9-15-09
I am so over being a dorm student. I first arrived at the conclusion at the horrid hour of 1:15 AM last Thursday night, when I was awoken from blissful slumber to the shrill tones of an unplanned fire alarm. I slipped on my flip-flops, grabbed my glasses, ID card, and jacket, and headed out to the place I'm supposed to check in. (I'm glad I'd scouted out the place the day before, since until yesterday there hadn't been maps of the location.) We were speedily checked in and I was back in bed by two. However, when we were permitted to re-enter Thatcher South, the RAs (who were doing their jobs, bless them) kept shouting, "Go back to your own rooms, we're going to have check!" I was like, "Seriously? It's almost two in the morning. Where ELSE am I going to be? I want to be in bed, asleep." And that was the moment of truth (zen, Jon Stewart would say).
At worship, I sat behind Dean Mathis, who is the dean of Southern Village (which I did not know at the time). She asked me how my day was, and I replied, and then I brought the story about me realizing that I had matured past life as a dorm student, and she suggested that I try for Southern Village next semester. So today I tried to find more information, but of course the Housing office is closed. I'll keep trying until I get an answer. I want to try it, but only if it has a benefit for me.
The cementing of this first concept (about me and the dorm not being exactly compatible anymore) came last night, when we had a planned fire drill at 11:15 PM. I say "planned," but since it's verboten to let us residents know of such things, it came as quite a bit of shock. The reason it was annoying was because I'd gone to be the hour before because I NEEDED THE SLEEP. How is it that every time I go to bed decently early, we have a fire drill? And of course the RAs said the same exact things as we were going back into the dorm. Besides, how fun is it to walk outside in your pajamas through a lobby filled with Campus Safety and volunteer firefighters, most of which are men?
Now, don't get me wrong. I understand the need for fire safety, and am very glad that Southern's residences are serious about fire safety. In fact, I welcome it, and I am elated that Thatcher South was emptied and checked in eight minutes (much better than our dorm counterpart, Thatcher). Maybe that was partially due to the unplanned drill last Thursday, but still. I am glad that the school has our safety in mind. However, my feelings don't really have much to do with fire drills. They're just a part of life in a dorm.
The real reason that I no longer truly need to live in the dorm (other than my crushing college student poverty) is that I don't need the deans or the RAs to look out for me and make sure that I'm not doing nefarious things after hours. I am no longer a high school student who needs to have lights out and an enforced study hour, and I am pretty sure that I am no longer a college student that needs to be tucked in at night. Why? Living in an apartment last year with Emily, Lorraine, and Megan is sort of what Southern Village is purportedly like. Granted, that would be minus the power fluctuations, uncertain water, mice and cockroaches, and plus a washer and dryer and kitchen. I learned skills last year that include cooking for myself--and if living in Southern Village decreased my school bill because I was providing myself with food, so be it. I'm all for making my debt less.
I did a lot of growing up last year. It's not saying that I was super-immature two years ago. I don't feel as if I was--I still valued sleep, did my homework, and abided by the rules. I've done that for a long time, and I'll continue to do so. It's just that I no longer need the external rules to guide my behavior, because my good behavior and good choices have been internalized. No one needs to track my dorm worships because I'd go whether they were tracked or not. I'd go to convocations whether they were required or not. I go to church and Sabbath School on the weekends because I want to, not because I've been reminded to leave the dorm. It's been a long time since I've seen an RA on Sabbath morning (I'm usually gone before they come). I try to manage my time wisely, get my homework done, socialize when I can. I've opened my own bank account, and I try to keep track of what I've spent where. No, I'm not perfect, but I am growing up. And part of growing up means becoming independent--even of the dormitory. Isn't that why I'm here at school? To grow up? Become an adult?
More later.
No comments:
Post a Comment