The quad in front of Armington has been the place that witnessed my most treasured memories throughout my time at Wooster. From the moment that I met my best friend, to the lockdown during covid, to celebrating a graduation party, this spot has been near and dear to my heart. As I became integrated into the Wooster family from being a stranger, this place was my contact zone, my home, and my mundane. Since I’m reaching the end of my college chapter, I would like to return to this spot both to reflect on my four-year journey and to see the place anew.
~ o ~
August 19th, 2019
I just arrived at my new college, a fresh start. My first glance at this new home was from the window of the college bus. I was sitting with a newly met buddy at the airport, trying to stretch my body to glance out of the window and absorb all the view along Beall (“Be-all”?) avenue. And a new chapter of my life began.
After I put my two heavy pieces of luggage in my new room, I decided to go on my first self-led tour of Wooster. The sidewalk felt different from those back home in Vietnam, much less crowded actually. As I walked past the tennis field, I was greeted by this wide grass field, so green that it absorbed sunlight and illuminated in pristine green. I followed this field toward the castle-like building with red roofs.
The sun was setting, leaving gorgeous orange and violet clouds behind the building. I was so captivated by this scenery that I decided to settle in one of the chairs on the field. I took a deep breath to refresh myself after the long 30-hour trip. The weather was calm and soothing; a light breeze of wind passed by, tickling my hair. The air breathed freshness into my lungs. I was not used to this new air yet. This place felt different from what I expected but also much more intimate. It’s a paradox but even though I had never been here before, I sensed a strange comfort at this spot. I was dreamingly observing my new home then suddenly, a rustling noise from the tree above caught my attention. Two black squirrels were chasing each other down the tree, making wild circles around the trunk. I curiously watched them since I have never seen black squirrels before, such beautiful creatures!
Along the roads leading to the dorms, some students were dragging their luggage and trying to navigate this new “maze” of walkways and buildings. All looked tired but excited. They are just like me, exhausted after a long trip but eager to discover this new chapter of life. Then I saw the friend I had just met on the bus. We waved to each other, and she walked toward me. We sat next to each other and shared about our homes, our families, why we chose Wooster, and more. We were born in different time zones and grew up in different realities but from that moment, we became great companions in our common Wooster journey. Never would I have thought that the friendships that I made in this quad were the sources of comfort for me to explore the unfamiliar awaiting on the horizon.
~ o ~
May 13th, 2021
The moon was bright yellow, imposing itself like a disco ball on the night sky. Down below, surrounding the barbecue grill in the Armington quad, my friends and I were laughing and stuffing ourselves with the tasty ribs and chicken wings. The delicious smell saturated the surroundings while the delightful food entertained all the tastebuds in our mouths. It was a graduation party where we prepared to say goodbye to a person whom I considered my “sister” during my time in Wooster. She was the one who guided me through the bumpy roads of relationships, identities, and career choices. Before all the cheering and laughing, I had tried so hard to talk myself out of the sadness of not having her around for the next two years to enjoy this moment.
After all the food was cleaned out, like every family gathering in Vietnam, we did karaoke. We sat around the table and sang karaoke with the lyrics projected onto a screen. We went through the favorite songs we all knew back in Vietnam as we waved the flashlights from our phones to the tempo of the songs. Out on the grass, the fireflies also woke up from their sleep to join us with their own little flashlights. The summer air felt warm. It was a rare and precious moment after two long years of uncertainty from the pandemic that we were able to be back and enjoy ourselves together. From an outsider who didn’t know how to say “Beall Avenue” and “Wooster”, I found myself at home that night.
~ o ~
September 1st, 2022
It was unusual for me to sit in this space alone, on a day when no sunshine had managed to pass through the cloudy, gray sky. Besides the hustling of students moving in and the enthusiasm of summer parties, it had never crossed my mind that I would see something interesting in this good old spot at the quad. But still, I held that thought and allowed my senses to paint the picture. I smelled the earth and the humidity in the air. The sky seemed like it would start raining at any moment, but it was being indecisive about when to release itself. The atmosphere, however, was unhurried and calm. It was quite cool for a summer afternoon which made me want to snuggle into a nap. The trees surrounding were still holding on to their greenness but soon, they would be changing to different shades of fall. As I gazed up at the tree branches, I saw a squirrel lying down relaxingly with its bushy tail lightly covering the back like a blanket. In my mind, squirrels were hustle creatures, and it was amazing to see that they have downtime once in a while. Not far away, a group of students was hanging out on the green grass carpet dotted with white flowers. Their laughter punctured the background noise of the AC units from the buildings.
Suddenly, a wind passed by and started to pick up its speed. The air became denser, and the sky turned dark. I felt a drop of coldness touch my skin, and two, and three … Within a second, the tranquility quickly dissolved with the early raindrops and was taken over by disturbances caused by rapidly moving leaves. The sleepy squirrel made a quick dash for shelter among the trees. Down below, I hurried to gather my pen and notebook, joining a group of people running back to the dorms as the water poured down.
The rain refreshed the scene as much as it refreshed my soul. I’ve never realized that I have, for a long time, turned on an auto-drive attitude toward my surroundings, especially the place that had become sacred during my college time. I spent a chapter of my youth here, under the roof of the trees and the carpet of grass, my Wooster “home.” This home was a place where I met strangers who became friends and friends who became brothers and sisters. But like time, people come and go. I, just like every student who went to Wooster, started out as an outsider. Then over time, we became familiar with the place, so familiar that we sometimes took it for granted. To be honest, I had a love-hate relationship with the discomfort of being a stranger but the need to see things anew fueled my urge to travel. But since the global pandemic, I have not had the chance to pursue that passion. Since I had to stay in one place for such a long time, I felt captive, but after this trip, I realized that there are many things to discover in your mundane world as in your foreign. Through both, you learn more about yourself by savoring the simple moments.