Lip Syncing My Way Through College

Sorry I've been MIA from the blog scene this week! Things have been more than hectic between grad school, weekend scheduling with Ian, schoolwork obligations and scheduling conflicts, and stress, stress, stress!! I've also been suffering from a bit of writer's block -- the kind where I write half of a post, suddenly lose all interest in my topic, and end up with a list of drafts.

Wednesday night, I was able to blow off a lot of steam by visiting my ADPi sisters at Longwood for Greek Lip Sync Spring 2012. It's always a very adrenaline-fueled affair, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to surprise my sisters and watch them win Best Appearance! Congratulations again, ladies! :)

Who do I think I am, a turtle? Who sticks her neck out that far?

Our beautiful and strong Epsilon Chi chapter <>

Of course, all of the pictures I took brought back (laughable) memories of my own Lip Sync, so very many years ago, in the spring of 2008, while I was yet a freshman...

And also of one of my favorite Lip Syncs of all time, spring 2009 featuring the Alpha class Meant to Be 14:

As I was listening to a few seniors tell me how excited they are to graduate and be done with activities like workshops they've been through a million times, or long chapter meetings when they'd rather be doing something else, my heart and soul longed to be back at Longwood, participating in those same activities. As I listened to my close friends talk about the newest initiated class of sisters, I realized that there were about 15 unfamiliar faces in the sea of ADPis, whose names I didn't know.

I even texted Ian, "Why didn't I do that Victory Lap?"

All those times I thought to myself, I wish we didn't have a recruitment workshop, or Please let this ceremony be over soon, I would take back in a heartbeat. I realized during the last semester of my senior year at Longwood that I had lip synced my way through so much of college. I was going through the motions, but I wasn't always participating wholeheartedly. There was still so much time left for all of that! ...right?

As a lowly freshman, I only wanted to be a sophomore. As a sophomore, I knew junior year had to be greater. But as a junior, I began to dread becoming a senior. Being a senior meant preparing for graduation, and grad school, and Big Girl World. I took for granted so many nights with my incredible sisters. I skipped parties in favor of watching movies, I slept in instead of seizing the day, I ate Taco Bell in place of enjoying the dining hall atmosphere, I complained instead of relishing the rituals and ceremonies, and I missed opportunities I'll never be able to relive.

If you're still an undergrad, I implore you not to take a single moment for granted. There aren't as many as you think there are, and they'll all be used up before you even realize what's happened. Graduation day, when you're sitting on the lawn in your itchy cap and gown, I pray that your thoughts are of excitement and promise. When you've moved on with your life and accepted a job in some city, I pray that you think of your fellow Greek brothers and sisters and wonder what they're up to. When you revisit your old college campus and bring your children to run around (as my parents did with Caroline and me), I pray that your memories are of laughing until you cried, hilariously drunken nights, intensely deep late-night conversations with your roommate, stolen property from some forbidden frat house, and walking the halls of education that molded you into who you are. Yeah, I'm a pretty corny girl, but these are my memories, and I wouldn't trade a single one.

First. Finest. Forever.

<> Alpha Delta Pi <>