To The Herd of Freshmen

Hello friends. I'm writing this entry from my sauna-like dorm room at Syracuse University. Yes, I am back in Cuse after an exciting summer in New York and a short one week stint in the beautiful Manchvegas AKA Manchester, NH. Though I wish I could be home, I had to come back to school early for my favorite time of year... RA TRAINING!!! Ten long days of lectures, bulletin boards, lectures, door decorations and did I mention lectures?! Who could ask for anything more? I sure could. Anyway, the end of training marks the beginning of opening. Soon the halls of BBB will be flooded with incoming freshmen and the few upperclassmen that got screwed and somehow ended up in BBB.

Oh, freshmen. I think it will be pretty easy to point them out. The smell of fear that clings to them is as pungent as moldy cheese... of the french variety. Their beady little eyes dart around the room as their minds try to deduce which of the many people surrounding them will become their new best friends. Their nervous laughter is constant, even when nothing is funny. These are the traits of a freshman.

Many moons ago, I was a freshman. I know, it's hard to believe, but there was a time when I was awkward... wait a minute, I'm still awkward. Now that I think about it, a lot of the freshmen come here acting like they already own the place. They know exactly where to go for parties and which sororities and frats they want to be in come springtime (don't even get me started on Greek Life). Plus, they've already made a ton of "friends" via Facebook. Many freshmen today come to school cool, comfortable and relaxed. Well, here's what I've got to say to the Gucci sunglasses wearing, Coach purse toting, sorority bound freshmen.

Your first year here is a good time to find yourself, but it's also when herd mentality is at it's worst. Don't get sucked into being a carbon copy if you don't want to be. Forge your own path at this university and discover who you are and what's important to you along the way. If being involved in a frat or sorority is something that's really important to you, do it, as long as you're doing it for yourself and not just to fit in. Don't let people like me give you shit for it either. I really shouldn't only be giving Greek Life a hard time. Anyway, remember that college is a place of higher education, not just one big party. Expand your mind. Be a nerd. Read. Go see the Winslow Homer exhibit at Schaefer. Get out of your comfort zone. Go to class... seriously. You might be reading this and saying what the hell does this Greek Life hating nerd know about anything. 1) Hate is a very strong word, and I'm actually a part of Greek Life. Though there are some pretty big differences between APO and Tri-delt. 2) I speak from experience. I was all about the herd mentality my first semester here, and I thought that life at Cuse wasn't so bad. Come second semester, I ditched that attitude, did everything I wanted to do and really found myself. Now, I love my life here. So, welcome to Syracuse all you freshmen. It's hardly an infinite abyss, but good luck exploring it.

Peace,
Kim