Just in case you didn't know, Le Moyne College is a small, Jesuit school located in Syracuse, New York. If you've never heard of or visited Le Moyne, then allow me to welcome you with a little peek into our day-to-day lives as Dolphins. However, if you go to Le Moyne, then this list will probably be an all too familiar topic to you. Here are 13 things that all Le Moyne students have come to understand, know, and love (and sometimes hate.)
1. You'll never be emotionally prepared for the line for lunch at noon.
If you think you'll be able to leave your class at 11:50, stroll right into the dining hall, and immediately find an open table, then prepare to be extremely disappointed. Lunch time during the week requires a lot of strategic planning, perfect timing, and sometimes a seriously long wait while you starve to death because the line is always out the door (literally).
2. The hallways connecting Grewen and the Science Center Addition make you feel super claustrophobic.
There's nothing quite like attempting to get to class, waiting in an awkward single file line by the doorway, and uncomfortably not knowing whether to make the first move or to let the other person go before you. You would think that these hallways would've been made wide enough for at least two people, right? Well, think again.
3. You've discovered how to survive -20 degree winters like a champ.
Thankfully, your entire wardrobe consists of sweaters, scarves, thick wool socks, and plenty of warm outdoor attire. If you came into school thinking that UGGs would cut it as your go-to winter boots, you quickly realized that you'd be doomed to a season of cold, wet toes. But, you live and learn, and we're all pretty much Eskimos at this point.
4. You can never find a good parking spot, but you're always guaranteed to find a ticket on your car.
This applies to both commuters and students who have their cars on campus. If you can't find a spot in your own lot, good luck, because you'll be banished to a far away lot way down the hill and will have to take a serious hike that'll probably make you late to class. But don't worry, you'll definitely also have a parking ticket for something by the time you get back! Thanks, security.
5. The housing lottery and class registration make you feel like you're in some sort of real life "Hunger Games."
Plan your schedule, click the button to register, and things will be golden, right? Wrong. You'll probably get locked out of all of your classes, and then have an emotional breakdown because you're concerned that you'll never graduate in time. But don't worry, you also have the constant fear of somehow being put in St. Mary's as a senior and hating your life entirely.
6. You're never quite sure what the temperature will be in your dorm room.
It's pretty much a requirement to sleep naked in the summer or else you'll have a heat stroke. But then winter rolls around, and things get super unpredictable. One night, you need three comforters, two sweatshirts, and a parka to sleep comfortably. But, the next night, the heat kicks on and your room turns into a dry, depressing sauna. There's no happy medium.
7. You'll never understand why we can't legally live off campus.
You know, like every other school on the planet. We clearly don't have enough housing for all of our students, but let's also restrict them even more and make things extra difficult! We all know there are easy ways around it, but why should we have to be sneaky in the first place?
8. You're all too familiar with limited party options.
We have a few sports houses, but obviously no Greek life, which then means small dorm parties, searching for SU frat houses, or lots of going to the bars downtown. This often leads you to texting your friends in a panic trying to figure out the game plan on a Friday night, or just sitting in your room and drinking wine while watching Netflix.
9. You always look forward to specific days in the caf.
Thanksgiving dinner, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, chicken wing dip... sign me up, please. People will actually wait in line for specific food, and it'll run out faster than you can blink, so don't hesitate and grab an extra plate just to be safe.
10. You've taken, or watched people take, pictures with every statue on campus.
If you didn't think Eric Dolphy was cool enough, we now have St. Ignatius of Loyola, too! Either way, we're all guilty of taking embarrassing selfies with them at some point, and it's a guarantee that both statues will have a beer in their hand by the end of the weekend.
11. You can easily identify tons of different cliques and groups.
On your way to any spot on campus, you'll see very specific groups of people. There are the different sports teams, the PAC kids, the bar girls, the freshmen, and probably also the kids who play Humans vs. Zombies with nerf guns. There are tons of other sub-categories of cliques, but each group is distinct and they stick together like glue.
12. You pretty much know everyone, who their friends are, who they hooked up with last night, and their entire life story.
When there's less than 1000 students in each class, word tends to spread like wildfire. Even if you've never met a person, you've definitely seen their face around campus, heard tons of rumors and stories about them, and are probably their friend on Facebook.