This evening as my good friend Leila Shooshani and I ventured our way onto campus to do some friendly upperclassman lurking, I once again pondered the truly bizarre nature of the place that for whatever... unknown reason I chose to go to college.
Every year during the first freshman dorm meetings where the RAs babble about... whatever, a group of upperclassmen streak through all three Pei courtyards. I guess a lot of people are aware of this tradition before it occurs. As a 17 year old college freshman I was not cognizant of this event. Over 30 naked people jumping literally right over me was quite a new experience for me. The whole time I was hoping that no one would fall while they were jumping over my head.
Three years later, as I stood in the 2nd court of Pei with Lei, I found myself having similar thoughts of what the hell is going on in this school. This place is still very strange to me, and I've never quite gotten rid of my initial skepticism of the happenings here that many confuse as culture. Perhaps the group of 700 plus socially inept, yet mostly brilliant students do possess a culture, but it is for sure not one that I entirely understand or enjoy.
I just don't get it. As time passes, and I've had more opportunities to interact with other college students of the more mainstream tradition, the more I realize I don't fit here. Maybe I like social norms. Shit, maybe I even like gender roles on occasion, like wednesday afternoons. I don't want to be intellectual all the time. I don't want to be around counterculture all the time. I need something different something more....
I'm trying to view my time here as a period of anecdote collection and character building. A lot of people having a hard time believing this place exists. Tonight I found myself wondering the same thing.
Not that New College of Florida has been altogether useless, I have met some really wonderful people here. The list is short though.
Even though this summer had its annoying people and bad moments, It was for sure the best summer of my life. And I hope the people who were there that made it that way and impacted me and my life know it.
And to think I almost didn't go to Madison. How less rich my life would be.
wow, yeah it's true. I had forgotten that you were considering not going to the program this summer. it's soooo good that you did.
ReplyDeleteill always have a love/hate affair with new college. like you, I really really enjoyed my time in the "real world." shit was fun. im feeling less connected to this place, but i guess im going to try and embrace my last year though... but i worry about that actually working out...