late-night walk through campus

Going to school in Dallas doesn't keep me from visiting College Station. In fact, I've been back four times this semester already. Others might think it's lame, and honestly, I can't argue with them. The older I get, the more I prefer comfort to adventure. College Station is like a sweet, wholesome girl who lacks flash and sex appeal. Whereas Dallas is a major babe who is waiting for me to flirt with her. And I do want to flirt with her. She's hot, and God gave me a y chromosome. But something holds me back. It just doesn't seem worth the effort, knowing that there's a nice girl who already loves me. So, I choose to spend my time in the comfortable, familiar arms of College Station.

I'm a creature of habit, and I do the same things every time I visit CS: attend an A&M sporting event, play 42, drink Shiner with friends, eat a Koppe Bridge burger, go to Northgate in an Aggie shirt and shorts (without ever feeling under dressed), ask William to play some songs (even though he rarely does), and of course, go on a late-night walk through campus. I love A&M's campus. People who see A&M for the first time are often turned off by the non-uniform architecture and lack of trees in some areas. But as Joe Mag puts it, "You aren't going to become friends with trees." Plus, I like A&M's architecture. Even though it's often obvious that most of the buildings went to the lowest bidder, they fit A&M's personality by serving their purposes without frills or excessive ornamentation.

In Glenn's unanimously adored and widely stolen "Kenya" fishcamp speech, he advises A&M freshmen to build memories all over campus. That way, when they're older and come back to visit College Station, they can recall old memories anywhere they go. Three weeks ago, I did just that. William and I went on our standard late-night walk through campus, and we were joined by Emily, Joe, and Jeff.

Our first stop was Evans library, and I peered through the windows, recalling the countless hours I spent studying. Even though the library was closed, and its halls darkened, there was a light emanating from the fourth floor. I looked up to see my former self studying tirelessly, focused on getting into medical school. I seem to tire more easily these days.

Next, we walked by the architecture building, and I remembered taking a course there my sophomore year. Every day after class ended, I walked a beautiful brunette to her next class. By the end of the semester, I finally got the nerve to ask her out. She said she would have loved to go out with me, but already had a boyfriend. I smiled as I relived this memory. Whether or not she actually had a boyfriend, her response was great and did wonders for my shaky confidence.

The next stop on our walk through campus was Sbisa dining hall. I pressed my face against the window with my hands cupping either side, trying to see inside. It was dark, but I thought I saw Michael, Rob, and me eating at the far table. I pressed my ear onto the glass, and I could swear I heard hundreds of excited Aggies talking and laughing. I listened more intently and heard northside Ags pounding out "hullabaloo" with their forks and yelling "pick it up" when mortified freshmen dropped their trays.

We left Sbisa and passed Hart Hall on the way to the Memorial Student Center. Joe Salvaggio and I recounted stories from the days when he lived in the dorm room above me, and Michael slept in the bed below me. I heard music blaring from our old room, and I glanced into the window to see Michael and me dancing to a Kylie Minogue song, practicing for the upcoming Maggies crush party.

Our journey through campus ended at the MSC, and we took a load off on the couches in the flag room. While Jeff sat at the piano and played "It is well with my soul", I looked towards the northwest corner of the room. There, beyond the flags and globes, sat my former self. He looked agitated that someone would play the piano while people were trying to study. If only he knew how much that song would mean to him five years down the road.