No, Centre College is not too small. The concern of size is always a question that recruits have. Even when I was a recruit, it was something that was on my mind.
To spit out a fact for background, Centre College has about 1,300 students.
So, we are going to put something in perspective here. On my own Facebook page, I see that I have 1,700 friends. So, you should pull up your own Facebook page and see how many friends you have. Then, actually think to yourself, how many of those people do I actually know? After that you can sift through the people that you would honestly approach if you saw them somewhere. Then, ask yourself, how many of these people do I keep in touch with on a regular basis? Chances are it's not how many friends you have on Facebook. And it's probably not the amount of students at Centre College either.
The point I am trying to make is that some people close their mind off to Centre because it is too small. It almost confuses me sometimes because they most likely don't have that many friends. There are plenty of people at Centre that I don't know. I never feel like I am bored with the same people and don't ever feel constricted with the numbers. Granted, the size isn't for everyone, but as a recruit, you should have an open mind.
People can sometimes be intimidated by the small number of students at Centre. Looking at it closely though, no one consistently hangs out/keeps in touch with 1,300 people. If you do, then congrats. You must be breaking a world record of some sort.
I consider myself an extremely social person and have still not met/seen/talked to everyone at Centre. So, if you are afraid it is too small- it's not as small as you think.
Because Centre is small in comparison to other schools (but like I said, not too small!), I think it's safe to say that a Centre experience is personal- on every level. I know all my teachers well and have been over to their houses for dinners several times. If I am having a bad day, my teachers can tell, which is good because it holds me accountable. But this would not be the case in a huge lecture hall. As far as other activities, I feel like I can actually have an impact and make a difference in my clubs. My sorority raised $17,000 in a silent auction for St. Jude. The lacrosse team raised a couple thousand dollars for kids in Africa. Students are willing to help out because they know that you personally put time and effort into the event. Having that closer relationship with other students helps build camaraderie when needed. Students actually pay attention to our lacrosse stats because they want to see how their fellow class mates are doing. The President of Centre knows me by my first name and comes to our lacrosse games. I was at a wedding two weekends ago for two Centre grads and he was there. Think about that- the president of the college going to your wedding. That's the wonderful thing about Centre. Everything is personal- the students, the teachers, the coaches, and even the president. These connections would not hold true at a big college.
I also am convinced that Centre people are the best type of people. It's fair to say that this is valid because of the unique relationship that everyone has on campus. We are all close and bonded by one thing- Centre. Because there aren't a couple of thousands of students, each person individually can make a difference at Centre. Whether it is through academics, sports, clubs, community service, Greek life, leadership experiences, internships, and other things, we are all trying to do our best at Centre. The possibilities to make your mark here are endless and it causes other students to create respect amongst one another.
It also makes me extremely happy to think that the girls on the team all understand this concept and take it to the fullest. We are involved in many different aspects of Centre and continue to make a change.
So the next time you ask if Centre is too small, the answer to your question is no. It is the perfect size.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Team Chemistry
So you are probably wondering what the dynamic is like on the team. Describing the team chemistry is actually a very strange thing to try to do because, well, we are strange. I'll elaborate.
These women that I have had the honor to play with are extremely different. We come from different hometowns, whether it be from Massachusetts to Ohio or Maryland to Tennessee. We all have different majors, ranging from math to English to bio-molecular biology to anthropology. I can proudly say that we have all 4 sororities represented on our team and the other half of our team is unaffiliated. We all are involved in different clubs and have different interests. We all have different study habits and different schedules. We all have different quirks or different things that make us weird. Sounds like we are pretty diverse, right?
To be completely honest, lacrosse is the only thing that would bring most of us together. That's what is so amazing. Despite all of our differences, we put them all aside and make time for each other.
I think that is what is important though. We all realize that outside of lacrosse, we wouldn't be close. So, we take advantage of that. And I mean we really take advantage of it. We dance in the middle of practice (sorry, coach), we have fashion shows on the bus and karaoke time during long trips, we watch youtube videos in the hotel rooms at night, we help each other study (or distract each other a little), we eat dinner together every night after practice (and not because we are forced to). What makes us close is that we are all extremely different and bring something new to the table. The dinner conversations are always lively and even action filled, especially if there are cheese fries involved. We are so loud that most people can tell when we are coming. Almost all of us have pillow pets, yes pillow pets, with names. They make appearances during our away trips. We are unpredictable and crazy. These girls make me laugh so hard to the point of tears. If I say so myself, we are unexplainably goofy, smart, talented, caring, and dedicated women.
