I n the year and a half I’ve been a student at St. Bonaventure, one thing is clear: being a Bonnie means rolling with the punches. Here at Bona’s, we take the good with the bad, celebrate triumph and defeat together, and we do so with a “win or lose, we still booze” mindset. It’s what makes us, us.
In my three semesters here, I’ve found the ups and downs you face while going to St. Bonaventure are what make this place special.
Aside from it being basketball season, the worst time of year here is winter. Being a St. Bonaventure student means you better have a decent pair of boots or at least shoes you don’t mind destroying with water and road salt.
The parking lots and sidewalks aren’t maintained the greatest during the winter, and getting to class sometimes means risking your safety and dignity if you just so happen to fall on the ice or trip over a mound of snow.
However, being a Bonnie also means if you survive and make it to your destination, someone is waiting at the door holding it open for you, regardless if you know them or not.
Being a student at St. Bonaventure, you need to have a high tolerance for sub-par food.
Every now and then, you catch a good day in the Hickey and find something you like, but most of the time you walk in, swipe your card and take your seat on the struggle bus.
Then again, the struggle bus comes full of employees like Snake, who is always good for a recap of the past weekend, and John the egg guy who, if you go to enough, will eventually know exactly what you want just by exchanging a head nod with him.
During my time here, I’ve heard some less than pleasant news. Last year when the email was sent notifying everyone of Sister Margaret’s illness, and ultimately the news that she’d be stepping down from her position as president, the campus stood still. It was one of the most sobering experiences of my life walking around the day that email was sent.
It was during that time though – especially the basketball game after the news was released – that showed me the true power of this tiny campus.
I was in awe hearing the “Sister Margaret!” chants that shook the floor in the Reilly Center that day.
And lastly, going to St. Bonaventure means you have a love-hate relationship with the NCAA.
Sure, the organization provides us with entertainment in one of the best college basketball settings and conferences in the nation, but boy do they love tormenting us. Last year’s exclusion of what seemed like a guaranteed tournament spot got our blood boiling to the point where someone went as far as publishing a book called “Snubbed” documenting the entire ordeal.
And then there was Saturday. Now, I’m not an ESPN college basketball analyst and I only have a general sense of basketball rules, so I don’t want to get into the whole thing. All I know is we celebrated like crazy for a game we would end up losing. That few minutes between running on the court and realizing the technical foul was called was some of the most excitement I’ve experienced while at Bona’s. The evening following the game felt like we had beat VCU by a landslide. That’s just Bona’s for you.
Like I said, as a Bonnie, you take the good with the bad. While things may not always end in our favor, the fact of the matter is we’re always there for each other regardless of the outcome. Whether it’s as simple as laughing with Snake while you try to stomach another Hickey meal, or get helped up by a stranger after you take a spill in a puddle of dirt and melted snow, there’s something special about the fact that Bona’s isn’t perfect.
Christian Gravius is a staff writer for the Bona Venture. His email is graviucc15@bonaventure.edu
