Don’t “Be You” at BU, but “Find You” at BU

John Minami

If you looked into my closet, you won't find a single Binghamton University hoodie.  Looking at my friends and random students on campus, it appears that almost everyone has a university hoodie.  There are probably a multitude of reasons why everyone has one: it was on sale, it was supposed to be for a family member, they have a lot of school pride, etc.  As for me, I never really got around to getting one.  I've always wanted one, but various reasons (low cash, school store was closed, too lazy to walk to the school store, etc.) have always prevented me from making the purchase.

Since my time at Binghamton University, I have acquired these two hoodies.  The left one is from the Korean-American Baptist Organization or KABSO for short.  The other one is from the Binghamtom Crew team. 

To me, these are more or less my "Binghamton University hoodies".  You see, for me, Binghamton University isn't about the buildings or the classes or even our prestigious name.  To me, Binghamton University IS KABSO and BU Crew.  Without these two organizations, Binghamton University would cease to be what it is.  Both organizations have had such a profound impact on not only my first year of college, but my first year living on my own.

In KABSO, I was able to discover a new support system of emotional ties that act as my "pseudo"-family when my real family cannot be with me.  Without it, I don't know what I would do.  Sharing not only a faith, but also feelings and problems with this group has been an amazing experience for me.  Being so far from home, it is difficult to find people who truly love you. Luckily, I was able to find those people in KABSO. 

In BU Crew, however, I have found a different sort of support system.  Whereas, KABSO catches me when I'm down, BU Crew does something slightly different.

BU Crew pushes me past my limits.  When I am tired and dying, it drives me to continue moving.  Rowing every morning makes me believe that I can do anything.  If I can wake up at 5:00 AM every morning to kill myself for an hour or two BEFORE going to classes, I think I can pretty much do anything.  You know those billions of e-mails that SOM students receive from Christina Whitney?  I apply to every single one that doesn’t have a credit restriction.  Even though, my chances of getting that internship or job are slim, I persevere regardless because that’s what Crew has taught me to do.  It doesn’t matter how the odds are stacked against me, I just keep moving forward, doing my best.  I believe this determination will get me far in life.  Heck, it got me into EY Connect, which I never had believed I would be good enough for.  I also decided to double major in English because of Crew.  The workload will be hard but it is something I want to do, so I will reach for it with all my strength and effort.

To me, college isn’t about a time for getting good grades or a degree.  It’s about exploring yourself, and discovering parts of you that you never knew existed.  It’s about finding out how much you really miss your family and crave a close emotional connection.  It’s about realizing your full potential when you try your hardest. 

I’ve learned a lot about myself this freshmen year, but I’m still not done. I still have 3 more years to learn even more about myself.  And I can’t wait.