Opinion | Is this really the Panther Experience?
Care’s Corner is the weekly advice and opinions column of The Panther. Opinions Editor, Caroline Linton, dives into relevant Chapman and college life topics that are on the minds of real university students. All student quotes in Care’s Corner are kept anonymous, with grade level and major provided, in order to garner the most genuine answers possible in the case of sensitive or controversial subjects. You can submit questions for advice, college confessionals and any issues you would want to see in Care’s Corner here.
In 30 days, I will be completely done with my time at Chapman University. Being a fall graduate has come with its challenges, celebrations and anxieties. A main struggle I’ve tackled is that gnawing feeling that I’m cutting my four years of college short. These are supposed to be the best years of my life, right? I need to make sure I made the most of my time.
Lucky for me, Chapman University just released “The Panther Experience.” An extensive list of activities either at Chapman or in the surrounding SoCal area are presented as a pathway to a proper “Paws Up” experience.
Depending on how many activities you cross off, the university is offering prizes in different levels of completion: the highest being a graduation cord and award recognition. These are detailed in “The Panther Experience Challenge.” There is also a shortened version for seniors graduating this year.
The list spans all areas of college life. From academic accomplishments to involvements, there are so many categories to fulfill.
Of course, as I close out my time as a panther, I have to put this to the test.
Just so you all know a little about me and my Chapman experience, I am a broadcast journalism and documentary major (Dodge kid!), a visual journalism minor, a very active member of my sorority, a Chapman Radio host and the opinions editor for The Panther.
In the beginning of my college journey, I definitely struggled to find ways to get involved and spend my free time. I know freshman me probably would've loved this scavenger hunt-esque challenge put forth by the school. But alas, I forged my own path.
So, let’s see how many items I can cross off this challenge, as someone who didn’t have it to guide me through my three and a half years.
THE PANTHER EXPERIENCE RESULTS
In total, I crossed out 70 boxes out of 110 available. That’s not too bad!
Going through the list, I was forced to reflect on my years here at Chapman and I can’t help but say it made me a little emotional.
Sure, some were extremely easy to check off like “Write for The Panther,” something everyone should do. Email me pantheropinions@chapman.edu to get this crossed off for yourself.
But, crossing off boxes like “Live on campus” and “Study at your favorite spot on campus” brought me back to my freshman year.
I lived in Glass Hall, North Tower, and spent so many hours on the Keck balconies with friends in between classes. Now, I zoom out of Anderson to return to my Orange house as quickly as I can. I never really took the time to think about how I miss those days, staying late in Argyros Forum and walking back to the dorms long after the sun had gone down, just gabbing away with newly made friends.
I’ve never missed a University Program Board (UPB) Midnight Breakfast. I don’t know what it is about this event, but every semester without fail, I have gotten a blueberry pastry at an ungodly hour of the night. It’s always been a different group of people that I go with. One year, it was a spontaneous invite from my newly bonded sorority sisters. The most recent was my whole house, holding up individual letters on our phones to spell out our roommate’s name to support her in her acapella performance.
Thinking back on local activities, I continued to reminisce.
On the night that Taylor Swift released “Red (Taylor’s Version),” a group of us piled in the car and left Jim Miller for a drive down Pacific Coast Highway: music blaring and freaking out over “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” We’ve listened to every re-release together since.
I spent the night of my 21st birthday at a UPB sponsored Angel’s game with my orientation day one best friend, Ashley Kuckler. Ashley has always been the one to break me out of my shell and there’s so many times where she was by my side, encouraging me and teaching me how to be my best self.
There’s a million other stories and eras to reflect on because of this form: my freshman year obsession with Einstein’s “Albuquerque Turkey,” my super strict Henley cycling class schedule that lasted four months, endless rides from my sophomore year housing at Panther Village to campus in the shuttle, etc.
I had no idea when starting this article and hearing about the list that it may make my experience feel complete, but here we are. Kudos Chapman!
Although I am still waiting to see if I won that graduation cord from “The Panther Experience Challenge,” filling this out did make me acknowledge that I am a true panther. These past few years have been filled with so many more Chapman-unique experiences than I ever took time to realize. I made lifelong friends, created lasting memories and became a more whole person from each and every one of these X’s.
