ON TOPIC, OFF-CAMPUS: Feeling disconnected from campus life

Living off-campus comes with a plethora of advantages, many of which I have spoken about and will continue to discuss in this column. However, one major disadvantage exists: I have no idea what is happening on campus 99 percent of the time.

A few weeks back, my parents were regaling me with tales of their adventures at the football game between Augustana and Wayne State. Despite being a dedicated Viking, I was unaware there was a football game. My mother sassily replied that the game was part of family weekend.

Wait, what?

I did not have the slightest clue.

Unfortunately, this is not a singular occurrence. For someone who works on the school newspaper, I know surprisingly little about what happens on campus.

Most of the time, it’s little things like late night events or athletic games. Sometimes, it is much bigger, such as a tornado coming within a few blocks of campus or cop cars showing up outside campus apartments.

I am so thankful for my wonderful fellow staff members at The Mirror and great contributing writers who are close to campus and can cover breaking news, because without them I would be lost.

I don’t claim to be the best representation of a Viking that bleeds blue and gold and has #SKOL tatooed on my bicep. The only athletic event I’ve been to in my four years on campus was a soccer game during my freshman year.

Despite all of this, I’m still proud to be a Viking. I like to show my Ole love by finding my passions and getting involved where I can make a difference (shoutout to the Mirror and COUPS here). But even my little corner of campus participation is made so much harder by living off-campus. It takes me a good 15 minutes to drive to campus, so no quick or unnecessary trips for me. The meeting is only going to take 20 minutes? I probably can’t come. I just learned about an event happening in an hour? That’s too bad.

With Viking Days upon us, the feeling of separation I have with the Augustana campus has never been more prevalent.

I know that if it weren’t for the numerous yard signs around campus I would be clueless about most of the week’s events. Even still, it is unlikely that I will be able to attend many, if any. Living off-campus isn’t the only reason for this, but it definitley doesn’t help.