Aside from being witty girls, these women push me so much. We all push each other so much. Whether it's a mental pick-me-up in a game or someone is actually pushing another teammate across the finish line to make sure the wind sprints are under 20 seconds. We all challenge everyone on the team to be better in lacrosse, in school, in clubs, etc. I have looked up to the women who are older than me and I can see this cycle continue. We are always bettering ourselves and our teammates simply because we are around each other.
As proof that I actually do love this team, I wanted to say that I am going on my second year of living with 2 of my teammates. Thinking about it, lacrosse is the only reason why we are friends. I didn't even run in the same circles with them my freshman year until lacrosse started in the spring. All I have to say to that is thank God! I don't care if lacrosse is the only reason why I met them- that's one of the reasons why I joined a team. They are my best friends.
Now I don't want you to think that we don't have any friends outside of the team, because we all do. We all are so diverse that we are involved in many other areas of Centre College. So, we do have different friends. However, I can tell you that these girls are the girls I laugh with, I cry with, I call when I have a problem, I eat midnight snacks with, and I go on runs with. Never in my life have I had a support system of 20 girls like I do here. To be honest, it's actually weird referring to these girls as my teammates. I mean, I know they are my teammates, but I firstly consider them my best friends, my study mate, my running buddy, my partners in crime, my therapists, and my core support system.
There is something to be said about a connection that you have with someone on the field- one glance in her general direction and you know everything she's about to do. You know exactly where to feed the ball and she knows where she needs to make that cut. It's a connection that can't really be replaced, but it's extremely appreciated. These girls get me. They're my best friends.
These women that I have had the honor to play with are extremely different. We come from different hometowns, whether it be from Massachusetts to Ohio or Maryland to Tennessee. We all have different majors, ranging from math to English to bio-molecular biology to anthropology. I can proudly say that we have all 4 sororities represented on our team and the other half of our team is unaffiliated. We all are involved in different clubs and have different interests. We all have different study habits and different schedules. We all have different quirks or different things that make us weird. Sounds like we are pretty diverse, right?
To be completely honest, lacrosse is the only thing that would bring most of us together. That's what is so amazing. Despite all of our differences, we put them all aside and make time for each other.
I think that is what is important though. We all realize that outside of lacrosse, we wouldn't be close. So, we take advantage of that. And I mean we really take advantage of it. We dance in the middle of practice (sorry, coach), we have fashion shows on the bus and karaoke time during long trips, we watch youtube videos in the hotel rooms at night, we help each other study (or distract each other a little), we eat dinner together every night after practice (and not because we are forced to). What makes us close is that we are all extremely different and bring something new to the table. The dinner conversations are always lively and even action filled, especially if there are cheese fries involved. We are so loud that most people can tell when we are coming. Almost all of us have pillow pets, yes pillow pets, with names. They make appearances during our away trips. We are unpredictable and crazy. These girls make me laugh so hard to the point of tears. If I say so myself, we are unexplainably goofy, smart, talented, caring, and dedicated women.
Aside from being witty girls, these women push me so much. We all push each other so much. Whether it's a mental pick-me-up in a game or someone is actually pushing another teammate across the finish line to make sure the wind sprints are under 20 seconds. We all challenge everyone on the team to be better in lacrosse, in school, in clubs, etc. I have looked up to the women who are older than me and I can see this cycle continue. We are always bettering ourselves and our teammates simply because we are around each other.
As proof that I actually do love this team, I wanted to say that I am going on my second year of living with 2 of my teammates. Thinking about it, lacrosse is the only reason why we are friends. I didn't even run in the same circles with them my freshman year until lacrosse started in the spring. All I have to say to that is thank God! I don't care if lacrosse is the only reason why I met them- that's one of the reasons why I joined a team. They are my best friends.
Now I don't want you to think that we don't have any friends outside of the team, because we all do. We all are so diverse that we are involved in many other areas of Centre College. So, we do have different friends. However, I can tell you that these girls are the girls I laugh with, I cry with, I call when I have a problem, I eat midnight snacks with, and I go on runs with. Never in my life have I had a support system of 20 girls like I do here. To be honest, it's actually weird referring to these girls as my teammates. I mean, I know they are my teammates, but I firstly consider them my best friends, my study mate, my running buddy, my partners in crime, my therapists, and my core support system.
There is something to be said about a connection that you have with someone on the field- one glance in her general direction and you know everything she's about to do. You know exactly where to feed the ball and she knows where she needs to make that cut. It's a connection that can't really be replaced, but it's extremely appreciated. These girls get me. They're my best friends.
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