Nearly 400 first-year and transfer students formally joined the Knox College community on Thursday, September 7, 2017, as President Teresa Amott and other College officials welcomed them to campus.

"You have traveled from near and far to this threshold," President Amott told the students and their families. For most incoming students, Galesburg will be a new home, she noted.

"Consider this city, with its remarkable history, a place for you to make your own history," she said. "And consider it a place where you can engage with the city and its residents" through community service, internships, and other opportunities.

"Many of you want to change the world," she added. "Start here. This is a place where you can begin to practice that art of civic engagement."

President Amott told the students that Knox faculty members "are singularly dedicated to you." Furthermore, she said, everyone on campus is a teacher and a learner.

"Don't just be a consumer of knowledge. Be a producer of knowledge," she said.

For the next few days, the new students will start learning more about one another and the overall Knox community through various orientation activities. Some of them took time to answer a few questions:

What are your impressions of Knox so far?

"It's big, quiet, and very green. A lot of walking. Very diverse, like everyone—people from everywhere are here."—Rish Kumar, who has lived in Bangkok, Thailand; Istanbul, Turkey; and Mumbai, India.

"I first came here in April on Admitted Student Day, and I was immediately struck by how nice everyone is. I come from L.A., and no one talks to anyone else in L.A. So I was struck by A, how wonderfully nice everyone is, and B, just how gorgeous the campus is. It's like a Walt Whitman poem. I'm so excited, and good omens keep appearing. I can't wait to get started."—Veronica Kimball Langley from Los Angeles, California.

"I looked at a lot of schools, but I sort of felt the most comfortable at Knox. My first impression was that all the people I met with seemed like the kind of people I wanted to have conversations with." — Charles Mennerick from St. Louis, Missouri.

What clubs and organizations are you thinking of joining?

"I know of the International Club, the Africana Club, the Spanish Club, but I'm still undecided."—Efolebi Oluwabamisa of Nigeria.

"Book Club, possibly intramural sports, and maybe some service clubs, too."—Alyssa Randel of Chicago, Illinois.

"I'm going to be a theatre major, so I definitely want to be involved in all of the theatre productions and also see if I can volunteer with Prairie Players (a community theatre group in Galesburg)."—Marion Frank from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

What's one thing you couldn't leave home without?

"Everything in my two suitcases are things I couldn't leave behind. I have these two little stuffed toys that I don't really see much, but they remind me of home. I have a couple of pictures. Oh, and my Dadi, my grandmother, makes these kind of savory biscuits, so I have a huge packet of those for days that I'm homesick."—Karina Khanna from Mumbai, India.

"My ‘Magic: The Gathering' collection."—Ryan Earles from Boulder, Colorado.

"I knew I couldn't live without some spice jars from home, just in case. I have hot sauce in case the cafeteria is lacking."—Richard Mitchell Goyle from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

What's on your Knox bucket list?

"To explore the area and go places."—Frank Thompson from Johnston City, Illinois.

"I want to join the equestrian team because I love horses and I never had the time to be around them a lot before."—Claire Malast from Chesterfield, Missouri.

"Rep Term."—Josiah Schock from Birmingham, Alabama.

Here are some key facts about the Fall 2017 entering class:

Number of new students: 392

Students of Color: 36%

• Latino/Hispanic: 16%
• Asian/Pacific Islander: 7%
• African-American/Black: 14%
• Native American: 2%

International Students: 18%

Number of States Represented: 32

Number of Countries Represented: 25