Even though I may only be a freshman, I have been at CSU for a little over a semester and I can truly say that I am proud to be a CSU Ram. However, I don’t think students always realize how fortunate we are to be attending such a wonderful school. You’d be surprised at the number of people I know that have transferred because they thought they didn’t like it here, and ended up regretting their decision.  It can be easy to take for granted everything that CSU has to offer, but when you compare our University to others, we have a lot to be proud of; last year we were ranked among the top 200 universities in the nation. And we just celebrated our 144th birthday yesterday.

Of the many schools I visited when trying to decide on a college, I was by far most impressed with CSU. Everyone was so hospitable and friendly, and made me feel so welcome, unlike at some other schools where I got the impression that I was just one among thousands of other students. I knew right away this was the school I would be attending once I received my high school diploma, and I have yet to be disappointed.

In addition to the friendly atmosphere that CSU has, we are also very open-minded and accepting of our unique and diverse peers. I was recently talking to a few friends that come from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds and I asked what they liked most about CSU. They all agreed that even though we may not be the most diverse school, we have a very tolerant and accepting student body. That can often be a hard thing to come by in a world full of some very close-minded and judgmental people.

CSU also offers a top-notch education with over 150 programs of study in eight different colleges. The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Science, ranked in the top three vet schools in the nation is just one of the many prestigious career paths students can take that is sure to provide a successful and promising future. We take our academics seriously which is encouraging because it makes me want to work hard and rise to the occasion just to compete academically with my peers.

Though academics are a top priority, we aren’t all work and no play. We excel in everything we do including sports. The basketball team was phenomenal last year making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, and they recently just had a huge win at Air Force and against UNLV at Moby. This year, our football team not only made it to the New Mexico Bowl, but went on to defeat Washington State.

Another thing worth mentioning is our Greek Life system. Here at CSU, Greek Life has made a conscious effort to end the stereotypes associated with fraternities and sororities. We have a strict no hazing policy and underage drinking and drug use isn’t tolerated- just ask Sig Ep. These men and women are more than the common misconception of a typical “douchebag frat boy” or “dumb sorority girl.” They are genuine people who are doing good things for our school and the community. That is more than most universities can say about their Greek systems.

All in all, CSU strives to be the best that it can be in every way. I know that it can be hard to retain perspective when you get caught up in things like frustration about constant construction, the awful chairs in Clark, and the eternally horrendous wifi connection. But we need to be proud of the University, because there are a lot of things to be proud of here. Don’t forget that, and don’t lose perspective.

Allie Woeber is a proud freshman Ram. Valentines can be sent to letters@collegian.com

In Brief:

We have a lot to be proud of here at CSU

We excel academically and athletically, plus have a stellar Greek system

It can be really easy to lose perspective of all the things that we do well, when we get caught up in frustrations