About Us
Settling in for sophomore year, we were eager to begin what was sure to be the best year of our lives. Sophomore year was going to be the year: forever gone were traditional dorm housing, the weekend trek to and from Upper, trolling the Mods and—of course—the stigma of being a freshman; this year would be defined by 8-mans, Lower Campus and knowing how to navigate the BC party scene.
Yet, 8-mans soon lost their novelty, Walsh parties became hot and overcrowded and many nights were spent lamenting over the all too familiar sentiment: "there's nowhere to go."
Disappointed by the change of venue we thought would dramatically enhance our social lives, we instead began looking forward to junior year: off campus houses, studying abroad and turning 21. We would finally be moving out of our filthy 8-man, overcrowded 9-man or depressing CoRo double. Junior year was going to be the year.
However, as we settle into our residence halls, off-campus apartments or houses for junior year, it seems all too likely that we will soon grow tired of these improvements in the social scene. Instead the vicious cycle will take over, as we become disillusioned with the current scene and enamored by the allure of senior year: owning Mods, the entire class living on Lower Campus and all our friends being 21.
It is true that the superficial aspects of the social scene improve each year. However, when viewed as the sole defining feature of BC social life it is no surprise that they will perpetually fall short of our expectations.
Instead we should start looking toward the people in our social circles.
As we move through our college experience, we continually meet new people through classes, clubs and activities, summer jobs and internships, friends of friends, roommates with whom we may not have been close before housing selection, abroad programs and sometimes even serendipitous encounters.
As we become acquainted with more people, we discover common interests and create shared experiences that allow us to develop more genuine friendships. While we may go out and party with these people as well, it is most often the meaningful connections—not solely the superficial experiences—that will foster lasting friendships.
Looking back on our freshman year, the weekend nights spent wandering from party to party have very little significance. Looking back on sophomore year, most 8-man parties begin to blend together in our minds. Looking forward to junior and senior year, I am most excited to continue the development of the relationships I've begun to build here at BC, and to establish the new ones I never would have predicted.
In choosing to focus our attention on the tangible structure of the social scene, rather than the people that make it worthwhile, we are setting ourselves up to be disappointed. We could all benefit from a shift in perspective that allows us to see what is truly fulfilling. After all, no social life can be sustained without people.
Long Island native with Big City dreams. Perpetual coffee drinker and notorious Plexaholic. CSOM for the money; LSOE for the soul.
