Ten reasons certainly aren’t enough to explain why I love Washington State University, but here are a few to give you an explanation on why I love being able to call this place home.
1. We’re in the middle of nowhere
Trying to explain to somebody who doesn’t go to WSU why this is the happiest place on earth is nearly impossible. I’m often asked, how can you enjoy it, “you’re in the middle of nowhere?” I haven’t found the words to articulate it quite yet, but somehow, being in the middle of nowhere is the best part. It’s one of those things where you have to be a part of it in order to truly understand it, but it’s safe to say I have never had a dull moment in Pullman. It’s easy to forget that there isn’t a lot going on because we have each other, which is really all we need.
2. Everybody knows everybody
Just when you think this world couldn’t get any smaller, it does. Everybody has a mutual friend, whether they know it yet or not. People’s parents know other from when they attended WSU and so on, and it’s amazing the connections you are able to make with people.
3. Cougar Gold Cheese
More specifically, South Fork’s Cougar Gold mac and cheese.
4.“Go Cougs!”
You can be anywhere in the world, and if somebody sees you in Coug gear who is a fellow Coug you can count on them yelling “go Cougs!” and they can count on you yelling it back. While it may sound very strange to the people surrounding you, it sounds even weirder to the person who yelled it if you don’t say it back. I’m not sure why we do it, but we do, and when we do we don’t go unheard. When you make the decision to come here, you really are making a lifelong commitment to this place. Whether we recognize it right now or not, some of our best memories will come from here, and we will be die hard Cougs for the rest of our lives.
5. Sunsets at the water tower
We really do live in the Promised Land. There’s no better place than a picnic at the water tower, or a place to just go sit and think for awhile. Pullman sunsets are breathtaking, and, for most of us, once we graduate from here, we won’t be able to watch a sunset over rolling hills every day. It’s so easy to get caught up in the little things, but watching a sunset over never-ending hills is a reminder of how small we really are.
6. Cougs help Cougs
If you see a person upset, you ask if they are okay without thinking twice about it. If it’s late at night and somebody is walking home alone, you ask if they are okay. You hold the door open for people and treat everybody like a friend because for whatever reason that is the mentality here. The majority of people really do care about the wellbeing of everybody at this school, and I would not trade that for anything.
7. Cougar Football Saturday
Oh yes, few things are better than CFS. Pullman comes alive on these days. While as Cougs we love to win, we still have the time of our lives when we lose. We would take a win over a loss any day, but when it it all said and done, we love our team and that is enough to have a great time.
8. Tacos
Because it’s 12 A.M., you’re hungry, and you know Tin Tan didn’t lock the bathroom at 11:30.
9. This isn’t exactly the ‘real world’
For the most part, we’re all just living in the moment. We know it isn’t normal in the ‘real world’ to live walking distances from all of our best friends, for there to be parties most nights of the week and for us to be going on Date Dashes and Formals. Chances are we won’t have the opportunity again in our lives to be both independent but a bit irresponsible at the same time. We know this isn’t going to last forever, and that’s why we soak up every minute of it.
10. Ted Bundy didn’t go here
…enough said.
