1. You’re surrounded by the love of righteous brothers and sisters. As a women’s campus, Hollins is an incredibly accepting community. While we don’t all identify as women, we all share the same love and are siblings at heart.
2. You think it’s perfectly normal to skip classes, dress up in crazy costumes, and hike a mountain. Wait, other schools don’t do this? We’re pretty awesome and, sometimes known for our favorite holiday, Tinker Day! What other day of the year would we want to wake up before eight o’clock (six o’clock for the seniors)?
3. Waking up each morning is like getting a hug from the mountains. Because we’re lucky enough to be located in a valley, there are beautiful mountains everywhere you turn. It’s like getting a nice, warm hug from nature.
4. You’re pretty sure you’ve got the best university president EVER. The lady known as P. Gray (President Nancy Gray) lives up on the hill behind Tinker. Not only does she ask you how you’re doing when you see her around campus, but she’s had you to dinner a few times, too.
5. If you’re not an English major, then you know at least ten of ’em. As the most popular major on campus, English is in abundance. It’s not unusual for there to be several English-related activities going on in a single week.
6. You’ve got some of the coolest alumnae backing you up. We’ve got Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goodnight Moon), Annie Dillard (author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek), Natasha Trethewey (current United States Poet Laureate), and Ellen Goldsmith-Vein (owner and CEO of The Gotham Group, management and production company).
7. You know going to Jazzman’s at 10:00 usually means a long line. But you’ve gotta have your coffee, right?
8. You wish the library was closer to, well, everything else. Especially first years, who walk all the way from Tinker to the library. But, hey, most other collegiettes walk twice that distance to get lunch every day!
9. We don’t need a mascot ’cause we’ve got swag. Maybe even our rival, Sweet Briar, has a mascot, but we don’t need one! It’s a point of pride that’s landed us a spot as a Jeopardy question. Stop trying to make Hollins Collies happen, Gretchen!
10. You know you’ll have an amazing sisterhood for the rest of you life. Even after you live this small school in this small town, you know your sisters (and brothers) will always have your back.