“God only knows what I’d be without you” - The Beach Boys
The first time I stepped foot on Saint Mary’s Campus I was 10 years old, anxiously preparing to embark on my first sleep away camp. A lot of my friends were already well versed in the world of venturing off to some YMCA campground in the middle of nowhere and spending the week rope swinging into rivers, playing capture the flag and swapping friendship bracelets with strangers, but I was not ready for that just yet. Instead, I opted to go to Saint Mary’s Fine Arts camp where I slept in a college dorm as opposed to a cabin with bunk beds.
The week consisted of all things creative: painting, writing, dancing and singing, piquing my interest in all the right ways. I was mesmerized by the campus, an oasis with a fairylike feeling to it, from the trees guiding you down the Avenue to the colorful flowers glistening in the summer sunlight. Once my time had come to an end, I went home raving about everything and immediately decided to come for more the following year.
Time passed, and soon enough I was right back where I started, this time an enrolled student. Based on other application process stories, a large majority of girls didn’t have Saint Mary’s as their number one choice or never even heard of it until it was brought up by an extended family member or mutual connection. For me, however, I always knew it would be where I would end up.
As a college freshman, I was in a moment of desperation, silently praying to feel seen, wanted and supported by female friendship as it was something I struggled with for a long time. I have always had a complicated relationship with God, half due to the fact that I am an inconsistent churchgoer and half because whenever something bad happens in my life, I usually wind up feeling frustrated, questioning his plan and not understanding why I cannot hear him as clearly as others say they do. It wasn’t until I got here and finally found my friends that I realized the meaning behind the waiting season.
God made me wait, so I can relish in the joy that comes with being a Belle. Raising money for Dance Marathon. Weekly cycle and yoga classes. Venting about boy drama with roommates. Door-dashing all of my money away. Making TikTok dances. Wasting time watching movies for hours on end. Cutting each other's hair instead of spending money at the salon. Finding the balance between applying to big girl jobs and fighting weekend hangovers. There is so much that makes Saint Mary’s unique, but I will spare you the speech.
Wednesday was the first annual “I Am Saint Mary’s” day, a moment dedicated to expressing the love students and faculty share for the place that dedicates itself to the beauty of womanhood. I am always getting asked the question: what's it like going to an all girls school? I always respond with the same answer: like a sorority, but better.
I luckily still have a year left in South Bend, one that is going to be filled with intimidating and exciting endeavours. I am grateful that for the rest of my life, only God will know what my life would have looked like if I hadn’t gone to school here.
Smick chicks forever.
Moira Quinn is a junior at Saint Mary's College studying communication. When she isn't writing for The Observer, she can be found with friends, watching a good romantic comedy or missing her basset hound.
