Author: Lizeth Castillo
The student body’s minimal participation in the Office of Student Life’s week-long program “Occidental High School” was incredibly surprising, considering that Oxy really is just like high school. For many, the transformation from high school to college is almost effortless, particularly for those coming from a high school whose class size closely resembles Oxy’s.
I often question what exactly it is about Oxy that creates that high-school-like atmosphere. Could it be the campus-funded dances every other week or the theme-based programs put on by the OSL, such as “Occidental High School?” Maybe it’s the events put on in the quad in the hopes of boosting student morale, or perhaps the scandalous Dawson’s Creek-like drama that runs rampant throughout the student body.
How exactly does one begin to describe the Occidental College social experience? It’s highly questionable whether any student on campus would argue that the workload is similar to that of their high school, unless of course they attended a hard-core high school that makes Oxy look like a walk in the park. Yet, there’s something about being on this campus and participating in the campus-held events that is incredibly reminiscent of the days when you had six class periods and decorating your locker was the highlight of the year. Much like in high school, for four years we are surrounded by the same friendly faces, the same professors and the same community. At some point every student falls into some kind of daily routine that creates consistencies throughout their college experience-a consistency many students at other colleges never find. The question is, does this type of atmosphere degenerate the college experience or make it that much richer?
Alas, the bubble is protective, nurturing and safe. Yes, the campus dances all end the same way-with drunken couples making out on the floor and wobbly dancing to mainstream, overplayed music. And yes, campus social life can become incredibly repetitive, but in essence, this is what we all signed up for. We all wanted the security of a tight-knit community, the hectic dramatic scenarios that come when you put social beings in any small living space and the gumdrop happiness that comes from knowing that administrators and professors actually know your name.
Oxy lacks the transaction-like experience that many students get at bigger colleges. If anyone had wanted to be recognized as just another name on a research paper, characterized by a letter grade on an exam, known by their student identification numbers or happy with having their student body comprised of a series of small cliques-where people only stay friends because it’s a hell of a lot easier than talking to someone else in their class that seats 120 people-they wouldn’t be at Oxy.
So pick your poison-your reason for why going to Oxy is just like going to high school. One thing is certain; the college does a mighty fine job of keeping that Oxy bubble tightly sealed and making sure that its inhabitants are comfy and snug right where they are.
Lizeth Castillo is a sophomore ECLS major. She can be reached at lcastillo@oxy.edu.
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