Hey you! Yeah, you Freshman or First Year or teenager or Freshie, or whatever label you want to be identified by. You, with the lanyard around your neck and the not-so-discrete class schedule and school map in your pocket. You, who stand up early on the Link, try overly hard to be Johnnie-esque and hold the door far too long and end up in Ardolf looking for the New Science Building. You, who wander St. Joe — which you mistakenly pronounce St. Joes — looking for party houses and asking senior girls to “Come
Pa-artay!” as we walk to the bars. Sorry, hot stuff, but those dirty, sweaty, sketchy house/basement/garage parties are long over. Hey you! Yeah, you.
The one who is just beginning an unforgettable time in your life as a CSB/SJU student. You, who have an unforeseeable number of
football and basketball games, choir and orchestra concerts, theater productions, speakers and BWP concerts left to attend, mind-blowing classes to take, scrumptious Thanksgiving feasts to gorge yourself upon and numerous snow angels to make on the Mall and the Tundra. You, of whom I am most jealous: I am terribly envious of the fact that you are just beginning to create lasting memories in this bright and glorious bubble we live in. You are just beginning to discover the richness of the arboretum, the rowdiness of the Lake Sag raft, the exhausting and unifying nature of the QUAD stairs and the unique and quirky dispositions of the professors. In time, you will see the magical transformation of CSB/SJU in the fall and enjoy the refreshing walk along the Wobegon Trail. You will hear the haunting echo of the bells on those hushed Saturday mornings when many are recuperating from the night before, and the joyous gongs on the final day before winter break when books are returned (for a scant dollar or two), refrigerators are cleaned out (kind’ve) and the last banana is taken from Gorecki (have to get your money’s worth). As I write this, my skin is turning an envious putrid green. I can’t believe you still have study abroad to look forward to (every last loan and stressful tear is worth it), first year picnics to steal from (yes, we upper classmen enjoyed your BBQ’s, thank you very much), life-forming
decisions to make (to teach or not to teach), and clubs to join and create. You have so much to do and look forward to. You have four years to do it. Believe me, it isn’t enough time. I never thought I’d say this — since in my first semester I nearly transferred out — but I am a CSB/SJU senior, and I’m not ready to go. Yes, I want to charge out of here and make a difference in the world (doesn’t everybody?), but I also just want to sit at O’Connell’s, sipping my coffee and munching on the free popcorn. I want to go meet friends who are still strangers, but I don’t want Happy Hour at Brother Willie’s Pub and wine nights with my roommates to end. So, dear first year.
Although we seniors laugh and roll our eyes at your naiveté, we do so with jealous affection, for you are just beginning to discover the wonders and secrets of this place we call home.
This is the opinion of Jacqueline Tulloch, a CSB senior.