Returning for the spring semester as a freshman feels even more daunting than the fall. While fall was about discovering new possibilities and independence, spring signals higher expectations and real commitments. Now, clubs are official, classes begin to align with your major, and it feels like your college journey truly begins. Thankfully, the first week at Loyola has never been boring. Being in New Orleans, a city rich in culture and life, I spent the first week reacquainting myself with what originally drew me here. I also returned to my favorite places, including my fall semester obsession, Wishing Town Cafe and Bakery on Magazine, where the dumplings never disappoint.
After a month apart, I reunited with my friends, people I’d grown accustomed to being just down the hall. We spent a chilly afternoon in Audubon Park, lying in the grass and sharing stories from our hometowns. My roommate and I went thrifting in the city, which we both agreed is much better than back home. It felt like I was hitting all of the cliche hotspots. Through these, I realized the reason school never felt as intimidating wasn’t necessarily because of the city, but the support I had found in it.
One of these moments of realization was the first chapter meeting of my sorority, Delta Gamma. Being back in that room, with these girls who’d held me up and supported me during the tumbles of the fall semester, felt like a relief. The first few days of classes were as one would expect: finding friends to sit next to, going over the syllabus, and classes that seem to drag on forever because you haven’t started any material. Further into the week, my sorority had its first spring recruitment event. Being a social person, getting to be surrounded by people I not only know but also new faces was another step in helping me feel I was fully back.
One of my favorite things about Loyola is the vast opportunities, no matter your major. Not only did I get the chance to write for The Maroon, but I also got to help out on a project one of my roommates was working on. I had the pleasure of working the album launch party for a Loyola artist, Azure Skyz. On top of the music being great, you could tell the passion everyone put into the event.
As a business major, these are creative opportunities I never thought I would be able to work on, especially as a freshman, but Loyola fosters so many outlets for individuality in a way that encourages me to look outside of my major. I know returning to school can be stressful for anybody, but community is what makes that change feel lighter. And of course, here of all places, there’s never a dull moment.
