Expect the Unexpected by Carla
A week ago today, I was frantically filling out paperwork as my father was hauling everything I value in overstuffed boxes and a repairman was reassembling my bed. It is very relieving to sit here now, casually, in my clean, decorative dorm room. I think by now every new student has funny stories to tell. Half got lost, a third forgot their meal cards—no, I’m kidding, I’m just making statistics up—but really, it has been one interesting week.
My week has led me everywhere from communal bathrooms to office hours. The latter took a little courage. The former took shower shoes. My week has taken me to hall council meetings, picnics, shuttle stops and downtown Bowling Green. Oh, and here’s a fun one: my week took me outside at something like 2:00 this morning, as every Harshman resident evacuated the building.
Resident advisers were quick to issue warnings about the sensitive smoke detectors around here. Two nights ago, around 8 p.m., those alarms went off. This wasn’t so bad. It turns out a light fixture had exploded one floor up. Some of us complained about the cold and the inconvenience, but when it was over it was mostly forgotten. The alarm that woke up my floor this morning is a different story.
I was having a dream about book buy-backs. I’d fallen asleep early, with my books still in my bed—explains the dream, I guess—and I think it’s a safe guess that most Harshman residents were sleeping, too. The fire alarm went off around 2 a.m. with an earsplitting sound.
It was a little entertaining and highly frustrating to watch my dorm evacuate. Some of us were in bathrobes, and none of us were dressed for the surprising cold. Those of us who weren’t laughing at the terrible irony were mildly upset. There’s no word as to who was responsible this time, which is for the best, because I know a few people with 8:00 a.m. classes who’d like to meet them.
The alarms have been unfortunate, but they’ve taught me a little about college survival skills. That is, definitely expect the unexpected, and don’t be too upset when you are correct. These next few weeks have so much fun up their sleeves, they’ll just take a little preparation and patience. Keep an umbrella handy for the rain, good shoes handy for those middle-of-the-night fire alarms and always carry your BG1 card because the Kreischer Sundial is not too great without it. Have a great weekend, Bowling Green.