Graphic by Nate Barton
If you’ve ever shared your experiences at Pepperdine with students from other schools, you may have found that this school is a bit different. Obviously the fact that our campus is basically on the beach, and there are mountain lions and brand new Ferraris roaming about, set it apart, but it goes much deeper than that. We as Pepperdine students find a unity in our experiences not simply because of the name “Pepperdine” but because of the unique opportunities that have allowed each of us to grow.
Sure, we share fun traditions like The Rock, Dolores and the true horror of Willie the Wave, but those don’t define what it means to go to this school. Look at International Programs, which two-thirds of us have experienced. They have a way of creating a bond, even with students spread across the globe.
From years in London or Buenos Aires to summers in Kenya or Australia, studying abroad gives you a push into self-discovery that the Malibu bubble sometimes can’t. We come back with different memories and experiences, but somehow all find that through these various experiences, we have found a new strength within ourselves.
We bond through personal growth in Celebration Chapel and Surf Convo or just by waiting in line for those last-minute Convo credits. Even though we’re not necessarily great at keeping up with athletics, we gush over our friends in the fall musical. We rush to see DIF and talk about it for weeks afterward. Even one of Pepperdine’s longest and strongest traditions, Songfest, defies the norm of what college experiences are supposed to be. We don’t necessarily pack a stadium, but we do pack Smothers.
We’ve been sent to foreign countries at the tender age of nineteen, encouraged to appreciate the arts and have embarrassed ourselves on stage for twelve minutes. Each of our Pepperdine experiences are unique, but we are able to find unity in the strength and growth we have experienced throughout our time here.
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