When I was first approached to be a campus cutie I did not know what to expect. Being an avid reader of Her Campus, I had reviewed many campus cuties in my time. With this knowledge, however, I knew that I had a lot to live up too. Nevertheless, being a sophomore and having a loyal group of friends led me to believe that I could handle the pressure and repercussions this decision could possibly have on my life. I knew I’d be fine. With this said, however, since this article has been published, a lot has changed in my life for better and… for worse.
PROS:
- Friendly greetings from literally everyone on campus on my way to class, Hart, Kimball, Dinand, Cool Beans… you name it.
- Free swipes into Kimball from Sis
- Free coffee and pumpkin bread from Cool Beans/CB2
- Not having to wait in the stir fry line
- Never having to look for a cup/utensil in Kimball as the staff/a new acquaintance will always have one waiting for me
- Never having to worry about getting into Leits. (Dave always has my back)
- Always having a dance partner/group at Mahoneys and Leits
- Never having to walk alone anywhere on campus
- Personal invites to all the hottest parties
- Never having to wait for a drink
- Free clothes and jewelry from people in my hall (mostly so they can say they dressed the campus cutie though ugh)
- Knowing someone on Easy Street will always let me into any building
- Getting rides up to the Hart Center since the walk is far too long for me
- Never having to worry about finding a cubby/table in Dinand as I know someone will give one up for me
CONS:
- The constant paparazzi. Honestly, can’t a girl walk down Easy Street without being bombarded by entire sports teams and freshman girls trying to take pics and snapchats? Even walking down the stairs to the stacks of Dinand makes me want to run and hide to cover.
- The never-ending friend requests. Seriously, my Facebook/Instagram notifications are going crazy with requests and picture taggings.
- Relentless socialization. Please, all I want is for one night to stay in and watch “How To Get Away With Murder” in peace without receiving 23 WiGo taps to go out. Even a campus cutie gets FoMo…
- Early Mornings. People have come to expect a lot from me every day, which has meant that I have needed to start getting up around 5:30am to prepare for the day. Blowouts, nails, gym workouts, and tanning appointments are starting to interfere with my class schedule.
- Special treatment. Professors have started to ask me to stop coming to class so frequently as my speaking and overall presence in class has become too much of a “distraction” for my classmates. Honestly though, I am student and deserve the right to learn too.
- Jealous people. In life, one has both supporters and haters. This fact is heightened exponentially for those living in the spotlight and in my case, this holds very true. Sure, people may think that I asked for this attention and admiration, but in reality, I was just a normal girl thrown into this madness. To all my haters out there though, don’t h8 me cuz u ain’t me.
As you can see, being the campus cutie is not all fun and games. Sure it’s great to have tons of new friends and receive various perks, but in reality, it does so much more. Being in the public eye gives one a new perspective on society and shows you what is truly important in life. My roommate, Clare, has for the most part kept me grounded, but at times I do see a hint of jealousy in her blue eyes. This however has led me to realize that if you know yourself and like who you are, that is all the matters. Campus Cuties Unite!
Post-Campus Cutie life: the Roommate’s perspective:
Looking back on it all, I thought being the Campus Cutie’s roommate would be a good thing. It’s like being a celebrity’s best friend- you get all the perks of being associated with fame without actually being followed around and stalked by curious followers. But, as it turns out, things are not always as they seem. Maggie- sorry, Meaghan (she thinks her full name sounds more sophisticated now)-has taken this title to the extreme.
I would like to point out that Maggie seems to forget that I’m the one who nominated her to be a Campus Cutie in the first place. Technically, I was the one who launched her into fame and made her a star. However, I definitely do not hear any thank-you’s coming from her side of Lehy 336. Instead, she seems to think it was solely her good looks and charm that got her where she is today.
Maggie, being the Campus Cutie has really switched my life up in some dramatic ways. Some days I just want to get an extra half hour of sleep or so but, apparently, that is too much to ask. Now that she has this title, she wakes up early to blow dry her hair and apply five layers of makeup, and she justifies this absurdity by expressing her concern because of who she is going to see on Easy Street. As if hoards of people will be lining up to take pictures of her and ask for her autograph. Side-note to Maggie: it’s November. You don’t need sunglasses, especially not to shield you from “the blinding lights of your admirer’s cameras.”
I have always appreciated the fact that Maggie is from Maine. But after her reign as Campus Cutie, I am not sure if I can take the hype that apparently comes with being from this slightly obscure state. If I have to hear one more word about how she is a “Maine-iac” and how that makes her “unique and special,” I might have to consider de-rooming her.
I will admit it is nice to see people whispering around me wondering if I am the Campus Cutie’s roommate- everyone seems to know who I am now. Additionally, as long as Maggie is by my side, I don’t have to worry about waiting in lines in Kimball or being turned away from Leitrim’s or Mahoney’s. Campus Cuties don’t have to wait in line, and as her roommate, I don’t either. However, despite the perks, I still struggle every day to reconcile freshman-year Maggie- innocent and friendly- with this revamped, post-Campus Cutie Maggie.
I wish I could say I will finish this article and go relax in my room but that’s just not the case. Who knows when the queen will burst into the room and list off her demands for the day or how she isn’t being treated fairly in her classes because she still has to do homework (apparently Campus Cuties should be excused from this sort of thing?). If I could change anything, I would take back the day I ever thought it would be a good idea to interview Maggie for Campus Cutie….jk.