The “back to school” time of the year has a completely different connotation in college compared to the K-12 years. It’s no secret everyone is really excited to be back on the beautiful campus with their friends, living on their own, and of course, being in walking distance of Broadway Joe’s.
But despite all the obvious things we’ve missed about Manhattan College (MC) over the summer, there are the little things that, once they’re gone, we realize how much we appreciate them (as much as we hate to admit it).
1. The Stairs.
Okay, so I’m pretty sure there’s not a soul on this campus who longingly gazes at the OV stairs with stars in their eyes and thinks, “honey, I’m home” but when you think about it, the stairs aren’t completely the enemy. The campus itself is basically its own stair-master. Maybe you’ve been bumming it on the beach or in bed watching Netflix too hard all summer. But, nothing says “great workout” like a walk from your dorm to class on the Manhattan College campus. You can burn off all the late-night Short Stop you just ate after a night out simply by walking back to your room (especially if you’re in heels). Your legs will be back in great shape in no time, and all those stairs will surely help you step up your booty game.
Where’s the harm in that?!
2. Saturday Morning Locke’s.
Yes, I said it. I said the “L” word.
But think about it, did you REALLY have a good Friday night if you don’t wake up at noon on Saturday morning and stumble to Locke’s in your sweats and sunglasses with your makeup still on from the night before, all for a personally made bacon egg and cheese? Where else would you meet with your friends to recount the previous night’s activities?
Locke’s may have a flaw or two or three (or 27), but the Locke’s experience isn’t about the food, it’s who you complain about the food with. It’s the one consistency. Nobody knows what the day or week or semester will bring, but Locke’s will always be open every day from 7:30am-10pm to serve you overcooked pasta and questionable meat!!!
Also the cookies. Never forget the cookies.
3. Communal Living.
I don’t think there is ANY better feeling in the world than going home and sleeping in your own bed in all its queen-sized-single-room glory (for those of us who are lucky). Moving back to the dorms can certainly feel like a downgrade. Living in residence halls can have its drawbacks if you don’t get along with your room/suitemates, have noisy neighbors, or even have unwanted visitors (bugs, rats, your roommate’s significant other, etc), but the feeling of being back with all of your friends makes the whole experience better. There is nothing stopping you from hanging out all night, throwing (noise-cautious) parties, or lying in bed stuffing your face with J-Del while watching Netflix. You can always be with the people you want to be with–they’re just a door, floor, or building away.
4. Cannon’s.
Remember that horribly embarrassing thing you did that one Friday night in Cannon’s freshman year? Of course you don’t! No one remembers anything from Cannon’s! But obviously your friends have pictures that they never let you forget.
Cannon’s might not be home to the greatest college experiences – being packed in like a sardine, getting beer spilled all over you, the bathrooms, the random kid you hooked up with that one time that now you coincidentally ALWAYS have a class with, etc.; but as the years go on you can look back at all those blurry regret-filled nights and laugh because those memories were what made your freshman year so unforgettable. Those awkward half-friend-half-strangers you travelled to 110th Street on the 1 train with may have become some of your best friends to this day because all those crazy memories just made you closer. And now we can move on to “bigger and better” things (Riv City? Fens???) …but I digress.
5. The Library.
Club O’Malley, the most popular place-to-be on campus. It has everything: 200,000+ books, computer labs, every engineering student ever, iffy Wi-Fi connection, not to mention your dignity you lost a finals week long ago. We’ve done it all here, pulled an all-nighter, fell asleep, went a little crazy; but like it or not O’Malley is home base. Despite the pencils, hours, and sanity we’ve lost, the library is where we got sh*t done. It’s where we’ve grown, where we’ve laughed and cried, where we’ve typed until our fingers were numb and where our eyes can’t see straight because we’ve been reading too long. And years from now when we’re all successful and rich (it’s going to happen, I promise), we will look back on these memories and thank Brother Jasper that we passed Chemistry or History while we sip mimosa’s in our yachts somewhere in the Caribbean, because that’s what we’re paying tuition for anyway, right?
So go ahead, Instagram that artsy picture of the sunrise through the second floor windows as you drown your literature-induced sorrows in the J-Del iced coffee you got delivered to the library entrance. One day it’ll all be worth it.
Until then, I’ll be in the library if you need me.
6. The Quad.
I feel like this doesn’t necessarily count, because it’s no secret that we’ve all missed the quad. Whether it’s reading on the stairs before class, laying on blankets with your friends, throwing a frisbee, Quadstock, or coffeehouses, the Quad is what makes Manhattan College so stereotypically college-y. Where else would we build snowmen and make snow angels on snow days or jump into the leaf piles during the fall? There’s nothing not aesthetically pleasing about it; and if you DON’T love the quad, do you even go here?
7. The 1 Train.
The smelly, pigeon-ridden, running with delays, unsung hero of Manhattan College. It might not be the prettiest or most reliable form of transportation, but going to MC gives us the advantage of having the whole city of New York in our backyard. We’re just one local train ride away from anywhere we want to be. Whether you’re just going exploring on the weekend, seeing a show, a sports game, a concert, bar-hopping, shopping, or getting to an internship, the 1 train is always there to take you wherever we need to go (not to mention the euphoric feeling when it runs on the express line due to construction).
And of course, when the day or night is over, it is always there to take you exactly where we need to be, home. 242nd Street, Van Cortland Park.