Freshmen find their place in the aftermath of auditions

Freshmen are still reeling from the new activities and changes the last three weeks have offered. Classes have started, the Street is already losing some of its charm and suddenly paper deadlines and tests loom overhead. Princeton life has rapidly changed from a hangout town where the main activities consist of seeing old friends and meeting new ones into a stringent and tightly-scheduled work environment. Most of the members of the Class of 2008 now know the friends they will be eating meals with and what clubs and sports will claim their time.

For freshmen, these decisions are ones that could very well dictate the next four years; they have only a few weeks to form their identities here, and now they are left with the consequences.

Sonya Hseih '08 auditioned unsuccessfully for two dance groups and successfully for the University Orchestra. In the process, she discovered that "it's a little weird" for freshmen to be "competing with each other" again, after already getting into Princeton.

Although most freshmen realize the stress of that burden, they generally retain the enthusiasm they had when they first got off the OA buses. Whether they were accepted to their performing arts group of choice, only made it to callbacks or didn't even get that far, the freshmen still exude that defining characteristic of the Princeton student: the eagerness to excel at everything.

Rich Lebano '08 said he had "only positive experiences" at the auditions he attended. Regardless of the results, auditions provide an outlet to "meet new people, have new experiences and receive positive criticism about how you can improve." Lebano went through the grueling process of auditioning for four a cappella groups, the Glee Club and the Princeton University Players' production of "Into the Woods." Having secured spots in the Glee Club and "Into the Woods," Lebano spoke animatedly about the future and the possibility of running for leadership positions with these groups. That he did not get called back for the a cappella groups does not deter him. He intends to try out again, keeping in mind the suggestions made to him by current members of the groups.

But Lebano conceded, "Coming from being at the top of your high school, [auditions] bring you down to size...you ask yourself why everyone seems more comfortable than you."

The reality of rejection can be especially difficult after the initial push groups give freshman to try out. Hseih said the open houses gave "a false sense of encouragement that you'll get in," but added that she doesn't "blame them because they want more people to try out."

Daniel Silverman, the director of Princeton's Center for Counseling and Psychiatric Services, said stress runs high during the first week of school. "Moving away, figuring out what classes to take and deciding what organizations to join can be very overwhelming."

In addition to these aspects of arriving on campus, Princeton's selectivity remains a factor even after the initial acceptance letters. Silverman said, "Many things at Princeton are exclusive in nature, so that there will always be disappointment. The key is to get past that initial disappointment and to be able to put it into perspective."

Yet many freshmen, used to a competitive environment, see the selectivity of Princeton activities as an incentive to improve and ultimately garner acceptance.

Jordan Rodriguez '08 was accepted into Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra that is less exclusive than the Princeton University Orchestra. Although he is happy to be a part of a musical group, it is not the one of which he was striving to become a member, and he intends to work hard in preparation for the Orchestra's spring auditions. "I've been through orchestra auditions for the past seven or eight years," he said, "and this is the first one I haven't made. But that's the way life is. There must be certain standards. I'll just keep on trying."

Orchestra director Michael Pratt encourages just that. He advises Sinfonia members to "take advantage of" the opportunities Sinfonia offers. He cited examples of previous members who "practiced hard, re-auditioned later and were accepted" into the Orchestra.

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Although groups holding auditions quietly post or email a list of accepted members, the experience of acceptance more obviously manifests itself in the hard-to-miss experience known as pickups. This ritual highlights those who are accepted and makes the first moments, or in some cases hours, of "getting in" memorable. Few students slept through the piercing sounds of theater, dance and a cappella groups during their pickups last week; despite the temptation to grouchily yell down at them to be quiet, their excitement was palpable and infectious.

According to Derek Yecies '08, pickups for the Tigertones involve being covered in beer, eating Burger King, singing embarrassing songs and going through other "introductory rituals."

Aparna Balasubramanian '08 regrets missing her pickup for Naacho, the Indian dance group that held auditions for the first time this year, but she said, "I heard they went to the rooms playing bhangara music on a boombox and silly-stringing people." On Sept. 18, new a cappella members advertised their acceptance in the newbie arch sing under Blair Arch.

These practices make some people consider the more exclusive groups to have a greater sense of closeness. Rodriguez said, "Going through an audition process binds people. There is a mutual feeling that you made it."

Nitin Walia '06, who helps administer auditions for Princeton South Asian Theatrics, or P-SAT, agreed that auditions "provide an outlet for people who will be really committed. I have a greater sense of conviction for the groups I auditioned for."

Group identity is a ubiquitous aspect of Princeton student life and one that hardly ends after the first few weeks. Silverman described how it continues through "eating clubs, fraternities, sororities [and] concentration programs." Whatever organizations we end up being part of, the process of proving yourself and improving yourself is one that will not end. Although, it all takes place within the shelter of our Orange Bubble, the competition and rejection is still a very real part of life at Princeton.