Siblings Help Each OtherAdjust to College Life It is sometimes repeated around the Harding campus that we are all brothers and sisters. Some of the students have been related longer than others. As is often true, some Harding students had biological brothers and sisters sharing the college exper ience. So what was it like having family at Harding? Like most things in life, it had a positive and a negative side. Coming to school as a freshman with older sibl ings could be rather daunting. f'You're known as someone's brother or sister before you have time to establish your own reputation, " said sophomore Josh Gonzales, who had a brother in the senior class and another in the freshman class. Paying for multiple family members at a private university is a strain on many families' budgets. Senior Alisa Lundy has a brother Ryan, a recent graduate, and a brother, Jordan, a freshman . "Without academic scholarships it wou ld be impossible for us all to attend school at Harding," she said. However, most students with siblings at Harding agreed that there were more positive aspects about having brothers and sisters on campus. For example, older siblings helped smooth the sometimes rough transitions between home and college life. Jordan Lundy said, "I like having someone I already know at Harding. " Lee Rice · Columb ia, Tenn. Ch ri s. Rich· Tul sa, Okla. Lisa Rich - Brenham, Texas Dana Richardson - f.lu rfreesOOro, Tenn. Jami Ri chardson - Booneville,Ark. Reed Richardson - Marietta, S.C. Nicol e Ri chmond - 51. Peters, 1-10. Joshua RiesJand - San Diego, Cal if. Dustin Roberts - Gifford, III. ~1att Roberts - Pell City, Ala. Breanna Robertson - Humble, Texas Lauren Robinson - Waco, Texas Romaura Rodriguez - Anzoategui, Venezuela Dalila Rojas - Queretaro, 1>l exico Pilar Roldan - Arequipa, Peru Rache l Rosenbaum -Valdos ta, Ca. Stephanie Rued - Woodland, Cali f. Kyle Rye - Sherwood, Ark. • 124 PEOPLE Incoming siblings had positive effects on the lives of Harding veterans, as did the older sibling on the younger ones. "Even though it's strange seeing-Jordan every day, I really like it," Lundy said. ''We even have a class together, and that 's a lot of fun. And - he buys me food. " In a student body of thousands, many students enjoyed having family members with whom to share the college experience. "I like having someone here I can relate to," senior Kathy Keller said. "Even though I can 't always run to my mom or dad, I have my sister here to laugh with and to cry with." Some siblings said they did not want to be too overbearing on family members. "I think that it's great having Kathy here, " freshman Elaine Keller said. "I just t ry really hard not to take advantage of the situation. I don 't want to abuse our relationship by not giving her the space that she needs. " Kathy said that was a concern for her before Elaine came. "This summer I was excited about her coming to school with me, but Iwas worried that having me here might make her too dependent," she said. Elaine said she felt that it was a great experience having her sister here with her during her first year of coll ege. "Kathy helped me adjust, " she said. "If she wasn 't here, it wou ld be like not having my best friend with me. " - Becky Price Sophomore Romaira Rodriguez visits with her sister, Romaura, outside the Student Cenler. Brothers and sisters often took time to get together to talk and catch up on each other's lives.
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