From walking through College Green to experiencing new classes and, of course, joining The Post, there are so many things that defined college for me. However, college was mostly defined by my roommates and the four homes we created together.
Chloe, Ava, Jessie and I wouldn’t be living together without something going wrong. Chloe and Ava found each other on Ohio University's roommate search site. Jessie and I were always planning on rooming together in a double in a dorm room. The doubles were all taken, and we were forced to randomly live in a quad. Thank goodness things went off track, and I found the most wonderful three women to grow with.
College is where you learn responsibility on a different level than ever before, but you also learn more about yourself and how you coexist with others. The people you are surrounded by can make or break this important time, making the best roommates the ones who make cleaning an enjoyable Sunday task. Your peers may even impact grades and academic success, so thank you to my roommates, because maybe they are the reason I made it this far through school.
Having wonderful roommates makes writing this column so much harder. Our bond has only grown from our first night whispering across bunk beds to taking our graduation pictures. Having loving roommates made nights so much more enjoyable and schoolwork so much more bearable. So much so, I think I’ve learned more at my college house with my roommates than I did in my college lecture halls.
Chloe, thank you for teaching me true friendship and stability. You and I went through good times and bad ones basically in sync, and you never saw me for anything other than myself. Your love for your friends never wanes, and you have always shown me love and constant understanding. It has made me so happy to watch you go from a student to a teacher, and your future students are so lucky to have you as their guide.
Ava, thank you for showing me how to love myself simultaneously with others. You demonstrated confidence from the minute I met you. From dancing on the Red Brick Tavern dance floor with people surrounding us, to getting me to wear clothes I normally wouldn’t feel comfortable in, you showed me self-love. You are such a brave and inspiring person and thank you for showing me what I am worth.
Jessie, you are the biggest constant in my life. From having our first playdate at three years old to preparing for college graduation at 21, you have always been there. We would have “school-night sleepovers” in middle school and wish we lived together. Well, now we have lived together for four years and have had more “school-night sleepovers” than 11-year-old us could imagine. I wouldn’t be the person I am without you; there is no doubt about that. Thank you for helping me evolve while never changing our friendship. We went from getting dropped off at school by our moms to driving to and from college together. You have taught me how to nurture friendships and grow alongside others.
Different parts of Athens have given me a feeling I will carry with me. Court Street has given me a place to walk when I am looking to laugh. Schoonover Center has given me a place to learn more than I could ever imagine from professors who know more than I ever will. OU has given me the greatest four years. However, none of these places were what made college what it was; it was my roommates.
Brown Hall, room 405, thank you for squeezing four girls into a small quad and giving us a place to become a family. To any incoming students, things not going as planned might be exactly what you need. College was hard, but nothing prepared me for how hard it was to say goodbye.
Kyra Dapore is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
