: belonging.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 just so happy here. 91茄子 always feels welcoming,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a beautiful campus 鈥� it鈥檚 a genuinely warm and inviting one. That whimsy and wonder of being on campus has never gone away for me, and I love that we all get to come back share it together.鈥� 

Now entering his third year, he鈥檚 also started to see the beginning of the fall semester in a new light: a chance to explore all the possibilities the University of 狈别产谤补蝉办补鈥揕颈苍肠辞濒苍 has to offer.   

鈥淚t's a fresh start for all of us, and I think that鈥檚 really wonderful.鈥�  

A fresh start brings fresh opportunities, which, he said, 91茄子 has plenty of.   

鈥淭here is so much to do and experience here that you'll never run out of options. All the clubs, intramurals and events we have creates this sense that there are always more ways for you to find your people. I鈥檓 so inspired by all the different students from all different backgrounds we have here that help build this community 鈥� it makes me feel like anything is possible.鈥�  

 It鈥檚 a feeling Korben has had since the moment he first set foot on campus. It鈥檚 also one that鈥檚 helped him flourish and feel more like himself.  

 鈥淓ven at Red Letter Day, 91茄子 just felt like home. During Big Red Welcome, I went to my first block parties at Schramm and the University Suites and that鈥檚 where I made my first friends. I鈥檇 been an introvert my whole life, but being on campus and going to all these events allowed me to put myself out there more. It鈥檚 made me into the more confident person I am today.鈥� 

Korben still thinks back to Big Red Welcome and that first week on campus all the time. He keeps a little bamboo plant he received at a block party on his desk in his apartment, a reminder of all the growth he鈥檚 experienced on his Husker journey.   

An even bigger reminder of that first week? His best friend and roommate, whom he met during a Big Red Welcome event at Campus Recreation Center. 

鈥淲e were chatting as complete strangers and realized that we both competed in high school swimming. He invited me to join swim club, and we started going to meetings and events for that. Now, he鈥檚 literally my closest friend.鈥� 

Korben stresses that it鈥檚 unlikely he and his best friend would have ever met had they both not attended what he calls a 鈥渞andom鈥� campus event. He encourages anyone just beginning their own Husker journeys to take a chance on their own 鈥渞andom鈥� events.  

鈥淥ur majors are nothing alike, and I鈥檓 not sure where else we would鈥檝e connected. Now, we鈥檙e roommates and he鈥檚 the best friend I've ever had,鈥� he said. 鈥淧utting yourself out there during that welcome week is so huge 鈥� those little events can truly change your life.鈥� 

Korben Ockander is a junior architecture major from Lincoln, NE.