Straight out of Compton (Vol. 1)

It still seems weird to me that a semester has already gone by since coming to Richmond, but the beginning to my second semester is starting off even more quickly than the first. I can't say I missed having a week of Orientation before starting class, but what happened to that so-called breeze of a "syllabus week?" I've already read three and a half books since coming back, which is more than I can say for the five weeks I spent at home.

And not only did my classes roar into session, but having gone through sorority recruitment, my weeknight engagements have been nonstop. I mean, I had to add a new color to my iCal. Rushing did vaguely feel like I was on The Bachelor waiting for an elimination rose ceremony, but it's over now and I'd have to say it was worth it. The Facebook friend requests have continued to roll in since Bid Day -- beating Playfair by a landslide -- and I have more candy than I can handle.

Last Friday marked a much-anticipated return to the lodges. My companions and I experienced a brief and embarrassing setback by arriving first (I can only blame this on my German professor, who forced my class to observe for a weekend what the effects of living without a clock or sense of time would be. Apparently, it means the night starts a lot earlier) but we stuck it out and were not to be disappointed. It was a pretty standard night, which may or not have meant a fall from the stage and/or a dance on the bar, but what can I say?

I still haven't managed to pay attention to what music is actually played inside. (I've made this comment to others before, and was once asked by an alumnus whether I was "too drunk or too horny" to notice. I'll leave you to reflect on that one.) But it is a personal goal of mine for the semester to start taking note. Someone told me they played Taylor Swift's "Love Story," but I don't know if I believe it.

While the best part about coming back to campus compared to arriving as a brand-new first-year was the familiarity of everything on campus, some things have changed. First of all, the student body seems to have tripled (Hi, junior class) especially with regards to D-Hall, where I've been forced to sit in the far corners of the third room more often than I care to. Besides new faces, there is also a sketchy new Safety Shuttle, in the form of an unmarked white van (only encouraging its true identity) driven by a man who tends to drive past you three to four times before actually stopping. The stand-in driver will, however, drop you off directly in front of the lodges, so sketchiness apparently has its benefits.

In other news, I've evidently committed myself to writing a column in The Collegian. It's a new semester, and I now have a venue in which to display those thoughts that are ... straight out of Compton. Get ready.

Contact columnist Susie Compton at susie.compton@richmond.edu