FINDING BENEFICENCE: The first day of the rest of your life

The Daily News.
Garrett Looker is a junior journalism major and writes "Finding Beneficence" for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Garrett at galooker@bsu.edu.
On my first day at Ball State University, I was alone. I didn’t know anyone. I had no lifeline, no rope to cling to. Strangers shouldering boxes as they walked by.
I stood in the center of my room. The door was propped open with a teal binder. Remnants of my pre-adolescent life were strewn all around the room as I waited for the feeling of college to hit me. 
I was finally where I knew I was supposed to be. My entire life was there in that room with me, past and future. I was home. 
Sunlight poured through the open window behind me, filling the 192 square feet of space that felt so much bigger than it actually was. I waited for something to happen, something to mark the moment, my memory as a freshman. 
The knock came from the metal frame of the open door. A small, peculiarly round head wearing an oversized Indianapolis Colts flat-bill bobbed out from what seemed to be nowhere. He was wearing glasses, looked funny, and seemed to have a sense of “I know more than you,” kind of attitude. Then he popped the question.
“What time do you shower?”
There was no pause, no time for me to gather my thoughts. In an instant, all of the nostalgia of college was blown away. 
It was a question I never saw coming. He stood there with a blank stare on his face, beady eyes behind black glasses. I stuttered and shifted my weight to my other leg. How could this be a question? After all of the work, the preparation from high school, how could this be the first question I face in my “adult life”?
“What time do you shower?” He repeated himself. 
It became awkward. The moment stretched out, and time seemed to slow down. How long had he been standing there? Had he even said his name? God, is this my RA?! 
“I, uhh, I usually shower in the morning… But yeah, I have a few morning classes, so I guess in the mornings usually, but I guess it varies sometimes…” I stumbled over my words.
He stood there, shook his head, scratched his chin, and said, “Sure, yeah, I guess that’s fine. I was just wondering what everyone’s schedules looked like since we’ll all be sharing a bathroom together.” 
It was at this moment that I desperately tried to tune him out. But like Superman’s inability to see through lead, this floating piece of Wonder Bread was impervious to my powers. He droned on.
He couldn’t tell I was suffering. All I could muster with my thought process was that this guy was looking to form the League of Extraordinary Bathroom Mates.
Before I knew it, Buckwheat had shuffled along, probably on to the next poor sap down the hall, destined to be drafted into the Shower Nozzle Brigade. 
For the full story, go to:
 http://www.ballstatedaily.com/article/2017/08/opinion-welcome-to-ball-state


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