A Love Letter to my (Ongoing) Rosebud Semester <333

The first thing I remember thinking about the rosebud class of Spring ‘22 is that there are so many of us! I remember having gen mems tell us that and then also thinking that myself, but it never really occurred to me until we went to the rosebud meetings in Taper Hall. I also have been lurking through old Helenes blog posts and it’s really obvious from those that Spring ‘22 is BIG. However… It is so much fun this way because it’s just like a huge party at the rosebud meetings. Also, I see approximately three rosebesties a day walking around campus or at the bench which makes me feel really popular and brightens my day.

Each rosebud rendezvous has also made the rosebud class feel smaller and smaller. Some of them were with rosebuds I already knew pretty well like my Parkside neighbor Tali, but others of them were with people I had wanted to get to know better, like Sammie. In particular, Pia and I spent like 85 percent of our rendezvous going over various internet theories together.

I’m getting ahead of myself though. I don’t think I’ll ever forget welcome week because it was a whirlwind of repeating my name, pronouns, major, and hometown and being blindfolded. The secrets continued with big little reveals where I met the littlest of bigs ever, my big Shruthi <3. I was one of the last people to find my big because I was wandering all over the place and far away from where any people were. In fact, I think I found everyone else’s big before I found Shruthi. In the end, I had to have someone give me a hint about where she was, but it was all worth it! She surprised me with a Gilmore Girls reveal, which she started watching for me. I think this is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me, especially since Gilmore Girls episodes are kind of long.

Definitely one of the most interesting memories from the rosebud semester so far was retreat. I have never been on a retreat so I thought it was supposed to be like a big sleepover where we watch movies and play board games. This was not the exact vibe, but it did contain the same amount of talking and feels that every sleepover I have ever been to. I introduced some of the other rosebuds to my Starbucks drink of choice and during the lunch break we supported Arella & SCout at the fundraiser they were doing with Honeybird. I also got to ask Chi Chi about Jeff Bezos touring USC, which was a question I had been wondering about all week.

The semester is going to end soon (fortunately but unfortunately) but I hope I can hold on to lots of good memories I have made this semester in Helenes and make many new ones in my next three at USC. I also still have going to a basketball game still on my list, because I was tragically unable to attend any of them this season due to having a math quiz the day after every single game.

Helenes love and all of mine,

Sneha