It was a Sunday night. More specifically, it was the Sunday night after the Oktoberfest activities of Friday and Saturday had ended. Colby students undoubtedly had a lot of work to complete before their Monday classes. And yet, the Pugh Center was packed. In my two and a half or so years at Colby, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this full before.
Last Sunday night, SGA and the Pugh Center hosted Story Time. Story Time is a new program this year, in which Colby students nominate a fellow peer to “tell his or her story” to the community. The person selected speaks about his/her background for about a half hour. On top of that, the speaker’s favorite cookies are served at the event, along with coffee and tea. There are no rules; there is no set way that the speaker needs to tell his or her story. It really was a beautifully supportive atmosphere.
I think that Story Time is a primary example of the strength of the Colby community. As I said, the room was packed last Sunday, and everyone was there to really listen to the speaker’s story. In my opinion, Story Time is a way to highlight difficulties that a lot of people might have experienced, but few talk about. It is a way to support not only the speaker, but also others in the audience, who may have gone through similar things in the past, or who may be going through similar struggles at that moment. Story Time shows that at Colby, there really are so many people who care about you and who are here to help you and make you feel comfortable.
