The first couple months of freshman year are vital for making friends at Keene State College. Everyone is in the same boat. You have gone off to college. It is the first time in your life you are living away from home and you do not know anyone.
It’s scary to think that you have to make new friends. At some point everyone will have their own friend groups, and you have to be a part of one.
All in all, it seems that the majority of students at KSC are very content in their own friend groups they have created and do not want to make an effort to make new friends.
Emma: Freshman year I did find myself in the middle of a tight-knit friend group.
However, I feel that I have been able to expand that group throughout my time here at KSC.
Photo Illustration by Emma Contic / Graphics editor:
“We both agree that Appian Way is the most awkward spot on campus,” say Flynn and Contic.
I have grown very close to some students here, who I consider to be my best friends. And with others, I maintain a good relationship. Within my major, graphic design, I have a lot of friends whom I would consider to be my colleagues.
Shannon: I, on the other hand, have made a complete 360 degree turn with friends. Freshman year I too was a part of a close group of friends. I no longer have a relationship with anyone I was once friends with that year.
By sophomore year I found myself completely separated from them and spending my time with different groups of people. Little did I know, some of these people were to become my best friends, and I was going to surround myself with them for the rest of my college career.
We both agree that Appian Way is the most awkward spot on campus. We think this because both of us have had personal experiences where we see someone we know coming towards us and they do not acknowledge our presence.
What happens is you both see each other coming down Appian Way and neither make the first move to say hello. You wait for the other person to look at you and make eye contact, or wait for them to say hello, but nothing ends up happening.
What actually happens, though, is that you walk by someone you know and both of you ignore one another. But then the next day, while you are sitting in class together, you guys are the best of friends.
The number one trick for ignoring people on Appian Way is to wear your headphones whether you are listening to music or not.
This way, when someone says “You didn’t say hi to me the other day” you can simply respond with “Oh I’m sorry I had my headphones in and didn’t hear/see you.” We all are guilty of this.
Not only is it just the students; faculty and staff members are equally as unfriendly. We both have had experiences where we see our professors or former professors outside of the classroom and they too have ignored us.
When you are in the classroom, however, they seem very friendly and approachable. Do they really not recognize us outside of the classroom? Do they not want that kind of attention? Or, do they think we will be embarrassed if they say, “hi” to us?
Our last question to ask is why are people on this campus unfriendly? Is it because we are at a small school? Is it our location?
Comparing KSC to a school in Boston, or a city, there are a lot more people around and things to do. You do not need to focus on who is around you and how you have interacted with them.
To us, it seems there is a cycle of people ignoring each other that does not look like it will end. People here seem to be very comfortable in their own places and do not want to reach out to others.
Shannon Flynn can be contacted at sflynn@keene-equinox.com
Emma Contic can be contacted at econtic@keene-equinox.com