“What are your hobbies?” For pretty much my entire life, my answer to the classic icebreaker has been reading. It’s been one of my only reliable means of relaxation for as long as I can remember—the collection of books spilling off my shelves can attest as much.
At the top of the page in big black lettering read “Hardey Hall Room 316.” Hands shaking, I plugged Hardey Hall into Google and was met with the result that no incoming freshman wants: Newton Campus. Cue the devastation.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore our campus, worship its magnificent architecture, and feel at home in its welcoming community. But sitting in the same chair at O’Neill Library for the umpteenth time, walking down the path that toes the line between familiar and repetitive, I find myself seeking something new.
There is something deeply soothing about uncomfortability.
Through challenging my insecurities head-on, I’ve grown to derive more fun from the things that I used to hold myself back from in fear. Seeing each interaction as “for the bit” makes life so much more interesting.
In the modern, superficial, forever-online world that always wants to sell you something, nostalgic tech is a rare breed: it is offline, it is permanent, and it is plain. Nostalgic devices are not simply reliable machines or shiny baubles in the consumer rat race.
For Harris, the Sept. 10 debate was more like an audition. It was the first time many American voters had seen her in an unscripted setting since the 2020 vice-presidential debate, aside from several poorly received interviews during her time as vice president.
Whether you’re a Christian, a member of a different religion, or skeptical of faith as a whole, you have to actively and intentionally engage with the unique Jesuit, Catholic spiritual tradition that defines our school to fully grasp the Boston College experience.
“And how would you like that prepared?” I ask with a gleaming smile. She pauses, shutters, and lets out an impatient yet staunch, “Cooked please.” I fight the urge to crumble as my stomach drops.
“Is that a Canada Goose?”
“Um, no, it’s not.”
“Oh good! I don’t know if I could speak to you again if it were.”
Freshman year, it felt almost impossible not to compare everything about my college life to the college lives of my friends at other schools. From classes to dining halls and dorm decor to social life, I found myself constantly comparing and contrasting my experiences with the experiences of others, trying to anxiously convince myself that I lived a life just as fun and fulfilling as my friends’.
