I took trips to Target for all entertainment purchases and picked out my casket at Costco, but there was a strong internal force that prevented me from ever wanting to endure the mentally taxing experience associated with the endless aisles and cavernous expanse of Wal-Mart.
Then, one day, I went off to college in the middle of nowhere and the need for big box retail became real. At that point, my mind was changed, and I discovered the real beauty of Wal-Mart. They've got tires, licensed physicians and exclusive candy products all under one roof, and you don't even have to get dressed in real clothing to go there. I balk at my former ignorant self.
On a more serious note, the transition to college provides the opportunity to start fresh, expose yourself to new things and change some of your supposedly stringent beliefs in the process.
Sarah Zmarrou '16 said her political and religious views were very defined before coming to Dartmouth, and she often had difficulty understanding other opinions. While she doesn't think she's been swayed to change any of her stances completely, college has allowed her to become much more knowledgeable and accepting of contrasting ideas.
"Classes in the government department and conversations with my peers have helped me to understand why people's political beliefs are the way they are," Zmarrou said.
Other students agree, saying that while they still stick with most of the values they grew up with, exposure to people willing to share their diverse experiences helps them become more well-rounded.
Feyaad Allie '16 believes the overwhelming amount of cultural groups on campus makes it easy for students to broaden their horizons.
"They're always there to educate you about different things, even if you don't change your own ideas," Allie said.
Even though he doesn't attend many events, the presence of these clubs on campus is always apparent. Every time you open your inbox, you have a new stream of blitzes tempting you with free pizza or gas station Chinese food in exchange for nothing more than an open mind. It's hard to refuse that kind of deal when you're in the ninth week of term and FoCo is still serving up falafel hockey pucks. Even if these groups are raising awareness of the multiplicity of religious, social, political, moral and cultural beliefs on campus just by their mere existence, there is value in these food-laden offerings.
Though political and religious beliefs may be deeply ingrained and difficult to change, there are plenty of other factors that can be influenced by campus forces.
"My belief of what constitutes sexual assault has completely changed," Zmarrou said. "A lot of people rag on all the stuff during orientation, but it was really powerful."
Annie Rao '14 knows she has changed at Dartmouth, but said it was natural and would have occurred anywhere.
"It's a result of being exposed to things and just growing as a person," Rao said. "Life events are the biggest influence."
She agrees, however, that having a close-knit student body with so many different backgrounds provides a beneficial outlet. It's always easy to find someone else to have a genuine conversation and share opinions with, even if they don't necessarily agree with you. If Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un can be friends, we should have no issue with listening to and growing from the ideas of someone different from us.
If you're willing to present your thoughts in an articulate and non-judgmental manner, most will have no problem taking what you have to say into consideration. The ideological changes we experience during this time of our life do not have to be all about labels, nor do they have to be as drastic as 180-degree turns. The most favorable change we can undergo is a gradual one of growth, of learning about thoughts beyond our own. If you can make yourself more aware of all other viewpoints, there's no need to change yourself completely.
That is, unless you're one of those people still hating on Wal-Mart. In that case, go home.
