Fire destroys, so why do the Jesuits tell us to go and set the world aflame? Maybe they just want a new world order where Jesuits reign supreme and everyone has a liberal arts education. Reflecting as a BC senior, however, I believe Saint Ignatius had a less dictatorial image in mind.
Fire is typically associated with destruction, but at times, it can also purify. When a fire rages through a forest, hope is not lost. The forest is merely pushed back to stage one and offered the opportunity to grow back denser than ever.
The same can be said for senior year—sometimes things need to go up in flames to start anew. Although Ignatius had a more God-centric image, I believe the lessons of the Jesuits are multi-dimensional.
Right now, seniors are content. We’ve finally found our lifelong friends, we are on e-boards, and some of us have jobs lined up for after college. Everything is just chill. Excitement has yet to fully build, but the illusion of it is hanging around every corner of campus. Everyone is always telling us, “Senior year is the best” and “You will never forget this time in your life”.
But I think they forgot a crucial step: we have to burn everything down (metaphorically, of course) before we can begin the next phase in our lives.
Now, I’m not saying to go and create conflict with all your friends just to stir up drama, although that would be entertaining for the rest of us. Instead, it’s time to burn down the boundaries we have and start being unafraid of the social consequences.
Admittedly, I have never been one to come out and say how I feel upfront without fear of negative reactions or social repercussions. But when I think about the chaotic year ahead of me, what consequences can be worse than those that await me in real life?
College is more like a simulation than real life. This final year has no bearing on our lives after May. So while we’re still living in this simulation, let’s set the world ablaze. It’s time to be impulsive and a little wild. Not reckless! There is a major difference. Some consequences exist outside of this year, but you will regret letting fear prevent you from taking advantage of each and every opportunity presented to you.
So far, I have done a lot of scary things that I wouldn’t normally have done. But I have come to a very critical conclusion: I don’t care. The more adventures I go on and memories I make with my friends now, the more stories I can tell my kids—if my kids even care about my glory days.
Freshman year, we all walked into school not caring what anyone else thought of us—we didn’t know anyone, so no social consequences yet existed. As we met more people and became aware of social expectations, we lost a part of ourselves in order to “fit in”. Social conformity becomes the norm and our individual desires get pushed to the back burner.
Senior year is about reconnecting to that freshmen year level of feral-ness. Burn down the boundaries that are holding you back, blaze your own path, and leave no opportunity untouched.
