Collins, a love note

“You live in Collins?”

“Yes”

“Really?”

I’ve had this conversation at least 30 times in the past three years – the one where the person I’ve just met looks at me and thinks, “How could you live in Collins? You look normal.”

“That’s because I am normal. You’re the one who’s being weird.”

Before I came to IU, I remember being told that Collins dorm was the place for lesbians and stoners – and you know what? It is. It’s also a place for people who love to read, dance, laugh, skip class, take naps, watch ridiculous reality television with 10 other people packed on their bed, go out, stay in and enjoy college. If that doesn’t scream “Freaks!” I don’t know what does.

I moved into Collins in October of my freshman year after a not-so-enjoyable experience in a dorm that shall remain nameless, and I never looked back. I was amazed at how different living there could be. I no longer had to deal with intoxicated freshmen stumbling in at all hours of the night. Instead, I got to know people almost right away. They were friendly, smart, interesting and fun. I felt comfortable instantly. And as far as the freaks go, I’m still searching for them.

Instead I found a beautiful fashionista, a bleeding-heart feminist, a girl trying to save the world, an economics major with a hip-hop addiction, the friend you could always count on, the one with enough stories to keep you laughing for hours and that one person so different from you, she changed your life.

You’ll find stereotypes all over campus, but the worst thing you can do in your first few months here is take them as unquestionable truths. Yes, you will see the kids from Collins all out on the lawn, possibly gathered around a bonfire at night or laying on blankets in the courtyard on warm afternoons, so why not come and see what all the fuss is about?

The truth of the matter is that Collins has a student-run coffee shop, a library, a music practice room and beautiful formal lounges in a building everyone says looks like Hogwarts. (I wouldn’t go that far, but it is nice.) If you’re undecided about your living situation, give Collins a serious look. Its quirky charm will surprise you. And as for the freaks, don’t worry. They’ll be too stereotyped to set foot inside the courtyard.