Old People Syndrome




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  • 2013-09-22 18:10:29
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OPINION PIECE So it’s almost a month since we started university and everything seems to be quite the same around here. Or at least you expect it to be. However, an intangible sense of difference is sneaking up on you, though you don’t get a grasp of it immediately. You start walking around campus. Suddenly “BAM!” it hits you: you’re surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar faces. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="564" caption="source: microsites.lomography.com"][/caption] Of course, as small as our community is, it is impossible to know everybody. The thing that stroke me, though, is the huge gap between seniors and freshmen. Think about it. If you’re a senior how many freshmen do you know (I exclude the RAs, who are supposed to know their residents)? One explanation of this can be that those newbies are some unsocial creatures that hide in the lobbies and try to make sense of Introduction to Statistics.  Or maybe they prefer chalga clubs over the regular choices- Piano Bar and Underground. In fact, every single time I go out, I come across only familiar faces. What happened and when have the things changed so much? As I recall my freshman year, I remember that almost every  night you could have found the usual clubs full of AUBG-ers .Even at the end of the semester, when your schedule would be pretty tight, you could have seen people hanging out. I’m not saying that you came to the university only to party, but it’s definitely some part of the experience. There was also no division between the standings. You could have seen freshmen, juniors and seniors hanging together. Nowadays, you can find small clusters within a campus that used to be a community once. And the logical question comes- whose fault is that? [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320" caption="source: defactobg.com"][/caption] Of course we, the wise elders will pin it to the “lame, unsocial younger generation.” This strange syndrome disseminates among many seniors. A general perception exists in our psychology that the people before us were cooler unlike the ones that come after us. And as every older person does, we have the tendency of reminiscing about the “good old days.” I can frankly declare that it was not that great back then either. We only forgot how hard it was to dig our way out to the point where we’re now. The confusion and the homesickness melt away with time, leaving only good memories behind ... well, and some serious misconceptions about the present. There is a scientific explanation to this phenomena-human memory is designed to remember only the pleasant things. We revoke what happened if we’re not emotionally attached to it. Thus, we’re left with an ideal picture of the past. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="475" caption="source: aubg.bg"][/caption] Another issue that bothers the senior's mind is the passiveness and unwillingness of freshmen and sophomores to participate in any extracurricular activities. Even if they actually become part of them, we perceive them as a bunch of screw ups. After we graduate, no competent person will be left on campus, which will lead to an inevitable apocalypse. Are we so full of complacency to think that our generation is better than the next one? If you, my dear senior, have ever experienced such worries about the future of our lovely community, then the answer is obviously “yes”. The end of the world is not yet to come. Nothing fell apart when you took charge of all the clubs, remember? Chances are that nothing will also change after your graduation. If it makes you feel any better, the generations before you were also convinced that you will screw up everything. It is a common syndrome among individuals in their twenties and it’s called narcissism. But don’t worry, it’s not permanent and hopefully it will disappear as you mature. But think about this. Since they’re our successors, it depends on us how we implant the tradition and community spirit in them. And if we experience any doubts, whether they can mange to preserve what we developed, then it’s really us who screwed up. Disclaimer: To every freshman/sophomore who is out every single night and participates in one or more clubs, I apologize and I express my deep respect. To all the seniors who have faith in the younger generation-good job! You set an example.