We were all freshmen once, and it wasn’t very long ago. We remember the stress of trying to find something to do on the weekend, the fear of getting caught doing something we shouldn’t and the fear of missing out on new friends and unfamiliar fun. It helped us-- as upperclassmen-- grow up and become the people we are today. Any upperclassmen knows you can always tell who is a freshman and who isn’t. It’s not because you can physically tell their age, but it is the wide-eyed gaze and excitement about literally every part of the college experience.
My freshman year was a lot different than what the current freshmen are experiencing. Thankfully, I didn’t have to start college during a pandemic. While it is unfortunate that my final year of college has to be spent online and social-distanced, that doesn’t mean I should feel any more entitled to being in the socially-distanced areas of campus and Uptown Athens.
A lot of upperclassmen have been griping about the influx of people in Athens now that a lot of freshmen have come to campus for the first time since school moved online. For a lot of these freshmen, they never even set foot on campus in the fall. Now, they are finally getting to have their college experience; eagerly waiting outside in long lines of Court Street bars. But for the upperclassmen who have been the only ones in Athens this school year, this has posed quite the issue. Upperclassmen now have to wait in these lines and deal with higher capacities, something that hasn’t been common place since March 2020.
The general consensus among upperclassmen has been that now the freshmen are here, they are the ones causing the COVID-19 cases, since they are attending bars and indoor public spaces. This concern was nowhere to be found though, when upperclassmen didn’t struggle to get seated within a few minutes at The Pigskin Bar and Grille, or get served quickly and easily at The J-Bar.
Upperclassmen are no more entitled to the college experience than freshmen. Those of us that aren’t freshmen are lucky that we didn’t have to deal with staying home during the first semester of this chapter of our lives. If we were in their position, we would be doing the same thing. Just because we got lucky and didn’t have to deal with a pandemic during our first year of college doesn’t mean we own Athens. The bars are open; if you think that they shouldn't be, then don’t go. But we can’t blame these new students yearning for freedom and an ounce of normalcy out of their freshman year for that.
The truth is, no bars should be open right now. But the reality, is they are. Being born a few years earlier does not put you on a moral high ground. Everyone should know the risk they take if they choose to go out, and your age does not lessen that risk.
If the reason that you’re mad is because your ID came from a DMV and not a shady website, I understand your concern. But you likely went out before your 21st birthday. Just because everything is different now, and you’re more experienced on campus and in the bar scene, doesn’t mean that your concern is warranted. If we were in their shoes, we would do the exact same thing.
It’s pointless to be mad at our new fellow Bobcats for this pandemic and the problems that come with it. It’s natural to try and find a scapegoat, but a bunch of fresh-faced college students who deserve our support-- not our ridicule-- should absolutely not be the scapegoat in this situation.
Mikayla Rochelle is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Tell Mikayla by tweeting her at @mikayla_roch.
