A while back, I wrote an article about pet peeves that are unique to Lafayette's campus, and decided to go for another round but with a more positive spin. While there are definitely times we Lafayette students find ourselves annoyed, there are always moments that are just as quick to brighten your day! This definitely isn't all of the ways, but I tried to come up with ten that whether you're a Laf senior or a prospective freshman, these are all things that are worth looking forward to.
1. Getting slightly ahead of the rush for lunch/dinner.
If you don't have a class that ends at 12:15 or are free before the 6 o'clock hour, you're in luck because that means you get to head to the dining halls and grab whatever you want before everyone starts pushing their way in. When you get to go to Gilbert's with no line, can pick whatever table you want at Upper or Marquis, or somehow make it to Simon's and there's not much of a wait, it's a surefire way to make your day a bit better whether it had started out as a good or bad one!
2. When you're not feeling well, but get to see the dogs at Bailey's.
Me with the beautiful Raven during Lafpocalypse (photo credit Hana Isihara).
Getting sick is the worst (especially if reading this is giving you flashbacks of the norovirus Lafpocalypse) but now that Lafayette's health center has two dogs, going into the waiting room is a lot less depressing! Being able to play with Raven or Munson before your checkup makes me smile every time, and I know I'm far from the only one.
3. When you're exhausted, but you get the "class is canceled" email.
I really enjoy all my professors and courses (for more on this, see No. 5), but there's just some days and weeks at Lafayette that are downright exhausting. And sometimes during those weeks, a professor will let you know last minute that they're heading to a conference or that their child has a fever. Getting one of these emails late at night or waking up to it gives you a bit extra time to study or sleep, which is time that we all can always use.
4. The Quaddlers.
Note: These are not actual quaddlers, as I did not want to post a photo of them without the permission of the daycare or of their parents!
The Quaddlers bring joy to Lafayette's campus as they play around and are generally super cute. Seeing the Quaddlers is an easy way to make a Lafayette student smile, which can help relieve stress while walking to an exam in Pardee or heading to the library to get some work done.
5. Getting every single course you want with no problem.
This one is a bit more accessible to upperclassmen, but when it comes to course registration, there's nothing better than getting every class you want right away and getting to go straight back to sleep. That means no frantic emails to professors about squeezing you in ECON101 or having to pick one of your backup classes that isn't quite as exciting for you. Getting the best schedule for you is a little joy that brings great reward the next semester!
6. The ASB fundraisers where food is brought to your dorm
Not only are the Alternate School Break trips super cool (definitely one of my regrets that I never did one) but to fundraise, they will often set up a day where they make food and students can order it to their dorms. Other clubs have done these fundraisers as well, but it is most known for from the ASB trips. Having a hot chocolate and cookie dough break is something I have looked forward to in the colder months, and it makes assigned readings a bit easier to get through.
7. When Lafayette brings up an amazing event and it's a total surprise.
One of the most exciting things about Lafayette is that you can never quite guess what will happen in the coming weeks- and sometimes it brings the best kind of surprises! The big one from this semester was finding out that Tom Hanks was visiting in February, and it was truly an amazing show. Other events like spur-of-the-moment field trips or the announcement of Holi are smaller but guaranteed to make a Lafayette student smile if it's something they can look forward to!
8. Being able to easily find your friends.
This one is definitely more general than the specifics about Gilbert's or the health center dogs, but when the weather is nice, with such a small school you're almost guaranteed to find a friend or two on the quad, outside dorm buildings, or eating meals outside throughout the day, and even when it gets colder it's still easier to find friends than it would be on a larger campus. And with many of your friends in your Greek house, your learning-living community, in your classes, or just out and about on campus, one thing that definitely keeps Lafayette students going is that their friends are always nearby.
9. Getting your own study room during finals week.
Finals week can be a living hell at Lafayette, between all the papers and tests, but finding an empty study room makes it so much easier to study and have a central location for study groups, to ask for help, or just to generally have company in your finals-induced misery. By either making it through the Hunger Games of study rooms or simply getting lucky, those of us who are able to get study rooms in Skillman (or know of the more hidden study rooms around campus) gives us a reason to smile.
10. Winning rivalry events.
Last but certainly not least in our hearts, one thing that will always make a Lafayette student smile is beating Lehigh. Whether it's an epic win like that in Rivalry 150 at Yankee Stadium, winning another sport or winning the fundraising challenge that goes along with the rivalry, it just proves to us what a great school Lafayette is (and makes us happy our school color isn't brown)!
