Well you guys, the end of this school year has arrived, and I’ve found myself reevaluating if I’m better for the experience.
Results are inconclusive.
What did I learn in my second campaign at Pepperdine? I have no idea.
I just found out that staying on campus for your sophomore year is the equivalent of calling Pepperdine’s International Programs bluff. Did you know they don’t have a curriculum for those who stay in Malibu? We just hang out at The Sandbar or watch TV in our dorms –– our sole obligation is being present at Wednesday convo. In fact, since it’s the only thing on my plate, I have 43 credits this semester.
I did learn that the fear of missing an NFL season is not cause for opting out of studying abroad; 16 weeks of wiping saline tears into my 49er’s T-shirt as I sifted through friends’ European photo albums drove this supposition home.
But I’m just one person; the maturation of our community is more important when it comes to reminiscing. Are we any better $52,000 later?
No. 1 We learned that social revolutions are dead, having gone a full year without the SBX3000 smoothie making a comeback as a fixture of the HAWC. Alas, it appears no amount of cries can rattle the Czars of Housing, who heard our pleas from afar and chuckled at how “adorable” we were. Well I never intended to be a martyr, but if we must sacrifice one of our own to see this dream realized, then tie me up and light a match because that’s a cause I’m willing to die for.
No. 2 We learned that the orange part of a toy gun is there for a reason, and that taking it off on a college campus, even for the purpose of comedy, will end with humorless consequences.
No. 3 We learned that the weight room is nothing but a cesspool of narcissism masking itself as a center for personal health. The full-length mirrors are the ego’s equivalent of a scrawny grade school kid egging you on as you contemplate jumping a ravine with your tricycle.
No. 4 We learned that even the mention of an LGBT organi –
No. 5 We learned that it’s impossible to convince a Pepperdine student to come to any event on campus. You could spend thousands of dollars and truck in a boatload of Chik-Fil-A, but a drop of rain will cause students to run for cover like the paranoid bunny lurking outside Shafer.
But it wasn’t all bad. Even the debbiest of downers among us must admit we’re better today than we were in August – if only because we’ve accrued some semblance of wisdom from passed time.
We’re a student body 3,000 strong, and this university is what it is: a small liberal arts school on the coast of Malibu with a strong Christian backbone. Sure we take classes in the CAC and Plaza, study long hours at Payson and collaborate on projects in The Sandbar. But we seemingly haven’t learned a part of our education process: Understanding our identity.
I’m not talking about my identity; I’m talking about us. When we committed to Pepperdine our senior year of high school, we became embodiments of its “Purpose, Service and Leadership” message. This doesn’t mean we have to lace up our Nikes and drink the Kool-Aid Pepperdine serves us; it just means we should all be working to make this school the best it can be.
Yeah, the Caf food sucks, and service is kind of slow, but too many of us have allowed ourselves to slip into this culture of complaining. Pepperdine perfect? Not by any means (See No. 1). But we’re not a part of the solution — we are the solution. The only way to make this place better is to call the school’s bluff and say, “I’m all in.” When the sports teams play, let’s sit it the stands — maybe they’ll improve with some support. Plays, Shows and Premieres on campus? Pack the house! Concerts in alumni with big-time names? Put a raincoat on and live a little. Because what we all need is support- and when this community becomes one of mutual exultation, our limits cease to exist.
So what did I learn this year? Pepperdine is a place of infinite opportunities; we just haven’t hit oil yet.
