What I miss most about Ithaca College

The real world has no Wednesday Fry Night at Bandwagon

I’ve been an alum all of two months, and already I’m having serious post-college depression. As job application after job application goes unanswered and I face the very real prospect of beginning to pay back my college loans without actually having a job to pay them with. I wish so much I was headed back to my beloved college town come August (at the very least so I would have some direction and not be unemployed at home). But alas, I never will return as a student again, so basically all I do is whine about all the things I miss most about Ithaca College.

The town in general

I’m not gonna lie, my hometown is pretty boring, especially compared to Ithaca. There was always something to do, and because the people were so interesting and I was always with my best friends even a trip to Wegman’s could turn into an adventure. Now I mainly sit home every night and watch “Chopped” with my dog.

Wednesday Fry Nights at Bandwagon were a staple in my friend group, and the food at Taste of Thai is legitimately still the best I’ve ever had. And believe me, I’ve been looking. Whatever I was in the mood for, Ithaca would deliver (both literally and figuratively.) And there was nothing quite like going to the Friends of the Library Book Sale once a semester to spend $4 on an insane amount of books, followed by lunch at Ithaca Bakery, and later a movie night with your friends snacking on Ithaca Hummus and top notch Finger Lakes wine. A proper Ithaca day.

 Ithaca is just the ultimate college town – and that’s not me being biased, it’s actually a total fact that it’s one of the top college towns in the nation. And from Apple Fest to Chili Fest to their amazing new “Wizarding Weekend” Harry Potter celebration, the local businesses and their owners are always thinking of the next exciting thing.

Also, our super cool 29-year-old mayor, Svante Myrick, is another aspect of Ithaca that is so incredible and I will miss most dearly. He was so hands-on with the public and as a Cornell grad understood how important the college town atmosphere was and how to engage with students. Plus he’s just awesome and so dang likable. I couldn’t ever vote for him because I wasn’t registered in New York, but I’ll make up for it when I vote for him for president one day. #Myrick2024

The classes

I know it seems odd that after being in school for a combined 16ish years since kindergarten that I would ever miss actually having to go to class, but I really do. And I think a lot of that had to do with the professors at IC. I was always engaged and always excited to go to class. I especially miss my English courses, not only because of incredible professors like Chris Holmes, Derek Adams and Dan Breen (much needed shout out, ya’ll are the best), but also because reading was required, which is basically the best kind of homework I can think of. I was exposed to amazing new authors and topics I never would have thought to explore on my own.

And the professors at IC become such an important part of your life at school. There are some who become so much more than just a teacher, and they’re what make your time truly unforgettable and mainly why I have such separation anxiety and graduation denial. The thought of never again being able to sit through a Dr. Mosher seminar is really distressing. You make an unforgettable bond which will make you not even think twice about sending them a Christmas card or wedding invitation someday. Or to bug them for the fourth time to use them as a reference for another job application (sorry Prof A.)

One of my most favorite professors and humans, Professor Mogekwu

Journos are family <3 Photo credit: Emily Fedor

The people

Obviously what makes your time at Ithaca so great is the people you share it with. College was the time where all of your friends were always together and you could see each other whenever you wanted. Now that I’ve graduated, my friends and I will probably never be in the same place all at once ever again – at least not without some serious, hard-core planning. Jobs, families and life in general will get in the way, and we’ll promise to get together “soon” or “some day.”

I’ll have pictures to look at and memories to look back on, but at the end of the day I’ll wonder if I made the most of my time in this special place with all the people most important to me. It’s not an easy thing to think about, and not an easy place to let go of. So the only solution is to kidnap all my friends and make them move back to Ithaca and never let them leave as we relive all our fondest memories… Okay, maybe it’s not the ONLY solution, but it’s the one I like best.

It was a great four years, ones I’ll never forget. Now all we can do is return one day, as alums this time, to the place that brought us together and became a home for all of us. Bombers forever.

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