From Strangers to Friends: A Musical About Finding Your Place at Waterloo

Duration: ~60 minutes | Location: Humanities Theatre

To Be Honest ‘The Musical’ is the University of Waterloo’s Orientation production designed to foster a welcoming, inclusive, and empowering environment that supports students’ academic and social success. The year-at-a-glance musical, with an all-student cast, addresses key student experiences such as homesickness, mental wellness, academic integrity, consent, and more. With a focus on building community, promoting resilience, and raising awareness of campus resources, the play brings to life institutional goals and frameworks like the Okanagan Charter, WatSEE, and the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce. Through uplifting performances, it aims to create a sense of belonging, empower students to advocate for themselves, and celebrate the diversity and values that define the University of Waterloo.

Download the 2025 TBH Program (PDF)

Check your UWaterloo email on September 8 for the password.
Email the WUSA Orientation team to request it if you didn’t receive the email.

To Be Honest holds open auditions every Winter semester, typically in late February or early March. Keep an eye out for audition posters around campus or check the WUSA website for the latest updates. All students are encouraged to participate—we welcome individuals from all faculties and aim to reflect the rich diversity of our campus community.

To Be Honest: The Musical follows a year in the life of Waterloo students and dives into real topics like homesickness, consent, academic pressure, imposter syndrome, and the challenges of finding your place in a new environment. Written and performed by UWaterloo students and alumni, this orientation experience aims to spark reflection, build resilience, and connect students with community and resources.

See you next year!

• Campus Wellness
• Counselling Services
• Mates Peer Support
• AccessAbility Services
• Student Success Office
• Sexual Violence Prevention & Response Office
• Academic Integrity Office
• WUSA Resources
• WUSA
• Athletics and Recreation
• Multi-Faith & Spirituality Resource Team
• Campus Housing
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism (EDI-R)
• Indigenous Relations
• Center for Career Development
• The Centre
• Sustainability Office
• International Experience Centre
• Wellness Programs and Student Groups
• UWaterloo Life
• Portal
• Emergency Notifications
• Waterloo Values
• W Store

Amanda Kind (she/her) – Director & Lead Script Writer
Monica Durlak (she/her) – Assistant Director & Stage Manager
Paula Bornacelli (she/her) – Dance Captain & Marketing Coordinator
Fiona Lehmann (she/her) – Choreographer
Carlos Fernandez (he/him) – Technical Coordinator
Katie Hickey (she/they) – Lighting Designer
Rafik Alsamkary (he/him) – Sound Designer
Keri Bailey (she/they) – Crew
Jaryn Sunga (he/him) – Apprentice Stage Manager
Sam Hillifer (he/him) & Noah Stolee (he/him) – TBH Interludes
Garret Titus (he/him) – Script Consultant
Areebah Akhtar (she/her) & Cece Ndiwa (she/her) – Photographers, WUSA
Miho Nagayama (she/her) – Creative Lead, WUSA
Sonia Tessaro (she/her) – Marketing Specialist, WUSA

Sandra Gibson (she/her), Manager, Health Education and Promotion, Campus Wellness, University of Waterloo
Becky Wroe (she/her), Orientation & Member Transitions Manager, Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association

Welcome to TBH: To Be Honest – The Musical! We’re so glad you’re here. Starting university is a wild ride – new place, new people, new pressures. Between figuring out friendships, navigating academics, building relationships, and managing the demands of expectations (your own and everyone else’s), it can feel overwhelming. TBH dives into all of that with heart, humour, and honesty to help first-year students feel seen, supported, and set up for success.

The show explores experiences that are totally normal but often not talked about because they can be awkward, uncomfortable, or just plain hard. We touch on big feelings: anxiety of moving away from home, trying to make friends, feeling unprepared or unworthy, dealing with academic stress, and figuring out who you are in the middle of all of it. It’s a lot, but you can do it.

And the best part? It’s a musical – so we tackle all this real-life stuff with awesome songs, high-energy dancing, and a whole lot of fun.

Each year, we work with an incredible team of student performers, campus groups, and university departments to make sure the show reflects a range of perspectives and stays relevant to the real lives of today’s students. Our goal is for every audience member to walk away feeling a little more connected, a little more empowered, and a little more ready to make the most of their university experience.

The title song, TBH: To Be Honest, kicks off the show and gives voice to the hopes, fears, and uncertainties that come with starting something new. The original cast and I created the lyrics together through open conversation. We pulled out words and phrases that captured how it really feels to step into the unknown for the first time at university, and from that, the music and the show began to take shape.

Last year, we were honoured to receive the prestigious Innovative Program Award from NODA Region VII. NODA is the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education and Region VII includes institutions in Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio). We are proud to have this show recognized for its impact.

Thanks so much for joining us! We hope you laugh, learn, and have a little fun along the way. Instead of sitting through a PowerPoint packed with slides, we are going to entertain you while helping you get to know UWaterloo a little better. If you take just one thing from this show, let it be this: You belong here, and support is always available. You might not remember every department, support network or campus club we mention in this show, but remember to reach out when you need help. We’re here to help you thrive. Enjoy the show … Go Warriors!

— Amanda Kind, TBH Director & Script Writer
UW Alumni, Honours BA, 2006

Verse 1
Everything feels like it’s moving so fast
Can’t keep up but I can’t go back
Away from my small town for the first time
On my own, leaving home, hope I get it right

Pre-Chorus
Who am I? Who do they want me to be?
Who am I? Do I even know me?

Chorus
To be honest, I don’t know
Exactly how this is gonna go
To be honest, I’m a bit of a mess
I don’t have it figured out just yet
But I’m trying, redefining
Stumbling to find my way
To be honest, I’m afraid
Hope everything’ll be okay
TBH

Verse 2
Waves of anxiety come and they go
Scroll through my phone, breathe, and try to cope
Wondering if I fit into this crowd
Are you new? Yeah me too? Are we friends now?

Bridge
Excited, nervous, feeling the pressure, can I keep it together?
Where am I going? Feel like I should know this.
Am I good enough? I wanna be good enough.

Final Chorus
To be honest, I don’t know… [Repeat]

🎵 Now streaming! Listen and download the original TBH: To Be Honest song at: Spotify or Apple Music.

Thank you to our campus partners for their support and collaboration in bringing To Be Honest to life. Your contributions—whether through resources, expertise, or encouragement—play a vital role in the success of this production. We are grateful for your commitment to fostering creativity and community at University of Waterloo: Waterloo Orientation, Student Success Office, WUSA, Campus Housing, Campus Wellness, W Store, and the 1000+ student volunteers who make Orientation possible!

Thank you to the W Store for providing a discount on the cast costumes. Check your Orientation kits for your own discount coupon under campus partners.

We’d love your feedback!

Now that you’ve experienced To Be Honest: The Musical, the production team would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Please scan the QR code to complete a short survey — it should only take 3–5 minutes.
Your feedback will help shape future New Student Orientation performances.

Thank you, and have a great semester!