We survived the first CFAW of the semester! And no matter if you were a
freshman and this was your first one or if you’re a super senior that has seen
way too many ‘I heart LU’ shirts, you are intensely aware that there are
certain things that happen EVERY. SINGLE. CFAW.
1. There was borrowing.
Everyone forgets things on trips and CFAWs are no exception. Except instead of arriving in a well-stocked hotel room, they’re in a dorm with all of us and if you have a conscience, you share the resources they forgot. It’s an accepted part of the weekend.
2. Questions, questions, and more questions.
Where can I park to go to Dunkin Donuts? Can I get to Green Hall from here? What’s the difference between 70 and 71? New, temporary members of campus like CFAWs and their families often have no clue what’s going on, which means the weathered, permanent members of campus have to provide answers to just about everything. Sometimes I’m surprised by how much we all know.
3. The Rot?
Although we all know that the best Rot food is during CFAW, we are often conflicted on whether to eat there. The CFAWs take the place over, which means that the lines and seating are crazy. Ice cream sandwiches though . . .
4. Parking is a joke.
Whatever place you were accustomed to parking, don’t expect it. Even
with just 1,600 CFAWs this past weekend, the Pit and everywhere else was still
full to bursting. I’m pretty sure the only reason I found a spot on Saturday
was because I prayed for one. Miracles, after all, do happen.
5. Incredible amounts of optimism
6. Full showers
I mean, it’s great that CFAWs are keeping clean and what not, but five
showers are barely enough for half of the hall normally. Adding more people to
the hall messes up the unofficial showering schedule we already had.
7. "You're in my seat."
A few classes assign seats here at LU, but most don’t. We just assign them to ourselves, even in classes of 200 people, which works fine every day except the Friday of CFAW when unknowing high school students and/or transfers fill our spots. If you’re nice, you pick a different seat for the day. If not, you explain that assigned seating never dies, even at the largest Christian university in the world.
8. Paranoia
If you’re as short as I am, then you constantly worry about being
mistaken for a CFAW. Being a CFAW isn’t a bad thing, but when you actually pay
money to go here, it’s a bit embarrassing for someone to give you the wrong
label. Which means you go a little bit out of your way to appear like a real
student--dropping comments about events that occurred prior to CFAW, wearing
shirts that a CFAW obviously could not have purchased, making sure your Flames
pass was more obvious than usual, etc.
9. Who are all these real adults?
10. "Are you in the room?"
However you and your CFAW communicate, this is always said. Without keys, they are at the mercy of random individuals who enter your building and your schedule, which means they are constantly asking if you’re in the room or not so that they can get their stuff.
11. New friends!
If you get a cool CFAW (I always have, but I’ve heard some horror stories), then you get to make a new friend. They’re excited to be here, they clean up after themselves, and they’re happy to come to your Evangelism class even though they have no idea who Dr. Wheeler is. You think they’re awesome, they think you’re awesome, and suddenly the four days with them fly by.
In conclusion, CFAW is a friendly invasion. I mean, there’s a reason we
only do this twice a semester.
