It’s the time of year again where the world seems to be crashing in around college students: we have ten papers to write before the end of classes, there are weird midterms that happen near the end of the semester (which should be called late terms), and we are cramming everything we didn’t do during the semester into the last couple of weeks.
I can also assume you are behind on sleep, have seen the sun rise after numerous all nighters, and, gasp, spent many late Friday nights with Kelvin Smith.
And although you are stressed out to the max, I have realized that you, the Case Western Reserve University students, are still too damn happy.
That’s right. I was walking around the quad this week and people were smiling.
Did you not get the notice? It’s November! That’s right, you should be miserable. You should be donning full length under armour cold gear to walk across Euclid while your tears of sadness freeze as they fall to the ground. Your winter coat should be on high alert, gloves removed from storage, scarf knitted, and robber-like facemask ready for sub-zero temperatures.
At this point in the year, we should be hearing grumblings from the Freshman about every little thing that makes their college experience stink. I am usually expecting dissertations about the monotonous Leutner food, the marathon-length walk to class, and the hatred for SAGES.
It would only be natural that your case cash account is depleted, and, to your horror, you may actually have to pay for that Venti soy no foam double pump caramel latte with extra whipped cream all by yourself!
Could you be, dare I say, satisfied?
I know it’s weird to think, but could the students actually be enjoying their college experience at Case Western this year?
Where are the people who are threatening a mass exodus from the state of Ohio? Where are the people who only eat Qdoba for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in protest of Bon Appétit? Where are the students who complain incessantly about their fun-killing RA?
In all honesty, I am inclined to believe that everything is going fairly smoothly this semester likely due to the influence of Babs. But, I’ve also found some other reasons: the Student Executive Council (SEC) has thankfully decided to go silent, Leutner looks better and thus the food has miraculously improved, the football team has fallen off its ivory tower, and it hasn’t snowed on campus yet.
In fact, there was even a shocking excitement for Humans vs. Zombies!
Perhaps you think you will still be a student, err alive, when the new student center opens. Or, you’re hopeful that Mark the crossing guard will someday be able to patrol other areas of campus instead of lording over the unruly undergraduate jaywalkers.
Although I want to be able to tell you that you should be unhappy, I don’t want to ruin this one time when students are chipper and have immunity from the viral Cleveland pessimism.
Readers, I applaud you, and you should be proud, for keeping the morale high this close to Turkey Day! Although your friend without benefits, Kelvin Smith, is calling to inform you of finals, I hope my suspicions are correct that you are happy and I urge you to keep it that way!