I am sick of the negative connotations that come along with the word ‘millennial.’ Perhaps it’s because I am a millennial that I am particularly aware of everyone’s obvious distaste towards our generation, but I can’t help but find myself asking why?
Rightfully so, generations before us view us in this negative light because of the dismal depictions that are plastered all over the media. Selfies, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, social media and the fascination of getting ‘likes’ and being glued to our phones…listen, I get it. The figures in these examples certainly portray us as narcissistic airheads, you’re right. If we’re going to throw out titles and names that are based on such arbitrary things, then I will not sit here and disagree with any of that because honestly, I'd have no argument. These are all relevant and valid ingredients to a millennials overall makeup, which makes us easy targets to be the butt of all the demeaning jokes. As a 23-year-old female, I am constantly surrounded by people like this all day – admittedly, myself included. But I saw a video online once (LOL, living up to my stereotype) that basically stated that millennials were simply ‘dealt a bad hand.’ It was actually a pretty interesting and candid take on millennials – I recommend you watch it. However, I am not making excuses for us. Because quite frankly, I don’t really believe that there’s anything that needs to be excused for. The term millennial can mean a lot of things, but one thing that it means to me is change. In my lifetime, I have seen a woman run for president. I have seen gay marriage become legalized. I’ve seen transgenders gain wider access to all healthcare and even being portrayed on television. Millennials are open-minded and accepting, and I think that says a lot more than any of our stereotypes do. We are a diverse and progressive generation open to change. And don’t think that I’m naïve. I’m well aware there are some baby boomers and gen x-ers out there reading this right now laughing at me because you’re so stuck on your belief of what you think we are. And to your defense, some of your thoughts are 110% accurate. But I’m willing to bet we’d all own up to our faults. I certainly would. And that right there breaks a stereotype because everyone thinks that millennials believe that we know everything and cannot own up to when we’re being wrong. One day when I was feeling particularly frustrated with being stuck under this millennial umbrella that constantly is being pelted with negativity, I stumbled upon an article that was not-so-surprisingly titled “7 Reasons Millennials Are the Worst Generation.” Far from original, dude. If you type ‘millennial,’ into the search bar, there’s thousands more of your articles. But that’s besides my point. Two of his reasons were that “they smoke,” and “they don’t know anything about politics,” followed by five other lame and ill-supported reasons we apparently are all ‘the worst.’ But hey, if that’s all it takes to be considered ‘the worst,’ guys, then I think we’re doing okay. Mind you, this survey data was collected by only 2,000 young adults. Just to let you in on a little tidbit of overwhelming information, millennials have actually surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation, checking in right around 75.4 million. Unfortunately, it looks like this minuscule fragment of young adults may skew the results a bit when looking at things big picture. If this article focused on issues that really matter, like race, religion, social injustice or gender equality, I have a hard time believing he'd have anything worthwhile to publish at all. Why? Because if he had focused on these things, he would've been overwhelmed with a preponderance of evidence, opinions and insights from young adults that prove just how accepting millennials really are. Listen, you will never find me denying the fact that many (most) of us millennials support our less-than-favorable stereotype. I will own up to that all day every day. Stereotypes suck. They're extremely frustrating. I mean, who really wants to be lumped under one blanket statement that essentially tells you "this is the kind of person you are." But having that said, I truly believe that no matter how small or large, there is some degree of truth behind every stereotype. Without enough supporting evidence, there'd really be no reason to create stereotypes in the the first place, right? With that in mind, however, I can’t help but ask you, what body of people doesn’t carry stigmas that reign true of their stereotype to some extent? Yes, millennials probably are all the things you believe us to be, but there is so much more than the negative connotations of our stereotype that make up the true definition of a millennial. And if you’re closed-minded enough to only focus on the narrow avenue of negative aspects that make up our generation, well…I guess you’re really not a millennial after all 😊
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This past week was move in week for Bonnie's, both new and old. I thought that being two-years-gone would lessen the emotional blow of move in week a little, but it didn’t. And quite frankly, I’m not sure that it ever will. How could it, really? It wasn’t just a college, but a home. And the poignant sting of knowing that you can never quite return to the home that you once knew will always be there.
