Why?

Wolfpacks.

Well, chickies, it’s getting to be that time of year again. What time, you ask? It’s time for you to run, I say. Why, you ask again? Because it’s WOLFPACK TIME.

Wolfpack time is those awkward first few months of a new school year when all of the freshmen feel insecure, anxious, and alone. To ameliorate these horrible feelings, freshmen will walk everywhere in groups of anywhere from three to fifteen people, completely clogging even the double-wide sidewalk on Sheridan, particularly during the hours of 9-11 and during New Student Week, when these freshmen are determined to “go to parties” and “get schwasted”.

“But wait,” you may ask, “Why do these Freshmen feel insecure? Didn’t they just brave High School? Shouldn’t they feel accomplished that they’ve made it out, and excited to be among people that they identify with?” Well, in an ideal world, they should feel that way. But college is SCARY. (I’m not saying anything intelligent here. You can skip ahead to the relatively more interesting stuff if you want.) College is scary like any change of scene is scary: you’re forced to make new friends, find new activities, et al.

But college is not real life, especially for freshman (Still not saying anything interesting.) First of all, there’s more alcohol. As one of my suitemates from freshman year said, “if you drank as much in real life as you do in college, you’d be considered an alcoholic.” Except he was not that concise. There was some slurring, too.

Second of all, kids fresh from high school are immediately concerned about hanging out with the “right people.” They saw what happened to Nick from middle school who hung out with the math club kids on the first day and you hung out with the baseball team and you could never talk to him again unless you wanted to get stuffed in the locker with him and your parents asked why you didnt see him anymore and it was awkward and his parents gave you dirty looks in church each Sunday.

They don’t want that to happen to them.

Consequently, these high school kids (because you are still a high schooler until the end of freshman year) know IMMEDIATELY who they want to hang out with/what sorority they should rush/what guys they should hook up with other girls in front of. Then, they find a bunch of other kids (preferably on their floor) and convince them that this party that they’re going to is gonna be “THE party”. Then they all pregame in some room in their dorm, praying the RA doesn’t catch them, stumble and/or walk up north, get “totally trashed” and stumble home, maybe vomiting, or maybe not even going home, but to someone’s bedroom.

Anyway, there’s Wolfpacks for yall.

109. Dear Don Draper, How do you find peace in your daily life?

whatwoulddondraperdo:

Peace is a connection, an experience of something real. While satisfying, a connection with your job, spouse or finances is not always reliable. I find the easiest way to connect or find peace is visceral. For me, it’s touch. For you, maybe a song, a taste, a view. I like to give my weight over to crashing waves, lie on the grass in the park or put on a fresh-pressed shirt and feel renewed, reminded of what it’s like to feel the world around me and not just manage it.

Thank you Don.