Smiling

by Travis Rocha

The benefit of attending a small college is you, very quickly, meet lots of people who you see all the time. Over the summer, I mostly spent time with a rotating roster of about 10 different people. Now that I’m back at school, my social life has grown exponentially. There are hundreds of people I see every week and smile with.

Walking from class to class is always full of pleasant surprises. There are countless people I may run into and catch up with for a few brief minutes before heading our separate ways. It’s so comforting knowing that my school’s community is filled with such happy, genuine people. It’s not just students. Professors from semesters past will always greet me with a firm handshake and smile just as the very wonderful staff of the dining halls are never without a warm grin on their faces.

It’s not just something we put in our brochures. The Christopher Newport community is filled to the brim with very special people. With every new freshmen class, the tradition of smiling at one another only grows stronger and deeper. It wasn’t until going home for the summer that I really began to appreciate all the bubbly faces I greeted on campus everyday. Now, a month into my sophomore year, I know this time in my life is something I’ll never forget – and it’s the little things (like smiling) that make everyday at Christopher Newport a fantastic experience.