I'm not going to lie--I am slightly embarrassed to tell people where I graduated from when they ask. Most people here don't know where Missouri is, let alone Carbondale, IL. And to say you went anywhere that wasn't Parson, FIT, or a fancy art school in my industry is just unheard of. But a year ago this week, I graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and it was the best decision I could have made.
When I was choosing schools, I got into all 8 schools I applied to. But with financial and other issues at the time, SIU was the closest and only school I was able to visit. The best part about the school was that it had Greek life--yes I was one of those weirdos who wanted to go Greek before I went to school--and most fashion schools don't, so I was okay with the decision.
Unlike everyone else in the entire campus, I had no idea what a fucked up, crazy place SIU was. I'm from Missouri, we don't know it's reputation as a "party school"...most people I grew up with still think I went to the Edwardsville campus. My first weekend there was a blur I immediately wanted to forget. Imagine being at a school where everyone there is trying to get as drunk as possible everyday, and you don't drink. Yeah, it was a pretty awkward place for me to be.
Without my sisters in AGD and my best friends in Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, I would have fled that town faster than you can recite the Greek alphabet. I never thought I would miss Carbondale... in fact I'm pretty sure I swore to everyone they'd never see me step foot in town again. But Post-Grad life is weird. It makes you forget about the horrible times and just think about the incredible ones.
I miss juggling 50 meetings a week, plus class, plus studio time, plus finding time to take my 6 hour naps. I miss naps in general. I miss midnight Wal-Mart runs, milkshake runs, and real runs if I ever actually got my butt over to the Rec. I miss my huge, beautiful apartment, and even my tiny, cramped room in the sorority house where I always had someone to talk to and hang out with no matter what time of day. I miss chapter meetings, socials, and getting dressed up to just sit in a room with my 15 closest friends at the Phi Tau house and avoid all the annoying drunks. I miss going to Gatsbys, Trax, and Stix at bar time, even if the floors were always sticky and the drinks were always watered down. And most of all, I miss my friends and seeing them everyday.
In the end, I am so happy I went to SIU. Not only because I met my best friends, but because I learned things about myself and others I never would have if I had gone to another school. I'm finally proud to be a Saluki, although I still think the mascot is ridiculous and hideous. So when I'm rich and famous, I promise to tell Oprah as she interviews me of my humble beginnings at SIU. Who knows--maybe it'll bring in money and SIU can finally afford to fix the parking situation.
xoxo,
Ms. Manhattan
When I was choosing schools, I got into all 8 schools I applied to. But with financial and other issues at the time, SIU was the closest and only school I was able to visit. The best part about the school was that it had Greek life--yes I was one of those weirdos who wanted to go Greek before I went to school--and most fashion schools don't, so I was okay with the decision.
Unlike everyone else in the entire campus, I had no idea what a fucked up, crazy place SIU was. I'm from Missouri, we don't know it's reputation as a "party school"...most people I grew up with still think I went to the Edwardsville campus. My first weekend there was a blur I immediately wanted to forget. Imagine being at a school where everyone there is trying to get as drunk as possible everyday, and you don't drink. Yeah, it was a pretty awkward place for me to be.
Without my sisters in AGD and my best friends in Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, I would have fled that town faster than you can recite the Greek alphabet. I never thought I would miss Carbondale... in fact I'm pretty sure I swore to everyone they'd never see me step foot in town again. But Post-Grad life is weird. It makes you forget about the horrible times and just think about the incredible ones.
I miss juggling 50 meetings a week, plus class, plus studio time, plus finding time to take my 6 hour naps. I miss naps in general. I miss midnight Wal-Mart runs, milkshake runs, and real runs if I ever actually got my butt over to the Rec. I miss my huge, beautiful apartment, and even my tiny, cramped room in the sorority house where I always had someone to talk to and hang out with no matter what time of day. I miss chapter meetings, socials, and getting dressed up to just sit in a room with my 15 closest friends at the Phi Tau house and avoid all the annoying drunks. I miss going to Gatsbys, Trax, and Stix at bar time, even if the floors were always sticky and the drinks were always watered down. And most of all, I miss my friends and seeing them everyday.
In the end, I am so happy I went to SIU. Not only because I met my best friends, but because I learned things about myself and others I never would have if I had gone to another school. I'm finally proud to be a Saluki, although I still think the mascot is ridiculous and hideous. So when I'm rich and famous, I promise to tell Oprah as she interviews me of my humble beginnings at SIU. Who knows--maybe it'll bring in money and SIU can finally afford to fix the parking situation.
xoxo,
Ms. Manhattan