Snail Mail: An (Almost) Lost Art

Snail Mail: An (Almost) Lost Art

Opening a letter will always be better than opening an email.
Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith Jun 21, 2016
36
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Texting is quick, emailing is largely convenient, and Facebook lets you see how all 629 of your friends are spending their summer. In a rapidly growing, modern society we have begun to lose interest in a unique art form: snail mail. According to CNN, "snail mail has been under attack for the past several decades, with the U.S. Postal Service reporting a drop of 10 billion letters in the past 20 years.”

Rather than taking the time to sit down and write out a thank you note or send a Thinking Of You letter, we simply shoot a “miss ya” text or think that leaving a comment on their Instagram picture should suffice. I know this is true, because I am guilty of it myself.

I’m not saying that sending a text is bad, because let’s face it, texting is how most of us communicate these days. However, there is something so personal about a hand written letter that proves you are willing to take initiative.

Don’t you love when you go to the mailbox and see a pretty envelope with your name on it from someone you love rather than just the usual stack of bills and overly obnoxious fliers? If you take ten minutes out of your day to sit down and write a simple letter, you could be the reason that someone smiles today.

Opening an email or text message will never replace the excitement of opening the mailbox to find a letter addressed to you. It shows that someone took the time to write out a message specifically for you, put it in an envelope, add a stamp, and send it your way. Effort is important, and sending a letter shows just that: effort.

The next time you are in a store, take a minute to look through all the cards that are for sale and choose one to send to someone special. It could be a friend, a grandparent, or even your brother. Believe me when I say that taking the time to hand write a personal letter to someone you care about will never be a waste of time.

Email threads are deleted and texting conversations are swiftly swiped away to make room for more. But a handwritten letter from someone is a treasure. Not many of those are thrown away.

May we never lose the art of snail mail completely, in order to protect our memories and sentiments from disappearing into the black hole known as the World Wide Web. Sit down, grab a pin, and write someone a letter. You could easily be the reason that someone smiles today.

Cover Image Credit: Now Novel
Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith Jun 21, 2016
At Clemson University

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It's Time To Thank Your First Roommate

Not the horror story kind of roommate, but the one that was truly awesome.
Katie Ward
Katie Ward Feb 1, 2016
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views

Nostalgic feelings have recently caused me to reflect back on my freshman year of college. No other year of my life has been filled with more ups and downs, and highs and lows, than freshman year. Throughout all of the madness, one factor remained constant: my roommate. It is time to thank her for everything. These are only a few of the many reasons to do so, and this goes for roommates everywhere.

You have been through all the college "firsts" together.

If you think about it, your roommate was there through all of your first college experiences. The first day of orientation, wishing you luck on the first days of classes, the first night out, etc. That is something that can never be changed. You will always look back and think, "I remember my first day of college with ____."

You were even each other's first real college friend.

You were even each other's first real college friend.

Months before move-in day, you were already planning out what freshman year would be like. Whether you previously knew each other, met on Facebook, or arranged to meet in person before making any decisions, you made your first real college friend during that process.

SEE ALSO: 18 Signs You're A Little Too Comfortable With Your Best Friends

The transition from high school to college is not easy, but somehow you made it out on the other side.

It is no secret that transitioning from high school to college is difficult. No matter how excited you were to get away from home, reality hit at some point. Although some people are better at adjusting than others, at the times when you were not, your roommate was there to listen. You helped each other out, and made it through together.

Late night talks were never more real.

Remember the first week when we stayed up talking until 2:00 a.m. every night? Late night talks will never be more real than they were freshman year. There was so much to plan for, figure out, and hope for. Your roommate talked, listened, laughed, and cried right there with you until one of you stopped responding because sleep took over.

You saw each other at your absolute lowest.

It was difficult being away from home. It hurt watching relationships end and losing touch with your hometown friends. It was stressful trying to get in the swing of college level classes. Despite all of the above, your roommate saw, listened, and strengthened you.

...but you also saw each other during your highest highs.

After seeing each other during the lows, seeing each other during the highs was such a great feeling. Getting involved on campus, making new friends, and succeeding in classes are only a few of the many ways you have watched each other grow.

There was so much time to bond before the stresses of college would later take over.

Freshman year was not "easy," but looking back on it, it was more manageable than you thought at the time. College only gets busier the more the years go on, which means less free time. Freshman year you went to lunch, dinner, the gym, class, events, and everything else possible together. You had the chance to be each other's go-to before it got tough.

No matter what, you always bounced back to being inseparable.

Phases of not talking or seeing each other because of business and stress would come and go. Even though you physically grew apart, you did not grow apart as friends. When one of you was in a funk, as soon as it was over, you bounced right back. You and your freshman roommate were inseparable.

The "remember that one time, freshman year..." stories never end.

Looking back on freshman year together is one of my favorite times. There are so many stories you have made, which at the time seemed so small, that bring the biggest laughs today. You will always have those stories to share together.

SEE ALSO: 15 Things You Say To Your Roommates Before Going Out

The unspoken rule that no matter how far apart you grow, you are always there for each other.

It is sad to look back and realize everything that has changed since your freshman year days. You started college with a clean slate, and all you really had was each other. Even though you went separate ways, there is an unspoken rule that you are still always there for each other.

Your old dorm room is now filled with two freshmen trying to make it through their first year. They will never know all the memories that you made in that room, and how it used to be your home. You can only hope that they will have the relationship you had together to reflect on in the years to come.


Cover Image Credit: Katie Ward
Katie Ward
Katie Ward Feb 1, 2016
At Duquesne University

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Dance Marathon Helped Me Understand What It Is That I Stand For

What do you stand for?

Emily Fiorini
Emily Fiorini Mar 18, 2019
28
views

The weekend of March 1, 2019, I stood for over 20 hours for the kids. Yep, I am not lying.

Dance Marathon at FSU is a 40-hour event split into two shifts of 20 hours. My freshman year, I earned sit times throughout the marathon, which I was incredibly thankful for, but this year was something totally different. I was on the internal team this year, which means, I worked behind the scenes of Dance Marathon since September. Since I was on the internal team, I did not get the opportunity to get the set times that I did the year prior. I was worried about this because I was not sure if I would be able to do it.

Spoiler Alert! I did it.

There were many times during the marathon where I thought that I could not stand much longer, but then some thoughts came into my mind. Who was I standing for? I was standing for the kids who had to get their leg amputated because they had osteosarcoma and could no longer stand on both legs. I was standing for the kids who are bound to their hospital beds right at this very moment because they are not strong enough to walk on their own. I was standing for the children who needed me to help them win their fight.

This is what kept me standing. This motivated me so much that I did not complain once because I knew who I was doing it for, and I was not going to let them down.

There were multiple people who kept complaining. Every word out of their mouth was about how their feet hurt, or how they were so tired. A large part of me wanted to turn to them and tell them, "Do you know how tired Grayson was when he had to have his many rounds of chemotherapy when he was just one-year-old?" I did not say that to them because I realized something. I knew what and who I was standing for, but maybe they didn't. My goal this year is to help all of those people understand WHY they are doing it.

20 hours on your feet may seem like a long time, but to watch $2,210,165.21 go up at the end, nothing compares.

Like the musical group Fun. once sang, "What do I stand? What do I stand for?" To that, I say, "I stand for the kids."


Emily Fiorini
Emily Fiorini Mar 18, 2019
At Florida State University

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