As freshmen slide their way past us as we walk to class, it is easy to get agitated. One is praising “ring by spring” culture, talking about the person they quite literally just met days ago as if they are going to marry them (and maybe some will, it is Asbury, after all). The new athlete talks trash about other players on their team. One is degrading your favorite professor in exasperation, and it takes everything in you not to lose your mind.
Our instant response in conflict situations is to go on the defense— to fight back with a rude remark or roll our eyes. Asbury is our home, and sometimes it can feel like new people are infiltrating it instead of adding to the community. The “we hate the freshmen” mentality is pervasive on college campuses, and Asbury is no exception. I have had multiple friends talk about the freshmen as if they are not a part of this community.
Here’s the thing: We need to have grace for beginners.
I am currently reading the book The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman, and in one chapter, she breaks down the interesting juxtaposition between the word “beginner” and the phrase “new beginnings.” Though these words align in definition, the connotation is incredibly different. We consider beginners incompetent or uneducated, while we praise others for their new beginnings.
How would our campus environment shift if we stopped looking at freshmen as beginners but instead as people starting a new chapter in their lives? A new beginning takes time, and it requires respect and encouragement. The freshman class is still learning. They uprooted their lives and planted themselves here. Will we invest in them and help them grow, or will we dismiss them as beginners?
Our job as upperclassmen is to defend these new beginnings. Who are we to limit growth by dismissal? Take a deep breath, reel in your pride, and support these beginners as they experience things they never dreamed of a year ago. You were a freshman once, too. Stumbling through life blindly trying to figure out who your friends are is a terrifying and exhilarating experience, and an encouraging support system is the only way to survive.
Take the time to show someone a professor’s office, your favorite Bistro order or how to unlock a CPO box. You never know what someone else is going through, and these first few weeks are crucial in creating a welcoming environment for freshmen.
Restored class, we are so excited you are here.