When you walk through these gates, you automatically gain 3 piercings. It’s science.

Many people feel they undergo a “transformation” their first semester freshman year. This Bwogger wrote a thank you letter to their best friend who helped them through this process. We love wholesome content.

Dear best friend,

When we first met, I was the epitome of conforming to heteronormativity. Throughout high school, I censored how I wanted to appear to the world in fear of people drawing conclusions about my sexuality. I came to Barnard with my long hair, unpierced ears and nose, ‘feminine’ wardrobe of skirts and dresses, and hidden excitement about finally being somewhere I have the freedom of being myself. This is not to say that having a certain outward appearance correlates to a certain sexuality. I had been cornered into appearing in a stereotypically feminine way for years even though I knew that this is not how I wanted to dress.

When I met you during NSOP, I had no idea that I had met the person who would lift me up and validate my experiences, giving me the confidence to finally, as you have said, “make the outside match the inside.”

You were there through it all: the double ear piercings, the nose piercings, and most recently, the purging of eight inches of my hair aka the Barnard chop™.

Here we are today, two months into the school year. As I sat across from you at our usual John Jay dinner (John Jay forever, fight me about it), you looked at me with your usual goofy grin. “You seem so much happier and lighter. I think it’s from the confidence of a new haircut.” You were right. But it also from so much more. It was from finally being able to feel comfortable in my skin. And you’re to thank for that, being there through it all.

Thank you.

Gates via Bwog Archives