Campus Carrier Editorial Board
Seniors, how do you say goodbye to Berry?
This campus has become your home, your sanctuary, and now that graduation is looming in the very near future, you’re most likely beginning to reminisce.
When asked, “Why Berry?” most students will reply that it was the beautiful campus that made them want to further their education here. Berry boasts over 27,000 acres of land, a founder students and staff refer to by first name, and one of the most unique college atmospheres around.
People often refer to our campus as the “Berry Bubble,” and it couldn’t be more accurate. As the largest campus in the world, it’s very easy to find everything you could want or need without ever driving past Opportunity Drive. We have our own cattle, horses, sheep and deer. We have mountains, ponds and trees perfect for hammocking.
As freshmen, you likely came up with a Berry bucket list. How many items have you completed? Or have you left most of the items on your list uncrossed? Underclassmen, here are some of the things that you need to do before you graduate.
When, or rather if, it snows, roll down the hill of Frost Chapel, make snow angels at the Ford Complex or have a snowball fight in the Clara Bowl.
Go to mountain campus and hike to the House of Dreams to have a picnic and watch the sunset. Sit by the swan pond and do some of your required reading. Hike to the Reservoir and hammock with friends by the edge of the water. Visit the Old Mill on Mountain Day and watch it in action.
On main campus, take selfies with the eagles and the deer. Try and capture a deer. Try and domesticate a deer and register it as your pet for Poland.
Go to D-Hall and get an entire to-go box of cookies and share them with some friends. Or not. Create your very own D-Hall concoction and name it after yourself. Do something nice for your roommate, and then do something nice for yourself. You deserve it.
Wake up early one morning in time to see the sunrise and walk around campus without looking at your phone. Stop by your favorite professor’s office and thank them for doing an amazing job. Slow down, make memories and be thankful for the opportunities you’ve been given at Berry.
Once you graduate from Berry, there’s a good chance that you’ll miss this campus more than you’ll realize. Alumni often take every chance they get to come back and visit. They bike around mountain campus, visit old professors and bring their families to see how beautiful their alma mater is. On Mountain Day Weekend, 7 to 8 thousand alumni, parents and friends travel to Berry to take part in the festivities, according to the Alumni Association, and there is never a small gathering for alumni events.
Berry is a special school that fosters growth and passions in a multitude of different areas and truly tries to cater to every single student’s needs. To the graduating class of 2016, we hope you never have to really say goodbye to Berry and come visit us again soon.