And just like that, the first week of Connections – Penn College's summer orientation program facilitated by helpful staff and student Links – is history. A comprehensive schedule of activities provides a healthy mix of fun and information, from buying books and selecting a meal plan to learning about academic expectations and social opportunities, that gird new students and their families for the choices and challenges ahead. The next session will begin shortly after the Fourth of July holiday, as enrollees and parents alike celebrate (and occasionally mourn) their impending independence from one another.Photos by Tia G. La, student photographer