…. but try as you might, you can’t take Newton out of the girl. This simple statement was made abundantly clear to me a couple of weeks ago while filling out a scheduling form for the SAP Panelist program. As this program is aimed predominately at upperclassmen, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when the fist question on the screen in front of me read: Upper or Newton?
All right Student Admissions Program, riddle me this. You have the whole world to choose from, any aspect of my life to look into, and an endless list of subjects to ask about. And yet, you go with freshman living situations? I was momentarily indignant. I have a major, you know. And a minor! I do clubs and have a hometown and friends (or so I like to think)! More importantly, the juniors and seniors who usually fill out this form haven’t lived on either Upper OR Newton for years. So why is it that Boston College thinks that the single most important question to ask their new representatives is “Upper or Newton?”
Now make no mistake; I am a Newton kid through and through. I spent my first wonderful year at Boston College in Hardey Hall, exactly 1.56 miles down the road on my beloved Newton Campus. Each morning I would wake up, roll out of bed, and trek through rain, hail, sleet, snow, and questionable fashion decisions down to the bus stop. But that was last year. What did that have to do with now? In an effort to better understand these admissions shenanigans, I did a little soul searching. And among other alarming things, I found the answer. You see, Newton isn’t just a housing placement; it’s a way of life. Where you live freshman year defines not only how you see Boston College for twelve months, but also how you see it for four years. I managed to narrow this different way of looking at things down to three main categories in my great quest for knowledge. Follow me here:
1. What Exactly IS Long Distance?
It would be impossible to address the key differences between Upper and Newton without discussing the dreaded twelve letter, three word statement: The Newton Bus. The fact that Newton is conveniently located in another zip code is no small matter. Each day the Newton bus makes its rounds, every 10-30 minutes, from the early morning hours until two at night. This schedule along with its technological counter part, TransLoc, becomes the backbone of a Newton kid’s day. Every Newtoner knows there is no such thing as “running back to the dorm” or “taking a quick nap”. But what does this mean for us in the YPN (Years Post Newton)? Perspective. That’s what it means.
For a Newton kid, things like changing in the room between class and the Plex or being able to retrieve forgotten homework are invaluable luxuries. In the years after Newton, we don’t take for granted the fact that our housing quarters and social/academic scenes are a 4-14 minute walk apart. Each day that we wake up and roll out of bed only moments before class is a little victory. Similarly, for us, walking from CoRo to Conte doesn’t exactly qualify as an unspeakable tragedy. In short, this concept of a “reasonable commute” means vastly different things for our Newton and Upper colleagues.
2. Eat Your Heart Out, Upper!
We all know where I’m going with this: Stuart. For those of us lucky enough to experience Stuart for an entire year, we know that there is no place quite like it.
It is defined by it’s cozy, home-like feel and the fact that you are guaranteed to know at least 87% of the people inside the building at any given time. And that’s not even counting the lovable staff. There’s Scott with his relentless Patriots pride (jersey and all) and signature greeting (“Hey howaya?), Cely with her chipper greetings and never ending enthusiasm, and of course, Dorita. Dorita, the single most loved person on Boston College’s staff/faculty and the inspiration for the most liked memes on Facebook. For us Newtonites, life wouldn’t have been the same without our Newton mom and her daily hugs. I can’t even imagine Sunday mornings without the slight tinge of shame that came with the classic Dorita look (because she knew what you did the night before to have you rolling in at one in the afternoon in your pajamas looking like a hot mess).
Stuart didn’t just make our first year delicious; it provided the lens through which us Newton kids see our next three years of dining. Lines in Lower? Unreasonable. What do you mean you can’t make that a Panini, Mac? And perhaps most importantly, when I ask you how you’re doing, kind woman who swipes my card every day at Eagle’s Nest (Anne, another BC gem), I actually want to know. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you go through the whole “eating process” three times a day, every day. It’s important. And Stuart? Well Stuart is a game changer.
3. You Never Forget Your First Love.
The word we’re looking for here is nostalgia. It’s no secret that many of us Newtoners feel a certain pull back to the homeland (I mean, we’d never want to live there again, but we love it. It’s a love-hate thing.). It’s not uncommon to go back Stuart for a special dinner or for seniors to pay a visit to the freshmen living in their old rooms. Because the thing is, that while many think you just “survive” Newton, it’s not quite like that. Our little satellite campus was a home away from home for that first year, our bus was more than just a pain in the butt it was a moving sing-along, and the faces that you saw every day are the people you can always count on a hello from, even years later. We may not have chosen to, but in some way, we all loved the Newts.
So I guess you have a point, Student Admissions Program. And when I get up there in front of the eight bajillion kids looking to come to BC next year, I’ll be proud to start off my schpeal with “Hey guys, I’m Jo, and I lived on Newton my freshman year.” Because when it comes down to it, I may be a Boston College student, but I’ll forever be a Newton kid.
Photo Sources
http://www.bc.edu/offices/dining/locations/stuart1.html