Sure, everyone’s college holds some sort of special meaning to them. And although I’ve only ever attended one college in my lifetime, I’d be willing to bet that the feeling that comes along with having immense Bonnie pride is vastly different than the pride of being an alumni of any other school. (No offense). Yes, it’s different now, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that it will never be the same school that I once knew it as when I attended. The faces have changed and will continue to change as students filter in and out. The houses are no longer the homes that once belonged to us and our closest friends, but have returned to their original state as the grungy, dirty college houses that they were before we knew them and made them our own. The Mexican restaurant on the corner has a new name, like it did the year before and like it will have in years to come. But there’s one thing that has remained constant about St. Bonaventure University. The feeling of belonging. I remember the first time I returned to Bonas as an alumni. I was expecting a combination of overwhelming nostalgia mixed in with a dash of excitement and a pinch of sadness. I was rather alarmed when I rolled up to that familiar Bonaventure cross that clearly stakes out the entrance from way down Buffalo Road and felt next to nothing. Nothing in the sense that it was like I’d never really left at all. I was returning to the place that granted me my best friends, my second family. Returning to the place that wasn’t just a roof over my head for four years of schooling, but returning home again. Even now as I walk around campus, a flood of memories comes rushing back. Literally every square inch of that campus holds some sort of memory, no matter how small. It’s unreal how quickly and vibrantly they all come back to life. I didn’t know I could live my life so vividly until I went to Bonas. And I mean that in the sense that I feel like I could still actually vividly recall every weekend, every class, every basketball game, every RC wrap, every midterm week and every Spring Weekend right down to the conversations, the people, but most importantly, the feeling. There’s an infectious happiness that makes up St. Bonaventure University. One so strong that I honestly pity anyone who never got to experience it for themselves. Maybe it’s because it’s such a small speck on the map surrounded by nothing but a Walmart that’s what brought the people altogether to be as close as we all are, and as I am confident Bonnies will continue to be even years after I’ve left. There’s really not much around that town for people to enjoy, except for each other that is. And with that said, maybe it’s the people themselves that create the magic of the school. You will love and hate just about everyone at one point or another, but like any family member, there’s a love that’s stronger than any feud, distaste or bad blood. In your final hours together as students, you’ll realize just how much everyone means to you. And I mean literally everyone. From your first roommate, to your closest friends. To your first on-campus crush to your first on-campus rival. From your professors to Sean Miller (shout out Snake). From the Hickey dining hall workers to Steve the bouncer. Even the familiar faces in your classes you may not even know the names to all of a sudden have left an impact on you. People think we’re nuts. And to their defense, maybe we all are a little nutty. But I think that’s part of what comes along with being a Bonnie. You will defend that school and the people who make it till your grave. It’s pretty amazing that such a small place can have such huge meaning. I remember my first night out, a senior girl came up to my roommate and I and told us how jealous she was of us that we were freshman. How jealous she was that we still had the four best years of our lives ahead of us and not to take one second of it for granted. At the time, I remember thinking that while she was nice, she was probably just drunk. It was just a school after all. But five years later, I get it. Even after just a few short weeks after she made that statement it started to resonate with me. Those four years will fly by, each year better than the last. Which brings me I guess to the reason why I felt inclined to write this in the first place… Freshman, new Bonnies (and old, too I guess), you truly have not a clue what you’ve gotten yourselves into by signing your name onto this school. But trust me fully when I say you have made the right choice. I am now that girl to tell you that I am so incredibly jealous that you’re all freshman with four beautiful, amazing, irreplaceable years ahead of you. And while the best I can do is only attempt to capture in words just how much this school means to not only me, but to all of us Bonnie’s, I look forward for all of you to experience your individual adventures as I know that you will experience that same feeling that we all once had, and still have. The feeling of belonging. Go Bonnie’s. |