Home by definition is far more than a physical location. When asked to describe home in one word, students replied with “comfort”, “peace”, “warmth”, and “acceptance.” The concept of safety and belonging is something that fundamentally as humans, we all crave. We were made for community, to be known, and to have a foundation.
This semester many of us are homesick. Homesick for normality, for the freedom to visit our friends’ dorm rooms, for the ability to play our sport. Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Alabama defined homesickness by saying, "You're not literally just missing your house. You're missing what's normal, what is routine, the larger sense of social space, because those are the things that help us survive.”
Wherever we look, there is unfamiliarity and transition. From classes being on zoom, to traditions being lost; regardless of how old you are or how long you have been here, this year is difficult. From the moment each student moved their belongings on campus, there was an obvious vacancy. Returning upper classmen found it to be challenging to enter a place that was familiar but not the way it is supposed to be. Freshman found themselves in an entirely new environment without the ability to fully connect with people around them. For both faculty and staff, job descriptions have changed and become more challenging. The goal of connecting with students has become a much larger challenge as zoom and social distancing takes away opportunities.
Although so many areas are different and challenging, there are still places to find this belonging and relationship. When asked why Mississippi College is home, upper classmen identified two areas where they found home: community and education. Community can be fostered in many different ways. Relationally, Mississippi College has much to offer and stands out as a university for the unique opportunities students have to connect with faculty and each other. From tribes, to involvement clubs, to on-campus ministries, to finding church homes, students are provided ways to find the parts of MC that make it home. Additionally, through education, students are given direct access to their professors and have the opportunity to build a relationship with them. The nature of being known in the classroom also cultivates a sense of home and familiarity.
Although the physical things of home are different and missing, the core of home is the same. This sense of belonging and purpose continues to reside in the fabric of Mississippi College through the people that are here. Home is not confined to walls, it is a place of welcome and warmth, a foundation to stand on, and something that we must individually chose to fight for.
