Happy Saturday y’all, long time–no see! It’s time to give my semi-annual ‘I’ve been swamped finishing out the semester’ speech (which if you’ve been following along for awhile, I’m sure you know well already). SO instead of boring you with the same ol’ spiel, I’ll tell you instead that I’m literally graduating as this post goes live today and that’s 10x more exciting!
Although I’m sure you all know I’m beyond ready to pop a wheelie out of the parking lot after this graduation, I realized over the past week that there are some things (believe it or not) that I will miss dearly about my time at college–specifically Elizabethtown. So without further ado, let’s recap some of my favorite things that will have me feeling just a lil’ nostalgic in the years to come.
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1. Weekly dance practices
Dancing is one of, if not my most, favorite things in the world. I was lucky enough to be able to continue doing it throughout all four years of college. The journey fondly started with a (beyond rocky) audition for the dance team that went south REAL fast to finding true friends in the dance club.
Not only did I enjoy dancing with E-motion, I learned so much in just one semester that I auditioned again for the dance team and made it! I can, without a doubt, say that Elizabethtown College has rounded me into a much better, confident dancer, and I’ve gained some amazing friends along the way.
Without getting too dramatic, I know that this is what I will miss most. There were many moments when I hated college and without these weekly practices would have been totally lost.
2. Theme dinners
These are traditions at Elizabethtown and they’re not something to skip out on. For example, they have a Thanksgiving dinner every year that alumni and staff come out to serve the students a sit down, traditional style meal. Think all of the yummy turkey, mashed potatoes, and pies you can imagine. Then the night is finished off with hot chocolate, Christmas stories read by the president, and a tree lighting.
They also have a Pirate themed dinner once every 4 years (I think) and they transform one of the school’s rooms into a full blown pirate ship pit filled with packing peanuts and a DJ.
Are both of those examples the most extra thing you’ve ever heard? Yeah, probably. I remember thinking they were so lame my freshman year and not even going, but I never made that mistake again after I realized how delicious these meals can be. These are just the little things that Elizabethtown does to go above and beyond to make students feel appreciated and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
3. Walking to Rita’s
Basically there is a Rita’s within walking distance of campus (duh, I know, you probably could have guessed that). I cannot explain why but I’m so in love with this Rita’s and one of my favorite memories is randomly getting together with my roommates throughout the years and deciding to just take a little time off and get a treat. Because we walked I always remember these nights feeling perfect. I was stressed most of the time at school and taking just a little break to do this in the warm weather was always so refreshing and rewarding.
4. The weirdest of weird situations
My entire college experience has been riddled with just plain weird. I’m not sure if I can say with complete confidence that it is just an Etown thing, but all I can say is that all of these weird situations and people in one place just canNOT be a coincidence.
A dream of mine is to make a blog post with just some of the most ridiculous stories that I’ve come across over the years but also I don’t want to air anyone’s dirty laundry to the world. So instead I’ll leave you with a PG example that still pretty much sums up what I’m trying to say.
My time as a biology major has always been strange. But nothing summed up the past four years like the final class I had dragging for ticks. It was a senior seminar class and instead of just handing in our research proposals and calling it quits, all of the biology professors decided it would be a good idea to take thirty-sum students on a 10 minute hike into the woods to drag for ticks. I hope you’re all thinking what I’m thinking.. ‘In what world is that EVER a good idea?’
5. Getting excited for specific Marketplace meals
There is nothing better than going all day, realizing you’re hungry, and checking what’s on the menu for the night only to find out it’s one of your favorite meals. For me, there was nothing better than breakfast for dinner, fried veggies, and pizza bar days. It’s just that simple.
6. Reaping allllll the benefits of that student discount
Elizabethtown really put on a lot of events for students, either for free or for an extremely reasonable cost, and I will without a doubt miss getting to take part in that. From things like TGIS, to a college prom, to NYC day trips, Etown gives lots of opportunity over both the weeks and weekends.
I think it’s easy to overlook everything there is to offer on a campus (even I’ve done this and found myself complaining), but in hindsight, it is clear the effort Elizabethtown put into giving their students the best experience possible.
7. Professors that have your back
Despite all of the strange memories I have with many of them (cue the story of my Spanish professor being a ‘bunny murderer’), I’ve never met people that genuinely care for students as much as them. All of the professors I’ve come across over the past four years have not only special personalities but also special hearts. They will do what they can to help you succeed and have a personal interest in students who are open to establishing that relationship.
Trust me, I did not always like them as professors but at the end of the day, I realized how nice it was to have people you know you could rely on. Although I know that any of us students can reach out at any time, it is bittersweet to know that I won’t be seeing these people who were so integrated in my everyday life for the past four years.
8. Carrot cake
I should probably know the exact story behind this, but all I REALLY know is that carrot cake at Elizabethtown is like the bees knees. It’s our signature dessert and is always at our major events throughout the year. Before attending Etown, I wouldn’t have considered myself a huge carrot cake fan, but I can attest that the college does it well and I will definitely be missing my somewhat regular doses of the
9. Chocolate days
So not only is the Elizabethtown campus smack dab in the middle of farmland, USA, it is also right around the corner from a factory that makes Dove chocolates. So even though there are some days when you just can’t escape the smell of manure, there are also days were you walk to class smelling nothing but delicious chocolate in the air. On the worst of days, it still has the power to make you smile and it’s just another little thing that I won’t take for granted.
10. Our motto, ‘Educate for Service’
Although I like to think I won’t completely be missing this (because I’ll still continue to implement it throughout my life), I have to include it because Elizabethtown’s passion for community service has brought to me a lot of opportunities and fond memories.
I’ve participated in our campus-wide community service day ‘Into the Streets’ every year and I’ve also been given the opportunity to serve a community internationally while at Etown as well. I’ve been in events to raise awareness for a variety of causes and I’ve also helped donate lots of money to various charities.
Not only did I get to contribute to so many important causes, I’ve been able to do so while creating amazing memories as well. From carving pumpkins with those in a nursing home to raking an entire yard of leaves only to find out we came to the wrong place, I’m proud of all I’ve been able to accomplish at Elizabethtown.
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What are some of your favorite college memories? Are there things you are going to miss that I didn’t include or things that you will be glad to see gone? Let me know in the comments! And..
Until next time,
xx.Britani Skye
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