This past weekend, Samford University celebrated its 175th birthday. I am so thankful for the chance to live and learn at this incredible institution, and in celebration of the anniversary, I thought I'd come up with 175 reasons I am thankful that I attend Samford.

1. Afternoons spent sitting on Ben Brown with friends.

2. Stopping by Einstein's on my way from one class to another.

3. Being a part of Step Sing.

4. Getting to teach Zumba classes at Campus Rec.

5. The beautiful campus.

6. Being a member of Phi Mu.

7. Getting to know my professors and knowing that they care about me as a student.

8. The opportunity to be an RA.

9. The tradition of jumping in the fountains.

10. Doing homework on the Quad.

11. Getting to know the men and women who work in the Caf.

12. Participating in Samford Gives Back.

13. Having food trucks on Ben Brown.

14. The Your School, Your City concert.

15. Attending Hanging of the Green.

16. Dr. Westmoreland's First Thoughts emails.

17. The always-green grass by the front gates.

18. Going to RUF every Tuesday.

19. Not being defined by my Greek letters.

20. Knowing I can call the Hub with any questions I have.

21. Getting involved with groups on campus.

22. The JMC department.

23. The English department.

24. Finding Caf cups all over campus.

25. The Central Campus office.

26. Watching old Step Sing videos all year in anticipation for next year's show.

27. Writing for The Crimson.

28. Having sororities and fraternities pair with sports teams.

29. Getting a birthday letter from Dr. Westmoreland.

30. The Caf cat.

31. The scholarship opportunities.

32. Going to concerts in Birmingham and running into half of the campus.

34. Impromptu worship services.

35. The friendly atmosphere.

36. Jan Term.

37. Having Coke products in the Caf.

38. The Mr. Samford pagent.

39. Getting to be an ambassador.

40. The shuttle.

41. Welcome Back Week.

42. Living in Birmingham.

43. Watching beautiful sunsets through your window.

44. The opportunity to study abroad.

45. Selfies with Dr. Westmoreland.

46. Running into friends in Ben Brown.

47. Beeson Ball.

48. Being so close to so many good coffeeshops.

49. Free t-shirts.

50. Caf cookies.

51. Going to Pepper Place on Saturday mornings.

52. The Library.

53. Tailgating on the Quad.

54. Making references to Step Sing shows and having everyone know exactly what you're talking about.

55. When there are dogs on campus.

56. A campus small enough to walk everywhere you need to go.

57. Getting an email that you have a package to pick up.

58. Summer Send-Off.

59. The Samford Dining snapchat.

60. Taking pictures with Mr. Beeson.

61. The Neon Party.

62. Climbing to the roofs of buildings.

63. Late night walks around campus.

64. Finally having a snapchat filter.

65. Free food on Ben Brown.

66. Frat laps.

67. Attending Lighting of the Way.

68. The Vail movie room.

69. Late night runs to Sonic, WaHo or Whataburger.

70. PO boxes.

71. Only downloading Yik Yak during Step Sing.

72. Convo hour.

73. The Lakeshore trail.

74. Being only minutes away from Target and Walmart.

75. Having classes that are small enough for you to get to know your classmates.

76. The tables outside of Einstein's.

77. Homecoming Ball.

78. Seeing the Quad as the leaves change in the fall.

79. Being a part of Bid Day.

80. Going to the choral Vespers.

81. Walking across campus and saying hi to all the people that you know.

82. Seeing how other people decorate their dorm rooms.

83. ResLife's Skates 280 Halloween Party.

84. Family Weekend.

85. Taking pictures in front of Hodges before any and all functions.

86. Harry's Coffeehouse.

87. The cherry blossoms in front of Vail in the spring.

88. The ease of navigating campus in a car.

89. The excessive use of the GroupMe app.

90. Freshens.

91. Attending sorority/fraternity philanthropy events.

92. Running into Samford people at Target every time.

93. Wearing my Phi Mu Loves the Bulldogs pin to tailgates.

94. Never fully understanding how Vail works.

95. Always having Good Friday off.

96. Doing homework at the picnic tables in Ben Brown.

97. Not having trouble finding a friend to go to church with every Sunday.

98. The honor societies.

99. Dorm rooms that somehow become home.

100. Freshmen Move-In Day.

101. Picnics on the Quad

102. Fitness classes at Campus Rec.

103. The chalk drawings on the sidewalk.

105. Walking into the Hub and seeing your friends behind the desk.

105. Attending plays put on by students.

106. Fried Chicken Friday.

107. The many choices of campus ministries to attend.

108. The new CHS building.

109. Big/Little Reveal.

110. Eno Village.

111. The Homecoming boards on Ben Brown.

112. Attending the Christmas Around the World convo.

113. Having deep conversations on the way to get food late at night.

114. Living so close to all your friends.

115. Syllabus week.

116. The basement of the library.

117. Getting to know maintenance men and cleaning ladies.

118. Degreeworks.

119. The leadership opportunities.

120. Step Sing Banner Reveal.

121. Listening to the A Capella choir perform.

122. The supportive community.

123. Class projects that don't feel like school work.

124. The gym.

125. My advisors.

126. The incredible promotion videos.

127. Staying late over break to spend more time with friends.

128. Learning in an encouraging environment.

129. Writing for student publications.

130. Caf dates with people you don't know very well.

131. Trying to guess the themes of other Step Sing shows.

132. Being able to talk openly about how God is working in my life.

133. The JMC computer lab.

134. Banquets and events put on by departments.

135. Fundraising events at local restaurants.

136. Hearing your name yelled across Ben Brown by your friends.

137. Studying in the new business building.

138. The landscaping on campus.

139. Meeting new people.

140. Discussing theology.

141. The attitude that Caf workers or maintenance men or cleaning ladies are people to be valued and that students can get to know them.

142. Catered meetings.

143. The expansions being made to campus.

144. The chapter room.

145. Becoming friends with people in your major.

146. Samford's reputation in the community.

147. Working Preview Days and telling prospective students about Samford.

148. Seeing Samford student's design and art work.

149. Counseling Services.

150. Exciting class offerings.

151. The new logos.

152. The Food Court.

153. Bulldog Cinema.

154. The opportunities to serve.

155. Reading student publications and seeing your classmates' names.

156. The church fair.

157. The Career Development Center.

158. Getting to be a bulldog.

159. Watching Instagram blow up after events like functions, balls and Step Sing.

160. OrgSync.

161. Watching the seasons change on campus.

162. Public Safety.

163. The opportunities to work on campus.

164. The feeling of driving through the gates to start a new school year.

165. The sense of community throughout the campus.

166. Seeing your friends again after a long (or short) break.

167. The history.

168. Breaks throughout the year that give you a chance to rest.

169. Being friends with athletes, non-athletes, Greeks, Independents, Fellows, and every other group on campus because it doesn't matter what group you are a part of.

170. Step Sing signature moves.

171. Portal.

172. Proudly wearing red and blue.

173. The growth each year, as new students realize that they can find a home at Samford, too.

174. The relationships I have built with other students.

175. 175 years of a school that is for God, for learning and forever.