No Country for Old Men: 50 Things I Learned at Bing

From Friends

50. Sometimes you gotta be a lil’ savage.

49. Pay it forward; bless as you’ve been blessed.

Thank you, for 5 years of the Asian Student Union (ASU), for 2 years of the Thai Student Organization (TSO), for 5 years of this wonderful community. I was able to be ASU President, to help create TSO, to unite the community, to become a respectable person, to make friends and most importantly, to be myself.

Dreams is such a fitting theme as all of you reading this were a part of my dream. I never had any high aspirations, but rather my only dream was to be able to sit down, eat, laugh and even drink alongside the people I have met and have come to love. I’m so grateful that my dream has been fulfilled for this chapter of my life, so I’d like to do my part in giving back to you all and pass along as much as I can so you can fulfill your own dreams. Here’s a “50 Things I Learned at Bing,” — inspired by Mike Messina’s “60 Things I Learned at Bing” — passing down the torch once again to the next generation.

48. If you’re close, don’t split a check. Cover for them and have them pay next time; eventually, it should go without saying.

47. Drink with a purpose — to reconnect, to meet, to laugh, whatever.

46. If you need help, ask for help. It can get hard doing it on your own.

45. It’s better to be laughing than stressed, so try your best to take things lightly.

44. Never forget what you put on to other people, when you vent, when you spill, when you confide in, for those that you have done it do pay it back in kindness.

43. The best way to make friends is to treat other people like your friends.

42. It is what it is; learn to accept and reflect.

41. Appreciate life and time together, you never know where time will take you.

From Love

40. It’s better to be the person who cares more; love and effort realistically comes more from one side, so it’s okay to give everything you can.

39. Learn to love yourself before loving others.

38. Trust others; if trust is broken, it will come back around one way or another.

37. Be honest with yourself and your partner.

36. Don’t forget to meet your own goals in a relationship.

35. Compromise and communicate with your partner.

34. Learn empathy and selflessness; love is about care.

33. Often, hate can come at the same rate that love does, so try your best to spend time focusing on the positives.

32. The harshest reality you may face is that it is sometimes impossible to make others care.

31. Wear your heart on your sleeve; tell the people you love that you love them as much as you can.

FROM ORGANIZATIONS (ORGS)

30. If you can’t find a home, make one.

29. Orgs should strive to be like a circus. It’s important to have people running the show, but it’s equally as important to have clowns.

28. Let people know you as yourself before they know you in any position.

27. Apply to an org with confidence; it should be their loss if they don’t take you. Keep doing your best and be as great as you can be. An org is only a social construct, but you are invaluable.

26. Pay special attention to the oldest members on E-Board and the youngest, as the mix of new and old insight creates amazing ideas.

25. Feasibility checks! Make sure you know how feasible everything you do is and how much you are asking of others.

24. Don’t let one person lead every meeting. Maybe spin a wheel and let the voices of those not normally heard speak.

14 ASIAN OUTLOOK

23. Don’t forget about fronts; choosing communities (whether it be your own E-Board or multicultural, Greek, external orgs, etc.) provides direction, which is essential.

22. Keep org metrics in mind. Re-evaluate your org based on these factors: structure, future proofing, purpose, fun, reputation/respect and innovation/uniqueness (refer to my article from the Fall 2022 issue, “Cultural Organization ABC’s”).

21. Learn to let go at some point. School orgs exist for just four years (or five years in my case, LOL) of your life, but you come away with the interpersonal connections you’ve made along the way, so make time for your friends.

From My Life

20. Don’t forget that you wear shoes. If you had to walk barefoot over every rock and piece of dirt every day, it would hurt, so remind yourself of the comforts that you have.

19. Leave your door open if you can, even when others don’t.

18. Life can feel and be hard sometimes or even all the time, but the sun will rise the next day.

17. Give without expecting anything in return. That way, whatever does come to you is a surprise that may feel much sweeter.

16. You have no enemies. Sure, there are people you might not choose to be friends with or those you don’t see eye to eye with, but never choose hate when someone has never done anything to you.

15. Live with no regrets; do everything you want to do.

14. Utilize questions. They can show others that you care about them and may even change a dictatorship into a democracy.

13. Take a lot of walks — alone or with others — be there with your thoughts and process them.

12. Treat yourself to a nice meal once in a while; good food can warm up the soul.

11. Meet people. Everyone’s lives contain millions of hours of content, so you can learn more about who you are and who you want to be by diversifying the type of people you meet.

10. Make eye contact with people from across the room and acknowledge them. We can spend our whole lives feeling like strangers so in those short moments, a smile, a head nod or a wave can go a long way.

9. The happiness in your life stems from the quality of your thoughts, particularly in regards to how well you are able to perceive things and process them.

8. Your words are important — how you say them and what you say impacts the people around you. Slow down and think through how to express yourself if you feel you are overspeaking.

7. Everything is all yours in your life. Don’t compare yourself to others and don’t constantly focus on how they are doing. Be with yourself and see yourself for who you are.

6. Breathe. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Take a second to breathe at every happy moment and every sad moment. Be cognizant of your own breathing.

5. Share your thoughts and ideas as they may be the only things that remain when you’re gone.

From My Mom

4. Call the people you love often; just hearing someone’s voice helps to keep your loved ones from becoming just memories.

3. Love no matter what, no matter how far and no matter how long time has passed. Love overcomes every darkness that you may find yourself in.

From My Dad

2. Do whatever it takes to survive — to pass your classes, to eat, to sleep, to get a job and to be self-sufficient.

1. No matter how hard it gets, try your best to be a good person. Find the definition of what good means to you and it will always pay you back in the long term.

This is written in honor of Alby. For walking me, a random freshman, back to my dorm before I really knew anyone at Bing, thanks for showing me how to be a good role model. I hope I have been able to pass down the kindness you showed me.

Until we meet again, I love you and everyone I’ve been able to meet at Bing. In solidarity, for the last time, Nortee Panpinyo

Late Night Thoughts.

By Fatima Gonzalez