I knew Shana would come to be an important part of my life on the second day of first-year orientation. I was doing the standard Instagram deep-dive of every person on my hall, and I was scrolling through Shana’s (very cool) profile. I noticed we had attended the same Women’s March in 2018, which I was excited about in and of itself, but then I realized that the sign someone in her group was holding was one of which I had taken dozens of pictures. It was such a small, purely coincidental detail, but Shana was just as excited about that sunflower sign as I was. We never talked about it in this way, but to me, that sign felt like, well, a sign of something bigger. Thankfully, I was right.
From then on, Shana and I have done just about everything together. If we didn’t live in the same room, we were right down the hall from each other (besides our separate semester abroad, which was the farthest apart and longest we had gone without seeing each other since meeting). We joined the same sorority, went to the same events, and have taken some of the same classes. Through it all, it has always been me and Shana. It only felt natural then that, as we enter our senior year, we run Her Campus together, too.
This spotlight truly cannot even begin to show the talented, compassionate, driven, amazing person that is my best friend. But, she, of course, has some great advice and insights, so it’s worth the read.
Name: Shana Clapp
Hometown: Villanova, PA
Post-grad Plans: Next year I will be working as a paralegal at a law firm in Philadelphia, and I hope to go to law school in a few years!
Major(s)/Minor(s): History and Political Science with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies
HC Position(s): Writer (2019-2023), Editor (2020-2022), CC (2022-2023)
Campus Activities: Tour Guide for the Office of Admissions, Humanities Fellow, member of Alpha Delta Pi
What was your favorite class at Bucknell?
S: It’s so hard to pick just one! HIST 311: From Slavery to Citizens’ United with Professor John Enyeart was one of my all time favorite courses. This seminar class was fascinating and challenging as we dove deeply into the relationship between property rights and personhood throughout U.S. history. It really influenced my own academic trajectory at Bucknell and helped me find a topic for my honors thesis. Another favorite class was WMST 225: Modernism on the Margins with Professor Erica Delsandro. We read a range of texts from the early twentieth century related to race, gender, and sexuality in conjunction with texts from the present day.
What is your favorite Bucknell memory?
S: Living downtown with my best friends!
Favorite Her Campus Article?
S: My article “Adjusting to the New Normal on Campus” from the fall of 2020 was one of my favorites. I was a first-year in March of 2020 when the pandemic hit and Bucknell sent everyone home for the semester. Returning to campus that fall, everything felt different and I constantly had to readjust my expectations of what my time at Bucknell should look like. I found writing this article really cathartic as I reframed all of the things we, as a campus community and as a society, lost in 2020 and reflected on the surprising joy I found in the “new normal” at Bucknell.
How do you feel you have changed over the past four years?
S: It sounds cheesy, but I feel like I have really grown into myself over the past four years. I have become a much more confident and self assured person, and I have challenged myself to go beyond my comfort zone, especially through studying abroad and writing an honors thesis.
What do you wish you knew as a freshman?
S: Enjoy every moment because time really does fly by! Cherish the little memories you make here — some of my favorite moments in college were the sunsets on the Quad, the Wednesday morning farmers market trips, and the long pregames with the girls.
Who has inspired you the most at Bucknell?
S: My two best friends and roommates, Liz and Eleanor, inspire me the most. We have been the best of friends since our first day of orientation, and over the past four years I have watched them grow personally and academically. They constantly amaze me with their kindness, confidence, and drive.
Is there anything you wish you had done more / less of during your time at Bucknell?
S: I wish I had gone to more campus activities and events earlier on in my time at Bucknell. As a freshman, I found a really solid group of friends so I didn’t feel the need to attend all of the CAP Center events, but now, as a senior, I love going to campus events, 7th Street Makerspace, and speakers sponsored by the school. I wish I had taken advantage of these types of things earlier in my time at Bucknell. There is always so much going on here, and I only recently began to appreciate all of the fun opportunities that the school has to offer.
What is the biggest piece of advice you would like to give those continuing their education at Bucknell after this semester?
S: Bucknell truly is what you make of it. We are so lucky to study at such a prestigious place with such engaged professors and a strong campus community. Join as many clubs as possible and find lots of different communities on campus. Even when you feel that you have found your people, never stop putting yourself out there!
Bucknell, Her Campus, and I have been so lucky to have Shana. To my best friend, I am so proud to know you, and I cannot wait to be there as you continue to learn and grow. In this next chapter and all those after, it will be me and you.