Finding your niche on the Homewood campus

By: Emma Brodie

Posted: 11/20/08

Cold has come to Hopkins. The homeless man who wears all gray has whipped out his matching gray hat. Christmas has already come to the Right Aid (even though Thanksgiving is still just around the corner) in the form of twinkle lights and stocking stuffers. And, of course, the Hopkins campus has become even more reclusive than usual, its total number of hermits reaching 70 percent, a record for mid-November.

Then again, Hopkins isn't ever really the greatest place to meet new people. With our apartment-like dorms and toxic social scene, it's a wonder anyone makes new friends after freshman year. It's strange to think that while I'm living out the Suite Life of Emma Brodie over here in the Charles Commons, there are other kids who live on my floor whom I've never met before; hell, there are kids here I've never seen before.

Just the other day I was going to throw our pumpkins, Jack and Carva, down the garbage shoot (which I recommend to anyone who is into satisfying crunches, weird sounds and/ or innovative anger management) and I saw two guys I'd never seen before carrying a television down the hall. While I suspected foul play, I decided to play it cool, having left my rape whistle in my room (if you're reading this, know that I'm on to you.)

To give my R.A. some credit, she is constantly trying to encourage inter-floor community.

The problem is, I just don't have time to eat cake with people I don't know. And although I really did want to go to that seminar on herbal remedies and make lotion with a bunch of strangers, that 13-page poli-sci paper wasn't going to write itself.

However, while I may not be the most receptive resident, my R.A. should know that I hear her message for floor mingling loud and clear and am always reminded of it whenever I walk past that box of condoms taped to her board. She should also know that while my attendance for these events has not been high in the past, I can be bribed, particularly with toilet paper (I'm sorry but two rolls a week just doesn't cut it for a four-woman suite).

Floors obviously aren't the only way to meet people on this campus. I hear the gym is an excellent place to make new acquaintances. I mean, it's perfect when you think about it; a place where people can go to sweat, smell, grunt . . . and be together! There's nothing like bonding with someone while you have massive under-boob sweat and streaky mascara.

The other place I've heard tell of is the library. And considering it's where 90 percent of our campus spends 90 percent of their time, it makes sense. The problem is: How are you supposed to get to know someone when you can't make any noise? Very Star-Trek, but not very likely.

I've found that the best way to meet people here is to become involved in a club of some kind. Whether it's dance, a cappella, a sorority, a sports team, a wine tasters club or any other gathering of like-minded people, by joining an organization with some sort of theme you're interested in, it's guaranteed you'll have at least one thing in common with the other people involved.

Groups can be a commitment though: Some I know meet anywhere from four to 20 hours a week. The great thing about most groups, though, is that you don't always need to be a member to participate! Who needs to be in the group when you can just watch? It's almost more fun because you get just as much enjoyment for none of the work.

Take a cappella for example. Speaking as a completely objective third party observer with absolutely no personal interest in the matter, an a cappella show is always a good time. I noticed earlier this week when observing their excellent banner, that the Mental Notes are having a concert on Friday at 8 p.m. in Bloomberg.

Now, if I were a young college student who had the feeling of being left alone, forgotten in my room more than one night a week, this would be the perfect opportunity for me to go out and mingle with a group of people I have probably had little or no access to. Though a cappella singers are a spunky fun-loving bunch, they are rarely recognized out of their natural habitat. This would be an excellent way for me to add to the overall community of my campus as well as to find some new friends.

In the end, finding new people isn't actually as hard as it seems. It's basically just a matter of getting yourself out of your room (or the library). Once you've done that, you'd be surprised how easy it is to find people you've never seen before. Sure they might be awkward, they might not be your soul mates, and knowing Baltimore, they might have a criminal record, but some of the best friends I ever made were in prison. So be a pal and leave the coldness to the weather.