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By Norah Judson

Three hours into a four-hour drive, I caught a glimpse of a Drake University parking pass hanging from the rearview mirror of a driver next to me. I didn’t actually know the driver, but I may as well have. The pure joy I felt on seeing someone who knew how it felt to be at Drake for the first time in months was astounding.

Never in a million years did I think I would be so happy to see the Des Moines exit on the freeway. Then again, I didn’t exactly dream of going to college in Iowa either, which arguably made my joy even more foreign to me. Yet here I was, giddy with excitement as I pulled away from traffic and began my steady and all-too-slow crawl through the side streets that would take me back to school.

A few weeks ago, as a coworker and I walked home through the quiet darkness of campus after a closing shift, and he said something to the effect of “Drake University is a place unlike any other,” which is the overwhelming sentiment of the people I’ve met here.

Being here feels like existing in a bubble, which can sometimes feel oppressive, but it is overwhelmingly a good thing. Des Moines is a city about twenty times the size of the town I grew up in, but walking the city streets feels strangely similar to taking a stroll down Main Street back home.

When I pictured where I would end up after high school, I never thought it would be here. However, since I have been here, I have been happy with the path that I am on. I am content to continue this chapter of my life here, at Drake.

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By Leannah Choi

Upon receiving Jerry Parker’s email preparing Drake students’ return to campus, I felt my protective Winter Break shield collapsing. Every situation, interaction and person I analyzed, every realization I had and everything that I had blocked out, came to fruition. Between Jerry Parker’s encouraging words and excitement for the first events back on campus, the reality of facing everyone and everything I had left behind weeks ago finally settled.

I had a 19-hour drive ahead of me, the final stretch of ponderance as I passed the highway markers directing me from Virginia to Des Moines. The hypnotic blur of the trees facilitated a cycle of reflection, and I got lost in thought of what I would face upon my arrival back on campus. I had a physical and metaphorical mess awaiting my arrival, and the anticipation only grew as the familiar road signs directed me to the unloading ports of my residence hall.

But all that was on my mind was how much I resented myself for the life I had curated during the first semester. Perhaps it was the physical distance between myself and the Drake campus, but I was brought back to everything I wish I had done differently. Every regret and embarrassment that shaped my reputation at Drake. For one month, I considered who I wanted to be when I came back to campus. Now that I was finally faced with the decision, I was filled with nervous dread.

I hauled all my belongings into my dorm and sat in motionless silence in my room. It felt as though the first semester had never ended. I heard my dorm neighbors steadily arriving, greeting each other with hugs and excitement. Beyond the wall that separated me from my dorm neighbors stood other students with opposite perspectives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]