Call me a freshman, I'll just tell you "thanks"

     I never pictured myself at a small school. Advertisements boasting "Small class sizes!" and "Discussion based classes!" were never appealing to me. I was ready to head out into the big wide world and allow myself to be lost in it, hiding behind the personalities of people much more confident than me, sitting in the 76th row of a lecture hall and dutifully copying notes with no fear of having to answer a question out loud. I wanted to dive into the college experience holding my breath and stay underwater as long as possible. I wanted to be able to be lost in the crowd the way I never could be as the valedictorian of my high school graduating class of 104. So how on earth did I end up at Saint Francis University (undergraduate population 1,746 and average class size 21)? I have no idea.
     What I do know is that whatever brought me here, to a university where there are fewer people in my classes than there were in high school and even kindergarten, I'm glad I came. There's something about this place that gives you a feeling that's hard to describe to someone who hasn't felt it. Prospective students feel it the moment they step foot on campus - there's something about certain places that just makes you think "This is a good place. It's nice here. I like it. I want to be a part of this." And whatever it is that causes that, Saint Francis has it.
     I'm not going to try to sound like a sap and be all "Everyone's so close here, it feels like a family, I can tell I'm meeting people I'll be friends with for the rest of my life," because honestly there are people who aren't so nice and I have no idea if I'll stay in touch with these people for the rest of my life. I'd like to stay in touch with a lot of them but we'll see. But regardless of whether or not I meet my lifelong best friends here, there's something about a chapel full of college kids participating in student-led praise and worship. There's something about having a free activity to do every night, a comedian or musician or movie or craft night. There's something about seeing your Introduction to Literature professor serving as the leader of song at mass on Sunday morning, and having him greet you by name afterward. There's something about being able to prop your door open and have people stop by and just chat for a few minutes, see how you're doing, what you're up to.
    Maybe it happens at bigger universities, too; I don't know now and I probably won't ever know really. But I'd bet my bottom dollar that it just feels better here. There's something about Saint Francis that just feels right, and I hope to never lose that feeling as I go through my next five years here. Call me a freshman, but I am, and always will be, proud to be a Saint Francis University student.