The Red and Black

Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: Opinions

PHILLIP KISUBIKA

I want to be a grown-up. I just wish I didn't have to leave Athens to do it.

That's exactly what I'll have to do when I graduate in May - leave the only place I've ever really felt free. When I make the rare trek back to my hometown, I feel suffocated and trapped by the boa constrictor that is suburbia.

This isn't some "I'm afraid to go into the real world" senioritis column. I see the whole situation differently. I just get very nostalgic about the little things I'll miss about the Classic City.

First, I'll miss downtown. From Broad to Dougherty and those streets in between, the downtown scene has more character than almost any place I've been. Each restaurant and shop has its own essence.

And there's downtown Athens at night. This year was the first year I was able to really take in the nightlife, as I waited until I turned 21 to go to bars, which put me in another University minority besides the one in my skin color.

Athens is one of the few places where the words "drink special" actually mean something. This city is like the Taco Bell of downtown scenes - on any given night, $10 can make for a very good evening.

The best part about downtown may be the high quality of people watching that any evening can afford you. From the drunk girls whose lack of clothes or sense make them a target for sleazeballs, and cops to the drunk guys who feel the need to yell obscenities and travel in packs, you can enjoy an array of arrogance if you know where to look.

Second, I'll miss the little things about campus. I'll miss the Ramsey Center, one of the best college recreational facilities in the country.

It was a place where I could fit in a good workout between classes and watch guys only do the bench press like they're compensating for something, and watch girls travel distances on elliptical machines that I won't dare drive on most days.

I'll miss the crowded buses that constantly reminded me that I've never gone to a small school. I'll miss seeing people walk in front of traffic at the Baldwin-Sanford intersection and wishing at least five of them would get hit by a rogue SUV so people would get a clue.

Lastly, I'll miss that free feeling I mentioned earlier - a mood I won't be able to replicate when I go home or when I move on to my future.

I wake up most mornings and decide whether or not I want to go to class and how much effort I plan on putting into the day.

I have a lot of responsibility right now, yet I have the ability to shirk it every once in a while to just have fun. That paper or project can be done later.

The sun shines differently when that's the case for you, and when the sun sets on my time in Athens, I'll be glad that I set aside enough time to waste.

With four years in Athens under my belt, the "real world" just doesn't seem as interesting.

- Phillip Kisubika is the recruitment editor for The Red & Black.

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