When I inquired as to the nature of Lawrence, my high-school advisor replied, “Do you know what I mean when I call it a granola school? You know, Birkenstocks, tie-dyes, free-spirited?” Yes, I did, and guaranteed her that the attributes she described were part of the reason I wanted to attend Lawrence.The only problem I have with this “type of school” is that I fear graduation, and leaving “the Lawrence bubble.” (Yes, there is a Lawrence bubble, and it is perhaps the bubbliest bubble among college bubbles out there.)
Confused? Did you believe that because Lawrence students are so diverse, politically involved, and aware of our surroundings we somehow escaped the bubble title? On the contrary, it is these reason why we are living in a bubble. Do not misunderstand me, the bubble is good, and its diversity sets it apart from other bubbles. Nevertheless, it still shelters us from the “real world.”
How does taking action while educating ourselves separate us from the “real world?” Nowhere in “the real world” would you find a leftist gazette being circulated and read alongside the current withstanding newspaper. (Can you even name a widely read leftist paper off the top of your head?) When I use restrooms outside of the Lawrence campus, I am not bombarded with feminist comics or advertisements. When eating at restaurants, I am not greeted by organic food advocates, as I was at Downer on Earth Day. When applying for a job, it is unacceptable to go to the interview with holey, unironed clothing (like the popular fashion statements seen around campus). Yet at Lawrence these ideals are embraced.
Again, do not misunderstand me; these ideals are good…for college students, but not for the “real world” or in a professional atmosphere. I believe that going to a liberal college is a very enjoyable experience. We are all allowed to be ourselves. Students are allowed to voice their significant ideas. Lawrence may be a bubble, but that is not a bad thing.