We all know the 7 deadly sins. At this point we have admitted to ourselves that, yes, we can sometimes be guilty of the sins that plague our society…. but did you know that they are lurking around campus? Marist College students of all majors, dorms, and grade point averages commit these deadly – perhaps not so lethal – sins on a daily basis. So… how many are you guilty of? The following contains definitions from the ever-dependable but not works-citable Wikipedia.
Gluttony: “the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste”
It’s 3am and the cab door opens to reveal the glorious mecca that is P-Ridge. You reach into your wallet and hand over the singles you have left asking for “whatever this gets me in chicken bacon ranch.” The next thing you know you’re four slices in to a large pizza and there’s no stopping you now. Laying in bed that night you groan over the ensuing stomachache but fall asleep dreaming of that perfect combination of grease and carbs.
Lust: “an intense and uncontrolled desire”
There it is: that independent, tall, chic, mature subject lingering across campus. No, not a person! FULTON! Yes, Marist College becomes a campus of lust when housing comes around. Every year you get the opportunity to do better! A kitchen! A living room! A SINGLE! There is no denying that, no matter how hard you try to hide it, Marist housing season has you lusting after a new residence. And hey, maybe this time you’ll get that perfect single you’ve always dreamed about!
Greed: “applied to a very excessive or rapacious desire”
Admit it; it happens. You’re running late for class and haven’t eaten enough to last you through the next 75 minutes or your friend stood you up for your weekly lunch date and you just have to get food fast. You slip into the cafeteria in all its glory, peruse the food stations, prepare yourself a perfectly toasted, cream-cheesed poppy seed bagel and wrap your precious food in about six paper towels then slip it quietly into your bag. You hear the James Bond theme song filling your head and you head towards the exit determined to act as nonchalant and innocent and perhaps smiling a bit too wide at the lady at the counter. You can’t help but laugh at the thought of someone screaming from across the cafe “SWIPER NO SWIPING!” as you turn the corner. Like the sly red fox you are (really Swiper, this stuff isn’t that hard!) you successfully leave the cafe with your next meal. Your “rapacious” desire is satisfied and you can confidently stroll to class knowing that today you beat the system.
Sloth: “a failure to do things that one should do”
Class attendance is in danger as May is fast approaching. On a sunny day at Marist College, your trip to class becomes more and more challenging: you pass the happy sun bathers listening to Meghan Trainor and dismissing any thought of schoolwork from their minds, merry KanJammers with nothing but shorts and a t-shirt on, joggers agilely dodging the joyous activities, and Marist Beach calling your name. You say you won’t do it… you can’t miss this class… you have to hand in that paper… and sit in that stuffy room, looking out the window at the beach in full swing… sooner or later Marist Beach will get you. Sloth overpowers you and you lay back on the grass using your full backpack as your pillow.
Wrath: “inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger”
It’s late. Your night class, late night rehearsal, dance class, anime meeting, and/or other activity wore you down and you just want to drive back and hop into bed. As you pull into the parking lot and make your first loop scouting out an ideal parking spot it hits you: there is not one spot left. The anger starts in your stomach and soon enough you’re yelling at the pale blue Toyota that took that prime spot and cursing the parking fiasco that is Marist College. That’s it. You’re never driving to class again.
Pride: “believing that one is essentially better than others”
Okay, this may be a bit of a stretch but bear with me. Remember that first tour of Marist when your tour guide cheerily explained that everyone at Marist holds the door for everyone? Your parents smiled at this fact and somewhere in the back of the group you heard the phrase “I guess chivalry isn’t dead!!!” Well, sometimes you just can’t. Maybe it’s not pride that stops you but sometimes you simply can’t wait for that person lagging behind! I mean you finally got to Fontaine and your class starts in five minutes and somewhere inside you something is telling you that you are not living up to the Marist name but one way or another the door closes behind you and the guilt follows.
Envy: “discontent towards someone’s traits, status, abilities, or rewards”
As you walk out of your dorm at 7:45am you pat yourself on the back for putting on those sweats, finding matching socks, and brushing your teeth just in time for class. Heading for Lowell Thomas, you pass Donnelly and, though your eyes are still a bit glazed over and you struggle to keep them open, you see in your peripherals a glimpse of bright color. As you turn your head you see her: flawlessly put together, glowing with the perfect amount of pink on her cheeks, high heels clicking like an exact metronome, and an updo more elegant than your prom hair. Suddenly you don’t feel so accomplished with your matching socks and you begin to envy this girl heading for her fashion class who just as well could be heading down a runway. You tell yourself that next time you’ll get up early and look just. like. that. Then again… sweatpants are very comfortable…
So it happens. We’re all guilty sometimes. We can’t all be dressed to the nines or living in our dream single, but we learn to overcome. As you embark on your last few weeks of the year don’t forget to keep an eye out for these deadly sins lurking around you.