Senior Reflection: Mason

from the EDITO I  had  just  returned  from  a  family  trip  to  San  Francisco  when  I  got  my  acceptance  letter.  Al-­ WKRXJK LW ZDVQ¶W P\ ¿UVW FKRLFH , LPPHGLDWHO\ knew  I  would  be  going  to  Boston  College.  It  wasn’t  that  I  felt  some  sort  of  a  deep  connection  to  BC—  DIWHU DOO , DP IURP 1RUWK 'DNRWD DQG WKH WUDGLWLRQV would’ve  meant  nothing  to  me  —  but  I  genuinely  NQHZ WKLV ZDV WKH SODFH IRU PH 3OXV , UHDOO\ OLNHG the  idea  of  getting  out  of  the  Midwest  and  going  to  Boston!) , ZDV SODFHG RQ 1HZWRQ FDPSXV VRPHWKLQJ that  I  was  not  particularly  thrilled  with  when  it  ¿UVW KDSSHQHG $IWHU D IHZ PRQWKV RI OLYLQJ WKHUH WKRXJK , EHFDPH HQWUDQFHG ZLWK WKH P\VWHU\ WKDW 1HZWRQ &DPSXV RIIHUV (YHU\WKLQJ WKDW WKH\ DG-­ vertised  was  true:  the  bus  really  was  like  coming  KRPH WKH FRPPXQLW\ ZDV YLVLEO\ SUHVHQW DQG WKH people  really  seemed  to  like  it.  &RPLQJ LQ DV D SUH PHG ELRORJ\ PDMRU WXUQHG RXW WR EH WKH ZURQJ FKRLFH IRU PH 1RW RQO\ GLG , QRW HQMR\ RU H[FHO DW P\ FODVVHV EXW , DOVR WRRN P\VHOI WRR VHULRXVO\ DV D UHVXOW SUHIHUULQJ WR VWXG\ and  read  quietly  than  to  make  friends  and  social-­ ize.  I  realized  that  I  was  missing  out  on  something  that  had  nothing  to  do  with  my  academic  studies.  $IWHU , FDPH WR %& , TXLFNO\ UHDOL]HG WKDW , GLGQ¶W ¿W WKH FODVVLF ³%& %UR´ DUFKHW\SH &RPLQJ from  a  small  Midwestern  state  that  is  very  homog-­ HQRXV E\ DQ\ VWDQGDUG , ZDV SHUVRQDOO\ VXUSULVHG E\ WKH GLYHUVLW\ DW %& +RZHYHU P\ FODVVPDWHV and  friends  were  less  enthused.  They  personally  GHVSLVHG WKH KRPRJHQHLW\ RI WKH FXOWXUH DQG FRQ-­ VHTXHQWO\ WKH\ VHW WKHPVHOYHV DQG DV D UHVXOW PH DSDUW IURP WKH UHVW RI WKH VWXGHQW ERG\ I  spent  the  rest  of  freshmen  year  working  to  GLVWDQFH P\VHOI IURP WKH UHVW RI WKH VWXGHQW ERG\ which  for  some  reason  I  considered  uninspiring  and  somehow  beneath  me.  I  placed  myself  on  an  DUWL¿FLDOO\ FRQVWUXFWHG SHGHVWDO ZLWK D IDOVH JODVV foundation  that  soon  shattered.  I  spent  the  summer  realizing  that  I  had  wasted  most  of  the  courses  I  had  taken  and  had  no  in-­

