The beginning of second semester kind of sucks. It’s cold, we have OCR, there’s rush and then there’s pledging. The odds of you making it to your 9a.m. in College Hall go from 60/40 to 20/80 in a matter of minutes. Everyone is stressed and cranky, and the guy you were seeing before break won’t text you back. And did I mention that it’s cold?
Penn has such a unique way of making you feel inadequate. Be it with OCR, rush (p. 4) or dating apps (p. 9), there will always be something out there that makes you feel like you’re missing the mark. So many people here are so talented or so pretty or so accomplished that it’s easy to feel like you’re getting lost in the mix.
That’s why I have Street. Street is the place on campus that makes me feel safe, that saves me from internship rejections and bitchy sorority girl fights. Street is where I get to be myself.
Former Editor–in–Chief Nina Wolpow told me that it’s important to find a place in your life where you aren’t afraid to make mistakes, a place where you are truly happy. I believe that everyone can find a place like that at Penn. Whether it’s with your newfound sisters, your business frat (p. 10) or even your laptop opened to Netflix (p. 13), it exists and it is yours.
The sooner you can own that, the happier you will be.
xx
Emily
