Chapter 29:
It just keeps getting
better:
Brotherhood
May 2014
Each year during the last Admissions Ambassador’s meeting
some of the senior ambassadors stand up and give a “senior moment.” The moment
gives them time to reflect on their four years as an ambassador and a student.
They use this time to share advice and funny stories to the other ambassadors
in the room. By far, this is my favorite time of the year because for each
“senior moment” I feel like I learn something new. The “senior moment” that
really stood out to me came from a girl that asked a simple question. If you
could give each semester a word or a phrase what would it be?
She told us that someone had asked her the question just a
few days before the meeting, and she found enjoyment when reflecting back on
each semester. Even though I haven’t been in college for eight semesters, I
figured I could give it a try for the four semesters I have been here.
Semester 1 (freshman) – Tried
everything
Semester 2 (freshman) – Banana
Man
Semester 3 (sophomore) – B-School
Semester 4 (sophomore) – Brotherhood
The first three semesters probably made since to most of
you, but the last one, “brotherhood” is something that I haven’t had much time
to talk about.
This past year I was lucky enough to live with five of the
best guys I have ever met. However, one of the guys didn’t live with us second
semester because of an internship program through his major. Anyways, since I had
met the guys during my freshman year I knew that this year would be one I would
never forget.
Our suite was definitely a diverse group, but that didn’t
have any effect on our relationships. Each of us had a different major, each
did different things outside of the suite, but when we were all together we
made some awesome memories. Just to give you a taste of the intellect I was
surrounded by, my roommate is a biomedical engineer major, and half of his
coursework looked like a foreign language to me. Another one of my suitemates
is a chemistry major, and one day when I was feeling extra inquisitive I asked
about his lab research. Before telling me all about his research he asked me, “Do
you really want to know? (with a slight chuckle)” At the time I truly wanted to
know, but as he began speaking of
proteins, and something about enzymes, I understood his questioning. After his
ten minute explanation I told him that it sounded very interesting, but I didn’t
understand anything he had just told me.
The main difference I found between the living arrangements
as a freshman in a hall style dorm and sophomore year in a suite was how well you
get to know the other people you live with. Since we all enjoyed doing
different things, I found myself doing different things with each of them. For example,
with one of the guys I had a running record of our 1v1 basketball games, and I
finished the year with 7 wins and 8 losses (disappointing I know). With another
one of the guys I went out to eat for breakfast on a few Friday mornings
throughout the year. I could go on and on about the experiences that I had with
my suitemates, but in short, in the two semesters I lived with them I feel like
I gained a new family.
On one of the last nights that we were in the suite we all
sat around and talked about the stories/memories of the past year. The more we
talked, the more we laughed. It was in that moment of storytelling that I felt like
I was truly in a brotherhood. If you
ever live in a suite full of your friends, make sure you set aside a night to
reminisce on the past year. Looking back at all of the memorable nights we had
together that was by far the best one.
It’s kind of crazy to think that my college career is
halfway over. The hard part is over they say, but I think their wrong. When I
was leaving the dorm the other day I felt something that I didn’t feel the year
before. I felt like I was leaving something behind. I would no longer be a
suitemate with these guys that I created all of these memories with and I would
no longer be nagging them to clean the bathroom, which they are probably
grateful for.
I believe academically that the “hard part” is over, but I
believe that the next two years will be bittersweet. Each year in college you
make relationships; you will form brotherhoods, and that’s something that will
be hard to walk away from. The friendships I have made in college are much
different than they were in high school. In high school most of your
friendships are on the surface level, in college you have the opportunity to
make lifelong friends. I am not saying that high school friends aren’t special
or real, but in college, living with people creates a bond that high school can’t
even touch.
Sophomore year ended with a high five to my Italian
professor as I completed my last Italian course ever (well for now). As I
walked out of my Italian final, I did what I did last year. I called my number
one fan. “Mom, your son is a junior” the simple response my mom heard as she
answered the phone. When you finish each year of your college journey, don’t be
afraid to celebrate with someone. The simple phone call to my mom is my way of
crossing the finish line, and in two more years the phone call will be a little
more emotional.
After calling my mom after my last exam, I packed my bags
and waited on my Granny Kat to pick me up for the 2nd annual beach trip.
The ride to the beach was long awaited, and filled with advice from Granny, “Plant
your garden in the ground and wear socks when it's cold,” and laughs. Over the years I have found that Granny’s
jokes just keep getting better, and I know for a fact these next two years in
college won’t disappoint.
