New home, new memories

Tiffany BarkleyBy Tiffany Barkley

Welcome home.

Well, not quite. The waxed tile floors and cinderblock walls of Wofford or Richardson may not feel very homey.

But for the next four years Winthrop will be your home away from home.

I’m sure you’ve heard it at least 20 times already: “Welcome to Winthrop!” But nothing will make your dorm or this campus feel more welcoming than making new memories.

Think about it: When you walk into a new house, an empty house or a house that isn’t yours, do you feel overwhelmingly welcomed?Tillman Hall has created many memories for students since its construction in 1962. Convicts built it, and prisoners’ stocks still remain in the basement. Photo by Stephanie Eaton • eatons@thejohnsonian.com

It’s the memories and the good times that make home feel like home. It’s the people you’re with who make a place feel good. So put aside all preconceived notions that Winthrop is a “suitcase school.” It won’t be unless you make it one.

During my three years at Winthrop, I have discovered favorite places and favorite things to do on campus and in Rock Hill. Here are some of the things I’m going to miss the most about Winthrop.

• Eating in Thomson. And no, not for the food. Eating in that cafeteria was never a lonely meal. I’ll miss sitting at four tables pushed together with students from all over the world. I’ll miss sitting with a roommate and discussing the grades we got on papers. I’ll miss the late night breakfast meals with friends before finals, but not the food.
• Winthrop’s history. I love Winthrop’s old and twisted trees. I love how on a rainy day you can walk from Rutledge to Margaret Nance without getting wet. (In the old days, it wasn’t proper for women to get their shoes or hair wet.) There’s always a piece of history to discover at Winthrop, even if it’s just admiring the architecture of the old buildings.
• The basement of Bancroft. The moldy carpet and secret tunnels of the old Johnsonian office will always be full of memories for me. I’ve eaten a lot of pizza there and met some of my best friends in that office.
• The friendly faces of the cardscanners in Thomson. Their welcome was always a great start to a meal.
• The couches in Margaret Nance. Although most of the rooms are smaller, Margaret Nance is the only dorm that has wide staircases and couches in front of fireplaces – a place where I met some of my first Winthrop friends.
• Walking by the theater workshop in Johnson. I always walk by and wonder what the theater students are crafting. And then I get to see the wonderful end result.
• Student Choreography Showcase. As a former dancer, I love watching other Winthrop students share their talent. The shows are always exciting and fun to watch. And it’s a reason to get “dressed up” and go out.
• Eating at Waffle House at 2 a.m. after finishing an issue of The Johnsonian; there’s nothing more rewarding than a greasy Waffle House meal with the staff. What else could keep us going to finish the papers and assignments due the next day?

This is just the beginning of my list of memories.

Now, slap the best decorations you can find on your cinderblock dorm walls, cover them with pictures and memories from home, and start making memories at Winthrop.

Welcome to your new home.