12 of the Best Things about Going to Gordon

By Thais Ziegenhals ’14

Fact: I’m no longer a Gordon student. I’m currently learning to be an adult in post-college limbo: my parents are happy for me to pay my own phone bill and car insurance, but panic if I’m not home for lunch and football on Sunday afternoons. Don’t misunderstand, shiny new independence is a great thing, but even though college ended only two years ago, I can confidently look back on my time at Gordon and say those years were some of the best in my life so far. Why? To be broad, this school changed my life. To be specific, let’s take a look at 12 of the best things, in my humble opinion and in no particular order, about being a Gordon student.

1. The Sweaty-toothed Madmen. Our own student-run improv comedy group, guaranteed to relieve the stress of even your worst Old Testament exam. I don’t exactly know how this became part of our culture, but I do know the Gordon student body loves to laugh together. You’ll find evidence of it everywhere.
2. Gordon Globes. A student film festival attended by the ever-classy Gordon population. Turns out that senior prom dress will be useful for another occasion!
3. Boston. I admit bias, because Beantown is my home city. But I’ve been to Rome, and still nothing beats sitting in Fenway Park holding a chili dog in early fall.
4. Study Abroad. While I do not retract my previous statement that Boston is the best, spending four months in Italy—drinking cappuccinos, exploring cobblestone streets, and learning how to live life slowly again—is still teaching me things to this day.
5. The Beach: I can’t outright tell you to skip class and study by the ocean on the first warm day in April, but I will say it’s worth considering at least once.
6. Movie Nights on the Quad. Complete with a giant projection screen and makeshift picnic blankets.
7. Winter Weather. Sometimes the same quad you watched movies on is covered in snow, but it’s New England, and we’ve got to celebrate what we have. What could be better than a snowball fight with 500 of your friends? Here’s the proof.
8. Atomic Café. Just a few minutes away from Gordon in downtown Beverly, it’s the perfect off-campus social study space. Even as an alumna, I am hard-pressed to go in there and not run into six different people I need to catch up with.
9. Athletics. I cried after crossing the finish line of my last race as a Fighting Scot. But even though varsity sports aren’t for everyone, most students at least find themselves cheering on their dorm in Ultimate Frisbee.
10. The Sandwich Line. My recommendation would have to be the Capri—the ultimate pesto chicken sandwich, and my lunch-rush staple.
11. Gordon Woods. With 450 acres of trails and ponds right in our backyard, it’s a front row seat to classic New England in the fall.
12. The People. I know, this is kind of stepping backward to a broad statement, but it has to be said. I met my best friend at cross-country practice by bonding over boy bands, and she unknowingly taught me to be confident and fearless in who I was—something I never had before. College is full of change. The people here will love you for who you are, while supporting the person you want to become.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Choosing to study at Gordon was a decision that gave me so much in return, and I am forever grateful.

Thais Ziegenhals ’14 is a senior admissions officer at Gordon College. As a Gordon student she studied graphic design and English.