Justin Mascarin Leaves Comfort Zone, Follows Passions

Dear Incoming Students,

College to me is an entrepôt, a giant port city to make repairs for ships and store goods like Copenhagen or Singapore. Us students come from all over the state and the country for 3-4-5 years, do our thing, and then move on. Part of me sees Bowling Green like this. Just a stop on the road; a temporary port city. For me personally I am always ready for the next adventure; if I could go somewhere new everyday I would. Throughout my tenure here at BG, I consider it my home and I believe that most people search for what makes BG home for them. They need to find their niche.

In high school I had my “niche”, but it was hardly defined like what the pop culture imagines. I was always in between the band kids, the drama kids, and then some other groups not involved in extracurriculars. Although I still enjoy a worldview where what I participate in does not define the core of who I am, I always felt adrift in that environment. I enjoyed band and drama in high school, I have fond memories of them, but the joy I received did not pass the cost/benefit analysis of the time requirement. In college I found myself in a new place with new people and I did not have any community to claim ownership of. There was a handful of things that I dreamed of doing since High School, like play ultimate frisbee again, or play on a competitive video game team. None however really piqued my interest like they used to. As my first semester began, I did not attempt to try anything new.

Then one of my roommates met a girl who invited my whole room to go the organization that she was involved in on campus: The Falcon Swing Society (FSS.) First that roommate went, and then the rest of the room. I held off though, at that point I was afraid I would not have time to even breath in college with my academic responsibilities (which turned out to be not true.) After hearing raving reviews from my friends about the FSS I decided to go. At the beginning it was not something that I was totally comfortable with since I had never “properly” danced in my life. My roommates eventually stopped going but I stuck around. I was having fun learning something new that many people told me jokingly that I would never be able to do. It was small at first, just going to the weekly meetings. I met a new group of people who were outside of classes and my roommates that I was able to connect with on a constant basis.

Slowly I started to learn about the “basics” and then I learned that I need to dance if I want to get better. Then everything changed when someone was gracious enough to buy me a ticket to Dayton Swing Smackdown. It was intimidating at first because there were so many great dancers there, but it improved my dance so much and I had so much fun that I just wanted to keep dancing. It introduced me for the first time to the greater swing dance community and the feeling I got was electric. In the next year I learned to DJ, I joined the executive board for the Falcon Swing Society, and went to more big events. Among my almost religious experiences include going swing dancing in Beijing, leading Naomi Uyama a swing band leader in a swingout and taking a group private lesson with nationally renowned instructors; receiving the compliment that we were the “technical dance junkies.”

Now while I suggest that everybody go out and try swing dancing, or some type of dancing in general, that is not the point of this letter. I want to pass on the wisdom that I learned.  Do not be afraid to try something completely new. Deciding to participate in extracurriculars not only made BG a home for me but also gave me a home in almost every city in America and the rest of the world. I am going to move on from BG one day to another destination but now I see Bowling Green very differently. Bowling Green is not just an entrepôt phase for me, it was the beginning of a journey that I will carry on long after I leave.

One of the most wonderful aspects about coming to college is that you can provide yourself with a clean slate. Never been a dancer? No worries. Never been a “proper” athlete? You can partake in intermural sports.  The most important thing is to experience what you think will be fun. Embrace fully the invitations and opportunities that people extend to you and never be afraid to try something new. I hope that college is something more than just a place you have to attend to get a degree. That you allow it to be a multi-faceted experience and allow yourself to have fun. If you have any questions about getting involved, activities and clubs on campus, or the Honors College and the Honors Learning Community don’t be afraid to reach out to me at my email jmascar@bgsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Justin