Back in the days of touring college campuses, some of us may have been so excited by the idea of college that we didn’t accurately prepare in advance. By this, I mean accurately preparing for walking up and down a hill five days a week.

Other campuses, like the University of Louisville, have the luxury of flat terrain — a real walk in the park. Whereas they get electric scooters, we get sore legs and the lack of breath. If there is anything we bond over as a campus, it’s that we all find ways to avoid walking the hill.

Every student finds tricks to get to classes without the sweat from speed-walking the entire incline in 15 minutes. 

A prime example of this is, you guessed it, the elevator in Grise. We’ve all marched into Grise and crowded around the elevator, impatiently waiting our turn to cram past the doors. There is nothing worse than standing in an elevator of people who actually have class in Grise while you make your way to the fourth floor and do the walk of shame down the hall. 

If you’re lucky there will be at least one other person who makes this journey with you.

If you’re anything like me, you will wait for a bus even if you have 3 minutes until class starts. I have been late to many classes solely because I despise walking up the hill, which seems to get steeper every time I come in contact with it. However, I don’t recommend this approach — please learn from my continuous mistakes.

One thing I’ve noticed about WKU is that the food services are scattered all across the main campus. This can be a truly great thing, unless you’re at the bottom of the hill in your residence hall and have a sudden craving for Panda Express. You can either make the trek to your glorious Chinese food or cry into your pillow while eating ramen for the third time this week. Either way, you’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.

However, we should really be thankful for the hill. The steep, steep hill gives us something to bond over. You can connect to anyone on campus with a simple, “I swear this hill gets steeper every semester” or even just a “I hate this hill.” The next time you’re on an awkward elevator ride with a stranger, remember this bond so central to the WKU experience and take a chance, making small talk about our huge hill. 

Godspeed, hill-walkers. Godspeed.

Features reporter Taylor Metcalf can be reached at [email protected].