By: Derek Hottenstein
A day in Bergstrom begins how one would expect it to: with the disliked yet appreciated sound of an alarm clock going off. We kick off our sheets, and it’s down the ladder we go, off of our lofted beds. We begin our morning routines, whatever they may be. The first steps of my morning include: Oftentimes, it must be accomplished with a degree of stealth and quiet subtlety, because our lucky roommates may not have to wake up for an 8:20 am class and are catching some extra shut-eye. We leave the warmth of our dorms, recently having to trek over salt-covered sidewalks.
The first-year Honors students that live in Bergstrom consist of business, psychology, music, and biology majors, just to name a few. Each of us have different schedules, at least four classes, labs, clubs and organizations, maybe an intramural, college team, or music group we’re a part of. As we all scatter out of Bergstrom every morning to go our separate ways, we are continually brought back together, thanks to our unifying Honors classes. They include the likes of Honors Theology, Philosophy, and Life at SNC.
Our Honors coursework and assignments include class discussions, written responses to people and topics, essays, presentations, personal video productions, and every so often, the good old-fashioned test. As I write this, I’m currently finishing a Philosophy essay regarding whether or not humans are fundamentally capable of doing the right thing all the time. I find it, as well as the majority of assignments, to be incredibly fascinating and thought-provoking. .
We all need some brain food to refuel: lunch! Unlimited meal swipes are the way to go! Having that kind of absolute freedom with breakfast, lunch, and dinner goes a long way toward keeping us nourished and ready to tackle our hectic schedules and homework.
Before we know it, we’re in our last class of the day, and the night awaits. Some of us have a sport we practice for or play. Others have events, meetings, and jobs lined up. Regardless of which extracurricular category we find ourselves choosing, we all also have schoolwork to do. Our dorms get the job done, but productivity sometimes requires a change of scenery. A few top study spaces include the Honors Center in the library, the study rooms on the second floor of the Gehl-Mulva Science Center, where I recorded a video for my Life at SNC Class, or even an empty classroom. Boyle Hall is my favorite place to work in, usually in room 201.
But all work and no play isn’t what college is all about. When the day finally draws to a close and the textbooks and laptop screens, at last, are shut, what do the St. Norbert’s Honors students decide to do to have some fun? It’s simple: we improvise. In Bergstrom, we cook, play games, watch movies, and participate in strange trials. Recently, I was recruited to settle a theory that there are some things that men are physically incapable of doing because of the difference in our center of gravity. One of these things included lifting a chair while balancing one’s head against a wall without bending any part of your body besides my arms. I somehow managed to pull it off. There’s never a dull moment.
It’s safe to say that the people who make up the Honors program make the most of our time here because we know that the days will keep flying by until, one day, there won’t be any left, and we must leave SNC behind. So, in the meantime, we do the work, we have fun, and we seize each and every day.
