2008 Woodie Awards
Going home limits freedom
Jessica Bakeman
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: FUSE
Originally published: 12/6/07 at 6:26 PM EST
Last update: 12/6/07 at 6:25 PM EST
- Page 1 of 3 next >
Freedom is an ideal at the core of our culture's foundation.
As young adults, the acquisition of independence is irreplaceable and long sought out.
It may begin with the first bout of employment, the successful road test, the gift or purchase of a new car, or the day a student leaves for college.
Plattsburgh State, for some students, is more than just a school.
It is freedom.
Living in the dorms or in an apartment in Plattsburgh means deciding when, where and what to eat. Students decide whether to go to class.
They choose their friends, and consider the consequences of partying with them.Young adults at PSUC are able to determine their use of alcohol and drugs, without mom or dad to check up on them.
And then they go home for winter break.
The readjustment period to living under the roof and the rule of parents can be difficult for some.
Older students seem to feel the resistance to a lesser degree.
Going home is old hat for the veterans of PSUC.
Senior Maggie McCabe said she does not experience tensions when she returns home to Long Island.
"I think it is kind of a nice break," she said. "But I always enjoy coming back."
Junior Kyris Smith says she is not bothered by the stricter rules either.
She does, however, recognize the differences between life at PSUC and life at home.
"The freedom is different," Smith said. "When you're at college, you can pretty much do what you want. At home, there are more rules are chores."
She said she doesn't find these extra responsibilities to be bothersome.
Kathleen McClellan, associate director of first-year experience and retention efforts, said the change "is most noticeable in the first year."
Freshman Crystal Bragg got a dose of the change during Thanksgiving break.
"I was used to just leaving whenever I wanted," she said. "But my mom's like, 'Where are you going? Who are you going with?'"
She says she's is glad that she will be returning two weeks early due to a pre-season athletic schedule.
As young adults, the acquisition of independence is irreplaceable and long sought out.
It may begin with the first bout of employment, the successful road test, the gift or purchase of a new car, or the day a student leaves for college.
Plattsburgh State, for some students, is more than just a school.
It is freedom.
Living in the dorms or in an apartment in Plattsburgh means deciding when, where and what to eat. Students decide whether to go to class.
They choose their friends, and consider the consequences of partying with them.Young adults at PSUC are able to determine their use of alcohol and drugs, without mom or dad to check up on them.
And then they go home for winter break.
The readjustment period to living under the roof and the rule of parents can be difficult for some.
Older students seem to feel the resistance to a lesser degree.
Going home is old hat for the veterans of PSUC.
Senior Maggie McCabe said she does not experience tensions when she returns home to Long Island.
"I think it is kind of a nice break," she said. "But I always enjoy coming back."
Junior Kyris Smith says she is not bothered by the stricter rules either.
She does, however, recognize the differences between life at PSUC and life at home.
"The freedom is different," Smith said. "When you're at college, you can pretty much do what you want. At home, there are more rules are chores."
She said she doesn't find these extra responsibilities to be bothersome.
Kathleen McClellan, associate director of first-year experience and retention efforts, said the change "is most noticeable in the first year."
Freshman Crystal Bragg got a dose of the change during Thanksgiving break.
"I was used to just leaving whenever I wanted," she said. "But my mom's like, 'Where are you going? Who are you going with?'"
She says she's is glad that she will be returning two weeks early due to a pre-season athletic schedule.
Be the first to comment on this story