Students share what they miss most about Butler while in quarantine. Collegian file photo.
KATIE FREEMAN | STAFF REPORTER | kmfreema@butler.edu
There are many things that make Butler University individual and unique: having a live bulldog mascot, Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Butler Bubble. Many students agree, though, that the best parts of Butler are the students, faculty and staff that fill it.
Charlie Griswold, a sophomore marketing and finance major, said that out of everything, he misses being around people at Butler the most. Several others agreed: more than anything, they missed being around others at Butler.
“I have way more friends at Butler than I do back home,” Griswold said. “Not being around anybody and not having anything to do is like kind of making me lose my mind.”
When a university that advertises a “Community of Care” gets moved online, some feel it can be hard to feel that community all the way at home. Sophomore biology major Christian Pareja said he misses that aspect of being on campus.
“Obviously I miss the people the most,” Pareja said. “I picked the school because of the community, and it’s lived up a lot to that, where, you know, I really have a bunch of support groups, I have a bunch of friend groups that, I don’t know, just being around your friends makes the hardships of college a lot easier to deal with.”
CJ Robinson, a sophomore music industries studies major, said she misses being surrounded by people her age.
“Something that I miss is just walking to class and seeing people that I know, and like saying hi to them,” Robinson said. “[Seeing] people that I don’t see everyday that don’t live in my house, that always made my day so much better.”
Some professors said that they missed having students around, as well. Scott Bridge, a professor in the College of Communication, said he misses his students most of all.
“My students, by far,” Bridge said. “Not even close. It’s all the little things. I miss having them just stop in. I miss having them raiding my desk drawer for Hershey chocolate bars. I miss them just coming in and telling me what’s going on in their lives, what’s happening. Their triumphs, their problems. Just everything.”
Despite the current semester still being in progress, many students are already counting down the days until the fall semester begins.
Many students are already beginning to imagine what they might do once they get back to Butler. Some students, like Griswold, hope to appreciate more of the little things Butler’s campus has to offer.
“I’m just excited for the really nice weather,” Griswold said. “And just being around people, and doing something stupid that’s like, just going out and playing spike ball, and like, hammocking or going to Starbucks. And I don’t even drink coffee, but just going to Starbucks and doing all the Butler stuff, you know, like going to HRC, just walking around campus at night.”
Like Griswold, sophomore entrepreneurship major Gina Lambert said she’s looking forward to nearly every aspect of Butler.
“I would definitely say going out and like being on the Knoll, being with my senior friends, going and just being with people,” Lambert said. “Going back to the Broad Ripple restaurants because I miss Bagel Deli and just being able to be on campus, because I live 10 hours away and not being able to be there is very sad. Even the library — I miss Irwin.”
Sophomore finance major Jack Boetscher said when he returns to campus, he’s looking forward to seeing his friends again, because he feels like he was left on a cliffhanger after spring break.
“I didn’t realize that was the last time I’d see a lot of people for, you know, five, six months,” Boetscher said. “And especially people who are like, going abroad that first semester, they’re gonna be people I haven’t seen for eight months when they get back. I just think it’s gonna be nice to kind of see everyone’s face again, you know?”
Jack Shirley, a junior strategic communications major, is excited to live off-campus with his longtime friends for a similar reason.
“What I’m looking forward to most is moving into my senior house with the friends I’ve had since freshman year,” Shirley said. “It’s been a long time coming, especially since I was abroad first semester of junior year, and then the second semester of junior year got cut short, so it’s almost been since sophomore year since we’ve all had a full semester together.”
Many students agree: they’re excited to reunite on campus. Hopefully this fall, the only Butler Blues around will be III and IV.
