Chronicles of a Transfer Student: “Glamorous” Life?

Evette leaves her "glamorous" life at UMES behind.

Can Evette take the heat—literally?

By: EVETTE DIONNE

I put on a happy face and proceeded to my new home away from home, Cone Hall, when suddenly I realized that it was impossible to access the dormitory without driving on the grass and, thus, across campus. Where do they do that at? At that precise moment, I began to question my decision to transfer to Bennett College but, again, I put on a happy face and thought of all of the possibilities which awaited me.

My former school has phenomenal housing options.  Though there are several freshmen dorms which have not been renovated and even a dorm without an elevator, I was used to living in the lap of luxury –the glamorous life.  I had never shared a bathroom with more than three people.  I was used to carpet, elevators, and even central air conditioning.  To say that moving into Cone Hall was culture shock is an understatement.

Smiling the entire time as I was led from the parlor to my room, I was thinking in my mind, This is going to be a disaster.  My room was a sweltering 185 degrees—no really, it was—and I was told that prior to Christmas vacation the heat had not been working at all.  This is going to be a disaster.

I stepped into the communal shower with my pink wedge-heel flip-flops and the thought that a soothing shower would relieve of all of the tension I was feeling.  In fact, the even water pressure was relaxing me and I was basking in the comfort of the shower until…the toilet flushed.  That is when the fight started.  The water was almost as hot as my room when I first arrived and I was being burned alive in the shower.  I never knew I was to meet my death in the shower of Cone Hall during my first week at Bennett College for Women.

There were a lot of “no’s” about Bennett: No carpet.  No glass enclosures.  No central air.  No men.  Where were the yesses of reassurance that I was searching for? What had I been thinking when I made this brilliant decision?  Why did I leave my glamorous life for this? I put on a happy face and hoped l would  find out eventually.