The College Kids Are Back to Normal

At least campus bars are healing …

When I was in college at the University of Illinois in the late 1990s, there was nothing quite as pathetic as a townie. Sure, I was here for four years, I had to be, but who were these people who were here all the time? Why would they choose to be in this … waystation? This was my party place, my town for self-discovery. The nerve of them to actually live there!

I now live in Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia, with my family, which is to say: I am of course that townie now. I always try to remember the way I saw townies when I lived in Champaign, because I have no doubt these students look at me the same way: As some lame adult who doesn’t get to stay up partying all night anymore and resents those who gets to — who are supposed to. It makes me feel better knowing they’ll be the same way soon … sooner than they realize.

But the adversarial nature between student and townie was never more pronounced than it was during the pandemic. Covid-19 hit the United States right during spring break 2020, and its most polarizing, terrifying period coincided with what is supposed to be the most vital few months of a college student’s life … particularly a senior’s. Imagine being a college student, having spent 3 1/2 years (or however long it took them to near graduation)…