College is the beginning of a new life for many students, but that doesn’t have to mean they don’t bring pieces of their past with them.
Most students will admit to bringing some sort of memorabilia from high school to their new college dorm room, even if some of these things could be considered strange.
Pictures of old friends and family are among the most common things people bring with them. Rachel Wagner, however, chose to remember her family by bringing something very different to Ohio University.
“I saw him at Bass Pro Shop. I was like, I have to have that!” Wagner, a freshman studying commercial photography, said of her body-length, unnamed swordfish pillow.
The swordfish reminds Wagner of the holiday season in Cincinnati, her hometown.
“I completely stuffed him in my backpack when I came to OU,” Wagner said.
Wagner has another, much older item from home that has great sentimental value.
Although the TV in her room is nearly 30 years old, Wagner still watches it with fond memories of her father.
The aged tube TV in Wagner’s room was her father’s when he was a college student at Ohio State University. Wagner received the set when she turned 14 but she never knew the story behind it until her father moved her into college.
“There’s a cigarette burn on top,” Wagner said. “It was done by one of my dad’s friends.”
Rachel Shehy, a freshman studying public relations, enjoys spending time with Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine whenever she wants. For her 18th birthday, a friend printed out a shirtless picture of Levine and glued him to a Popsicle stick.
The gift continues to be a reminder of her friends back home. Shehy said she will bring Adam out on Skype with old friends.
“It’s because he’s beautiful,” Shehy said as to why her friend made her the unconventional gift.
@tiffanytouville
tt315512@ohiou.edu
