This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Barnard chapter.
I have a lot of respect for students who try to make this school a better place–Columbia College Student Council, I salute you for picking a fun activity (LASER TAG)– but it might just be a fact of life that school sponsored events will always be the bane of any student council. As depressing as some of my weekends have been, I think I would rather spend my Friday night basking in my own self-loathing while watching Netflix and refreshing my Facebook newsfeed than spend my first Friday back at school catering to the whims of overeager first years and the drunk and disorderly. Only saints are that altruistic.
That being said, I can’t say that I am above attending school-sponsored events– especially when food or swag is involved. I’ve made my rounds. At laser tag I used my seniority to coerce my entire team into doing the Hunger Games District 12 sign. Most recently I watched over 100 students wait outside in the cold for an embarrassing amount of time outside Lehman for free fleece blankets and hot chocolate. Okay, I admit, I stood in line for a hot sec until I realized:
1) There are not enough blankets for everyone
2) I wasn’t going to get one
3) Even if I was going to get one, I would have to wait at least fifteen more minutes in the cold
4) I was surrounded by underclassmen
5) And most importantly, there was no line for hot chocolate
Image via giphy
Barnard students are overachievers regardless, but when it comes to free crap, some girls are determined to throw the curve. It takes a certain kind of dedication (and free time) to line up an hour before a giveaway.
I’m even a little ashamed to admit that I stood in that line at all– why was I still thirsty for freebies? I already had the “Class of 2016 2015” water bottle and let’s be honest, I don’t need another basic fleece and if I’m going to invest my time and energy into a new throw, it’s going to be luxurious.
If I’ve learned anything from Papa Friedman, it’s that nothing is truly free. While the time it takes for me to make a snow globe is seemingly negligible, it’s kind of a waste (just FYI, there have been at least two “Make Your Own Snow Globe” events THIS YEAR…skip the glitter, just take the mason jar and run). Notwithstanding your year (underclassmen take head) or personal view on snow globes, free does not equal worth and as the final count down ticks on, discerning worth becomes imperative.