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terest  in  further  pursing  any  degree  in  science.  I  SURPSWO\ FKDQJHG P\ PDMRU WR SV\FKRORJ\ DW WKH great  dismay  of  my  parents  who  discouraged  this  line  of  study.  (I  later  added  economics  as  a  major  DV ZHOO ZKLFK VHWWOHG WKHLU IHDUV DERXW P\ IXWXUH joblessness).  :KHQ VRSKRPRUH \HDU FDPH , JUHZ XS , LJ-­ nored  my  previously  ingrained  notions  of  superior-­ ity  that  I  had  come  to  believe  and  became  more  sociable.  It  made  a  world  of  difference.  I  joined  *DYHO 0HGLD IRU VRPHWKLQJ WR GR DQG , QHYHU looked  back.  7KURXJK 7KH *DYHO , EHFDPH PRUH LQYROYHG RQ FDPSXV DQG DV D UHVXOW ZLWK RWKHU SHRSOH , had  been  reluctant  to  become  involved  in  too  many  activities  considering  the  workload  that  I  had  GRQH LQ KLJK VFKRRO EXW , GRYH LQ KHDG¿UVW 9LD *DYHO 0HGLD , OHDUQHG DERXW VR PDQ\ JURXSV WKDW I  never  knew  existed.  The  next  three  years  were  a  blur.  I  was  con-­ stantly  meeting  new  people  and  becoming  in-­ volved  with  various  different  groups  and  causes.  I  EHFDPH WKH (GLWRU LQ &KLHI RI *DYHO 0HGLD GXULQJ the  second  semester  of  my  sophomore  year  (for  PRUH RQ WKLV WXUQ WR SDJH , DOVR DSSOLHG WR EH RQ WKH (GLWRULDO ERDUG RI 9RLFHV WKH DFDGHPLF journal  of  the  Women’s  and  Gender  Studies  Pro-­ JUDP D VWDII PHPEHU DW WKH :RPHQ¶V 5HVRXUFH &HQWHU DQG D JHQHUDO ERDUG PHPEHU RI %RVWRQ College  Students  for  Sexual  Health.  I  spent  that  summer  at  Boston  College  work-­ LQJ IRU WKH 2I¿FH RI 5HVLGHQWLDO /LIH $OWKRXJK LW was  the  furthest  thing  from  a  glamorous  job  that  , FRXOG LPDJLQH , PHW DQG EHFDPH JUHDW IULHQGV ZLWK D JURXS RI SHRSOH WKDW , DV D VWLOO WLPLG DQG XQVXUH VRSKRPRUH ZRXOG QHYHU KDYH DSSURDFKHG on  my  own.  7KURXJK WKHP , ZDV H[SRVHG WR IXUWKHU DGYHQ-­ tures  and  experiences  at  Boston  College.  I  am  so  JUDWHIXO IRU VSHQGLQJ WKDW VXPPHU ZLWK WKHP DQG , hope  that  we  will  always  keep  in  touch.

I  enveloped  myself  in  work  my  junior  year. Â

May 2013

OR IN CHIEF... , VHUYHG DV WKH (GLWRU LQ &KLHI RI ERWK *DYHO 0H-­ GLD ,QF DQG 9RLFHV DQG ZDV D VWDII PHPEHU RI WKH :RPHQ¶V 5HVRXUFH &HQWHU , KDG WR VFDOH EDFN P\ involvement  in  BCSSH  because  of  the  time  commit-­ PHQW EXW , VWLOO LQIUHTXHQWO\ DWWHQGHG PHHWLQJV $V D PHPEHU RI 9RLFHV %&66+ DQG WKH :5& I  found  myself  at  the  forefront  of  activist  causes  on  FDPSXV VRPH RI ZKLFK , ZDV KRQHVWO\ XQFRPIRUW-­ able  with.  I  never  found  my  footing  in  these  organi-­ ]DWLRQV , RIWHQ IHOW DV LI , VSHQW PRUH WLPH ¿JKWLQJ against  an  invisible  enemy  (the  administration)  than  we  did  making  any  sort  of  progress.  Activist  groups  have  a  tendency  to  take  themselves  too  seriously  WR DFFRPSOLVK WKHLU WUXH PLVVLRQ DQG DV D UHVXOW just  become  an  extension  of  the  harms  they  seek  to  prevent.  'RQ¶W JHW PH ZURQJ , WKRURXJKO\ HQMR\HG ZRUN-­ LQJ IRU ERWK RUJDQL]DWLRQV EXW , IRXQG P\VHOI OHVV and  less  convinced  of  the  respective  merits  that  HDFK VXSSRVHGO\ HPERGLHG $V ³RSHQ PLQGHG´ DV WKH IHPLQLVW PRYHPHQW VXSSRVHGO\ ZDV , IRXQG both  the  people  and  the  institutions  utterly  resistant  WR FKDQJH RI DQ\ VRUW )RU WKH ¿UVW DQG RQO\ WLPH DW %& , DFWXDOO\ IHOW PDUJLQDOL]HG LQ WKH JURXSV ZKHUH , was  supposed  to  be  the  most  accepted.  After  observing  both  sides  of  that  movement  — often  much  closer  to  either  side  than  I  wanted  to  EH² , IRXQG WKDW , FRXOG QR ORQJHU LQ JRRG FRQ-­ VFLHQFH FDOO P\VHOI D IHPLQLVW )XUWKHUPRUH DV *DYHO 0HGLD JUHZ , IRXQG P\VHOI PRUH LQYROYHG ZLWK WKDW RUJDQL]DWLRQ , HQGHG XS OHDYLQJ ERWK 9RLF-­ HV DQG WKH :5& DORQJ ZLWK PDQ\ UHJUHWV LQ ERWK RUJDQL]DWLRQV DW WKH HQG RI WKDW \HDU , OHDUQHG VRPHWKLQJ YDOXDEOH WKRXJK LW FDPH DW an  enormous  cost:  There  is  a  group  of  accepting  people  on  campus  for  everyone;;  it  just  may  not  be  the  one  you  think.  When  I  looked  at  the  group  of  people  in  Gavel  0HGLD , IRXQG D FROOHFWLRQ RI SHRSOH WKDW ZHUH WR-­ WDOO\ DQG FRPSOHWHO\ GLIIHUHQW EDVHG RQ WKHLU EH-­ OLHIV WKHLU LQWHUHVWV WKHLU SROLWLFDO LQVWLWXWLRQV WKHLU DELOLWLHV DQG WKHLU SHUVRQDOLWLHV 6RPHKRZ WKRXJK it  worked.  www.bcgavel.com

