I can almost guarantee the unanimous opinion of Bona’s being a literal home away from home. The beauty of snow, the horror of walking to class in -20 degree weather, the beauty of our campus during spring and fall, the landscape of mountains standing across our horizon, the convenience of a dining hall within five minutes of any location, the laziness that ensues regardless of this five-minute distance, the army of black squirrels roaming around campus—the list is endless. The many quirks and routines that define our lives at Bona’s all contribute to the feeling of comfort we experience in our second home.
However, can we necessarily call a place our home if we are hindered by the expectations around us? Can we truly feel at home if we are unable to be ourselves? Personally, I define this home-like feeling based on whether I am able to express myself fully and wholeheartedly without having to fear rejection, judgment, or any form of negativity. Home is anything that will accept me; home is anything that will encourage me to go above and beyond no matter how crazy or preposterous something may seem. Bona’s should be this place for everyone, but I’ve come across a few issues that have made me realize people are not living their college experience to the fullest.
Picture this: a girl goes out to a party and gets mind-blowingly drunk. She spills some drinks here and there, trips over a good number of people, high-fives the floor with her face once or twice, and finally ends the night with a bang (literally) by hooking up with a guy she happens to know. The best part? Everyone at the party knows about it. Now picture the following morning: the girl wakes up and goes through the series of texts, pictures, and Snapchat stories that unfortunately documented her blunders from the night before. She feels utterly humiliated and hopeless—how can she recover from this?
At a larger school, a girl in this situation may not have many repercussions to deal with because every party has a plethora of people that come and go—the same fifty people will not stay in a room with you for five hours. A girl in this situation probably won’t see these people for days or even weeks, considering the size of the campus and the number of people that one sees everyday. On a larger campus, a girl in this situation can go completely unnoticed and maintain not only her anonymity, but her true character as well.
At St. Bonaventure, this may not be the case. A girl who finds herself in such a situation will undeniably bump into people the next day at the dining hall or the library. She will be forced to walk around campus with her head hung low, avoiding the burning gaze of those who have witnessed her mistakes. She will be influenced to believe that it’s not okay to slip up every once in a while, which causes her alter her character to fit the mold that meets Bona’s standards. On a small campus, the fears of having a single moment determine one’s status for the rest of her college career is stifling, and unnecessary.
As college women, we should be seeking opportunities to flourish and prosper. Life after college is eye opening—paying bills, commuting to work, studying in graduate school—and we must prepare ourselves for the lifestyle we’ve spent two decades working for. We can only accomplish this by unveiling our true characters, a goal many women have yet to fulfill.
As Bonaventure women, we are already destined for greatness. We are nurtured and guided, a perk that especially comes from attending a small school. However, we must use this to our advantage and incorporate this into our journey to discovering our true selves. Our four years in college is a time that we will never get back, and we should not let such a great opportunity go to waste. This is the time to make mistakes, date complete ‘weirdos’, have our hearts broken, party too hard, make and break friendships, discover new interests and passions, and most importantly learn about ourselves.
As women destined to be extraordinary, we can only grow if we give ourselves the chance to overcome our issues. So walk past the haters, ladies, because that one godforsaken night at the bar is simply a day on the calendar that will soon be forgotten.
Photo credit: stock photo