From the moment students traipse off a shuttle in front of Virginia Tech's Squires Student Center, and register for the two-day new student session, they’ve been getting a taste of that excitement.

It’s a rush of enthusiasm and spirit, cloaked in orange and maroon. Orientation leaders, students who lived through the tragedy and its aftermath, are friendly and try to “pump up” incoming students as much as possible. Most freshmen say the level of camaraderie at the school helped seal the deal.

Read the whole story here.