,Q DOO RI P\ OLIH , KDYH QHYHU EHHQ VXUURXQGHG E\ a  more  accepting  group  of  people  than  I  was  with  *DYHO 0HGLD (YHQ ZKHQ WKHUH ZDV WHQVLRQ ZH DOO gave  each  other  the  power  to  believe  in  ourselves  DQG LQ RWKHUV GHVSLWH RXU GLIIHUHQFHV $V , HQWHUHG P\ VHQLRU \HDU , EHJDQ WKH QREOH but  fruitless  quest  to  scale  back  my  efforts  in  orga-­ nizations  and  become  more  involved  in  the  social  nature  of  Boston  College.  I  opened  myself  up  and  SXW P\VHOI RXW WKHUH DQG IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH , IHOW DV if  I  really  adhered  to  the  college  scene.  This  doesn’t  PHDQ WKDW , ZHQW RXW DQG JRW ³ZKLWH JLUO ZDVWHG´ HY-­ ery  chance  I  got;;  it  means  that  I  spent  time  getting  to  know  the  people  around  me.  $W WKH HQG RI WKH GD\ , DOZD\V UHWXUQHG WR *DYHO Media.  I  discovered  that  is  was  really  where  I  was  VXSSRVHG WR EH 7RGD\ WKHUH DUH DERXW SHRSOH that  somehow  have  their  hands  in  the  organization.  It’s  sad  to  think  that  I  won’t  know  all  of  them  nearly  DV ZHOO DV , ZDQW WR EXW DOO WKLQJV PXVW FRPH WR DQ end.  $W D UHFHQW *DYHO 0HGLD HYHQW , ZDV WDONLQJ WR three  freshmen  and  a  sophomore  who  truly  are  the  future  of  the  organization.  I  was  saddened  by  the  prospect  that  I  will  never  get  to  know  these  people  as  well  as  I  have  the  oth-­ ers.  I  had  gotten  so  used  I have never been surto  seeing  freshmen  and  rounded by a more acsophomores  grow  and  cepting group of people change  with  the  organi-­ than I was with Gavel zation  that  I  somehow  forgot  that  I  wouldn’t  get  Media. that  opportunity  next  year.  7KURXJKRXW WKH SURFHVV , OHDUQHG PDQ\ YDOX-­ able  insights  that  have  helped  make  this  experience  WUXO\ WKH EHVW LQ P\ OLIH \HW , RQO\ IHHO WKH QHHG WR VKDUH RQH RI WKHP ZLWK \RX *HW LQYROYHG DQG LI \RX KDYH ZKDW LW WDNHV JHW LQYROYHG ZLWK *DYHO 0HGLD These  people  have  truly  become  a  part  of  my  BC  IDPLO\ DQG DV ORQJ DV , OLYH , ZLOO QHYHU IRUJHW ZKDW all  of  you  have  done  for  me.  Mason Lende  Editor-in-Chief

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