I have always loved UR. This school offers everything I was looking for during that strenuous college search: a great education, opportunities to get involved and amazing friends. However, this past week I was cruising Facebook with my friends, looking at pictures from other schools – of our friends dancing at huge parties, traveling to Las Vegas for the weekend, spending the afternoon lounging by the pool – when it dawned on us – we hated Rochester.
Gone is the warm weather, Halloween, Meliora Weekend, Yellowjacket Weekend, orientation week, the release of the Borat movie and even that one week of foliage that Mother Nature grants us before bringing on the snow. It seems the next fun thing to look forward to is the delicious food (after consuming the same wrap from the Pit for three too many months) and good company over Thanksgiving, and even with that, it is hard to get excited knowing the number of tests and papers that sandwich that week of shopping and family time.
In a fit of cynicism my friends and I decided that Rochester sucked, and we went to bed, dreaming of transfer applications. But when I woke up reality sunk in – I’m not transferring and I do like it here. It’s just a slow time, and during slow times you need to make your own fun.
Once I started looking for it, I realized there were fun things to do all over campus. I went to the Common Market and bought a $30 ticket to “Rent,” which is coming to the Auditorium Theater on Nov. 13. I looked up the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs calendar and found out that there are a bunch of exciting Greek events coming up. Fall sports are in their post-season now, and those games are always exciting, and winter sports are just around the corner. Perusing the flyers in Wilson Commons, it is impossible not to be intrigued by something.
Even though we’re not the University of Arizona, with its palm trees and school-night parties, or the University of Michigan, with Saturday afternoon tailgates and students eager to watch their top ranked football team, UR can be a fun place, too, you just need to make it one.
