Ask any Christ College [Valpo’s honor college] student, and I can guarantee there is one subject related to history, literature, or theology that they could talk about for hours. For me, one of my niche interests is etymology, particularly for words with Latin roots. I would like to bring attention to the word “convivium,” derived from Latin to mean “life together.” The word is seldom used in English, and most mentions of the word are in the context of “convivial” which typically refers to a lively party rather than life in general. But I think there is no better word to summarize my experiences here at Valparaiso University than convivium.
There is not one story that can encapsulate this feeling of convivium. So instead, I offer some snippets of memories that represent the warm fuzzy feeling of going through college life with the company of others.
First year of undergrad, driving a couple of classmates from Neils [Science Center] to LeBien [Hall] in the dead of winter in my 1998 Toyota Rav4. Knowing that with a broken heater, it was just as cold inside the car as outside, but grateful for the break from trekking in the snow.
Christ College First-Year Production, all of us resisting efforts from upperclassmen to spoil the plot of the play. And the tears in my eyes during the final bows of the final show, knowing we had established our place in Mueller Hall history.
Sitting in the Helge Center with my friends, eating snacks and taking personality quizzes to find out which vegetable we each were (I’m garlic), waiting for our Allen Scholars meeting to begin.
Looking out at so many friends, family, and professors gathered in the Chapel [of the Resurrection] to listen to me give my senior reflection at Friday Morning Prayer, grateful to have people from multiple facets of my life supporting me in my walk with God.
Shivering in my seat on my first day of [physician assistant (PA)] school, nervous about all the material we needed to master in just one year, but reassured by all the familiar faces in the room. Faces that had surrounded me since my very first day of undergrad. Knowing that no matter how scared I feel, we are all in this together.
Of course these are just snapshots. And I could include so many more memories about Christ College, Chapel life, and PA school, but then this would go on forever. Because there is no end to the amount of love and community I have felt at Valpo. And while I know that other universities can foster community, too, there is something unique about the “convivium” I have experienced here. Part of it might be the small class sizes, sure. But I think the lynchpin of these memories is my place in a cohort of students.
Because Valpo’s PA program has a direct-admit pathway, I went into day one of undergrad knowing that my classmates as an 18-year-old would be the same people going off into clinical rotations with me as a 22-year-old. And that is so important to me. It’s important that I feel like my classmates are family rather than competitors for a spot in the program, because medicine is a team-based field. And we cannot foster connection and practice teamwork if the students are competing with one another and secretly hoping their peers fail.
Instead, I was lucky enough to experience life together with my classmates. I got to see a Christ College [(CC)] professor throw an engagement party for three couples, all of whom met freshman year in CC. I got to hear how my friendship impacted my friend’s faith life during her own senior reflection. I got to see my classmates get engaged and walk down the aisle. I currently get to see my best friends in the PA program learning and growing with each clinical rotation they tackle. And that, my friends, is convivium.
