September Reed Writes In
September 7th, 2026–
Dear Will’s Place,
Greetings and salutations from the Badger State! This year, I’m living on the ninth floor of Eckstein Tower, part of Marquette’s residence hall, the Commons. Dorm living is decently cozy. My work desk is right next to my window, so I can get some natural light while I’m working (as opposed to last year, when my desk was in the space underneath my bed). My room is at the end of the hall on the ninth floor, right next to one of the common spaces where people can do work and hang out. The common space has large picture windows that give a view of Milwaukee stretching out around us. It’s a beautiful sight, especially at the beginning of sunset, when the buildings are bathed in warm, golden sunlight.
Classes began on September 1. My busiest days are Tuesday and Thursday (especially Thursday); my most open day is Friday, when I have only one class. Some classes are easier than others, but they all involve a workload. I’ve had to write an essay, read and take notes on material (including several commentaries on journalism and the first five books of Plato’s Republic), prepare for and attend a career fair on campus, and more. The classes themselves are stimulating, though, and my professors are all nice enough people. Like last year, I’ve found professors who have some interesting stories: my Principles of Journalism teacher, for instance, is the keeper of his grandfather’s World War II memoribilia. One of my classes focuses on disability, and I’m hoping to learn things that I can apply to working at Will’s Place.
I’ve also found time to have fun outside of academics. For example, this month, my friend Jadon and I saw the new movie Coyote vs. ACME in a movie theater. (I recommend seeing that one–it is both hilarious and surprisingly motivating.) I also like to read in the evenings and during meals. I finished a Doctor Who tie-in short story collection, called Doctor Who: Tales of Terror, this month. Now, I’m working through Joe Hill’s horror novel NOS4A2–I’m hoping to finish reading it in time for Halloween.
I keep in touch with my family and friends from home via text and FaceTime. In fact, I got to catch up with a former high school teacher of mine while she was visiting her daughter, who also goes to Marquette! At the same time, I’ve found myself meeting a few new people, who strike up conversations with me in the dining hall. Most of my social life, however, occurs in clubs. Marquette’s extracurricular activities fair, O-Fest, took place on September 10, and I signed up for 4 different organizations. The two I’ve really stuck with are Walking Club, where we take walks together (for our first outing, we went to the Milwaukee Night Market, which reminded me a bit of the Skokie Farmers’ Market); and Milwaukee Fur, the furry fandom club (when I first joined, my phone was constantly ringing with new messages on our Telegram thread). I also tried out (unsuccessfully, alas) for a spot on Marquette Lately, a comedy show on Marquette’s YouTube channel and TV station, MUTV. But the biggest news is that Jadon and I are trying to start a new Doctor Who club at Marquette! In order to register with the Office of Student Activities, our club needs at least five members to start, so I’m trying to find another three people (besides Jadon and I) who might want to join. We’re trying to write something about our club in the school newspaper–hopefully that brings people in!
It’s been an interesting first full month back at college. I’m grateful for people like Marina, Jeff and Colleen texting me and keeping me up to speed on the goings-on at Will’s Place! I heard about Axel from Axe and the Hatchetmen coming in as a guest barista. He seems like a nice guy! How did people like working with him? What have community nights been like? I heard about Bob’s surgery on Friday–how is he doing now? I’m looking forward to reading the September Will’s Place newsletter, and hopefully hearing about all this and more. I hope you are all excited for the month ahead–personally, I’m looking forward to the Empty Pockets releasing their new album on October 22!
Until next time,
Reed Larson-Erf