Before I ever stepped foot onto the grounds of Boston College, I learned that I would be living on the Newton campus my freshman year.

I did not think much of it at first, but as I descended the hill to Duchesne Hall for the first time, I prepared myself for an entire year of living in the lowest place on campus, both figuratively and literally. Although I had some challenges adjusting to my new living situation, I came to love Newton campus and defend it against anybody willing to talk poorly about it. I met some of my best friends in Duchesne and on the Newton bus, and I would not trade those experiences for anything. Only on Newton campus will you see people being hurled down a hill of snow and ice in a trash can and call it “sledding.” Only on Newton campus will freshmen buy BC Law sweatshirts to try to study in the Law Library.

I still vividly remember trying to meet new people in Stuart Dining Hall and not being able to tell who was a freshman and who was a law student. I sat down in a seat, introduced myself, and asked the go-to icebreaker for freshmen: “So, what’s your major?” We proceeded to sit in silence for about 5 minutes after he responded with “law.” I was worried he was upset that I assumed he was a freshman like me, but in reality, we were both trying to acclimate ourselves with a new environment. Cross-contamination between the two groups of students was a surprise to both of us.

After this meeting, the Newton bus became my refuge from mistaking any law students for freshman. No law student would dare ride the morning bus to campus, crammed into such a small space with dozens of freshmen. The Newton bus often gets a bad rap, but I think it builds character. Newtonites always have to plan out whether they can make it back home in between long blocks of time during the day. Freshman on upper campus had a cushy lifestyle and just needed to walk up a few stairs to get to their rooms. As law students and freshmen both know, Newton campus’s isolation means scenic nature walks away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus. Okay, being one mile West down Comm Ave. might not be that big of a difference in this regard, but Newton is more closed off to the public, so you know the people you meet are truly sharing that community with you. 

This is true for freshmen and law students alike. The main difference between law students and freshmen is that the freshmen actually live on the campus. However, as a law student now, there are definitely weeks where I have spent more time on Newton campus than at my apartment, not counting sleep. I may not be sleeping in the basement of Duchesne anymore, but I am still proud to call Newton campus a home away from home.

At first, I was hesitant to spend time outside of class on the Newton campus as a law student. I acted like I was too high and mighty to be on that campus surrounded by freshmen any more than I had to be. What I didn’t realize was that my fellow law students had no problem staying past class hours to get work done or just hang out. I even have a newfound appreciation for Stuart Dining Hall, born out of my classmates bringing its goodies into class. A sandwich tastes a lot better when you don’t have to ration your meal plan dollars for an entire semester. I have also begun to revive an old routine I had as a freshman where I would play piano in Mary House after school. All these wonderful features of Newton campus, I had treated as bugs. When I made my return, the campus surprisingly provided me with a sense of comfort that I knew I would not be able to feel at any other school.

Newton campus may be tucked away from public transportation and the rest of Boston, but I know this has led me back to great experiences not all that different from when I was a freshman. And this time, I don’t have to worry about asking a law student their major.

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Joe Monti is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact him at montij@bc.edu.