School Pride

The baby is attending my alma mater. I had not been on campus in years but I went the other day to check out his dorm room, take forgotten items and generally peruse the situation. I went with my friend Pam, whose daughter is on the same campus.

A slight twist on Dickens. Instead of "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times," it was Holy Cow, everything's different. Everything's the same.

Technology has changed the college experience. Registering for classes, communications with professors, etc. are high tech. Lots of kids buy their books online. Campus-wide communication comes through cell phones and email. Dorms that used to be same sex only are now co-ed. Floors are co-ed. Key pads are everywhere. I lived in a co-ed dorm but my floor was strictly for girls. That never stopped anyone from propping the door open with a brick so friends could get in. It only took a few days for me to realize that I would never walk from the shower to my room without running into a guy.

The buildings and the campus are as beautiful as ever. I said hello to each of them. Sometimes, I said it out loud which made Pam laugh. At one point, I broke into the school fight song.

I love having this in common with the baby. A couple of times he would start to tell me something about the campus and I would remind him that I went there too. (Shut up Sheri!)

Both kids are settled in and ready to start classes today. The baby and his roommate have decorated with lots of rock & roll posters. They even have one of John Belushi from "Animal House," where he's wearing the t-shirt that says, "COLLEGE." He wasn't even born when this movie was out.

I expected to be sad and weepy when we left. I wasn't. I felt immense pride and such joy for him.

Then, I felt a pang of jealousy.

I might have gone there but it's his school now.