Kids grow up watching sporting events, movies, and TV shows with their guardians. Then, 18 years later, those kids often go off to college and lose the bond they had with their families. Traditions that bonded families, now get lost because of distance. To kids leaving home, college marks the end of an era.
Connecting with family miles away
For some, that can be hard emotionally and physically. Brady Campbell, freshman business management major from Arizona, said, “It’s a little weird and sad sometimes. Being so far away from home has affected my everyday life because I don’t get to see my family as often anymore. All the family traditions will have to be put on hold.”
Thankfully, social media and the advancement of technology make communication with family from across the country less of a problem than it used to be. Mateo Gularte, freshman business management major from Guatemala, said, “Sometimes my mom calls me and gives me a little summary of what happened in new episodes. That allows us to talk for a while, and make us both feel better.”
However, when students move out of their home city, there’s no guarantee they can watch their hometown teams. Campbell said, “Since I am in Pennsylvania now, some weeks I can’t even watch the Cardinals play. I don’t get their games because of how far they are, so I have to constantly call my parents and talk with them about how the game is going.”
Access to TV on campus
Watching cable TV at college is uncommon, so many must rely on streaming services. However, if they do not have the resources
for those apps, they will not be able to watch what they want. Gularte said, “My mom and I used to watch criminal minds together, but now that I’m here I can’t find out how to watch the show.”
When students are in college, it is important that they find a place where they can go to watch a game or TV show. Most students rely on teammates, friends, or restaurants to find televised sports. Cabrini offers a lot of opportunities to view sporting events, or to watch a movie with everyone else. The last fewweeks of the NFL season, the SAAC team has held watch parties outside of the Dixon center for multiple Thursday and Monday night football games.
College brings whole new sports watching experiences. Growing up, students were more likely to be surrounded by fans of their own teams. But at college, they are surrounded by others who are fans of every team, maybe even rival teams. Getting that second opinion about a sports team can offer a different perspective.
It is always important to keep in contact with friends and family when moving away from home. Parents and guardians can always use an alert or update when games or shows are about to start as well. Going out of the way to contact family can help erase the miles.
Cabrini’s organizations are always in need of new ideas, and are always happy to take suggestions. If you have an idea for a sports related event, reach out to the Cabrini SAAC Advisor, Brittany Runyen. As of right now, there are no upcoming events, but keep your eyes open for events.
