My roommate Lauren always tells me, “Howard is a place of immortality.” It’s so true.
People come here, become whoever they want to be, and progress in life. It really is a gift and a curse.
Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You know that person you knew through somebody else prior to coming here, saw that person during Freshman Week and thought that person was someone else. As time progressed, that person became more and more of a stranger - hanging out with people you would have never caught them with prior to the Howard experience.
You could call this just simply “growing up,” and to some degree, I agree. But, I find it to be a problem when people become someone other than himself or herself and forget who they truly are. People, be you! And be the best YOU that you can be. Do not lose yourself at this university, because guess what? There’s life outside of here! You are one of a kind– there’s something special about the fact that there is no one like you. Appreciate it.
People come to Howard and perpetrate– a lot. In high school, you were the same bookworm who appreciated a good book and occasional rock music. Now you’re at
Howard and all of a sudden reading is “boring”; you’re now a party animal with racist tendencies (never mind that Metallica is secretly your favorite band; God forbid your black friends find out).
Why? First of all, if you’re a college student, reading should not be boring to you. There’s your first problem.
Understand, it’s OK to grow. People change and that is fine. I am definitely not the same person I was on Aug. 19, 2006, when I first walked into the Quad. But know this, I haven’t strayed far away from that person. I have the same characteristics and the same traits; I have just become more mature and, thusly, these characteristics and traits won’t always be the first things you see when you see me. It’s not putting on a “front”; it’s simply realizing that everything isn’t for everybody. But I never stop being me.
Now, here’s a side note: If you think back to freshman year and you find yourself with the SAME exact people, doing the SAME things as back then, ALL the time, then you are doing something wrong. Howard will build a person up, but it can also break a person down, if you are not mentally and emotionally fit. If you have been here for the past three, four or FIVE years and have not found your place anywhere on campus or even in the D.C. community, something is wrong. We have more than 100 organizations on campus, obviously not including the ones that you could create on your own!
So, if you find yourself joining organizations just because you want to be like your friend, you may want to reconsider. If you find yourself putting aside your interests and hobbies because they aren’t as “accepted” as you would like them to be, you may want to reconsider. One thing a Howardite can always pinpoint is a poser (with the exception of a few.)
Take me for instance - I LOVE children’s books and movies. My favorite place in the world is Disney World – clearly, I’m a big kid. This is why I am taking myself on a date to the movies this week to see “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!” My friends absolutely refuse to see it with me, and rightfully so. But, I happen to like the idea of a movie with food falling from the sky. For one, I love food and two, why not? It’s me.
I appreciate the fact that I’m me, and you all should do the same. Be content with who you are and know that there’s something about you that makes this university just that much better and that much more unique. When you treat yourself that way, people will recognize it and do the same.
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