SOMEWHERE IN NEVERLAND

R.I.P. 2 My Youth

Growing up in a small town in Wyoming, my concert going experiences were limited for most of my life until my freshman year of college when I moved to Denver. I typically only went to one concert a year and the show was usually a four to five hour drive away to Salt Lake City where my uncle lives, and that was if I was lucky enough to have an artist actually go to SLC on tour.
I definitely struggled with my new life at first my freshman year, mostly due to roommate quarrels and a lack of friends (commuter campuses are hard), but the insurmountable opportunities at my fingertips to go to any show I desire—within budget of course—made the hard times just a bit better and I’ve grown so much in my time at CU because of these experiences—my high school youngster self is no more (unless I’m stuck at home during a pandemic for most of the year).
The first show I went to on my own after I started college was The Neighbourhood at the Ogden Theatre that I dragged my, probably less than thrilled, roommate along to. Since then, I’ve gone to plenty of shows and a festival with friends I’ve made over the last three years both in class and at The Sentry. They’ve become a way for me to bond with the people I’ve met since I started at CU Denver, whether it be going to a show with them or going to see friends perform at a house show or in smaller venues around Denver.
Being an out-of-state student on a commuter campus may be a bit tough if you’re anything like me, but letting things like making friends and finding your place on campus come naturally instead of forcing it and trying so hard will get you so much further and you’ll be so much happier in the end.
Now going into my senior year this fall, I’ve been blessed enough to have found my place on campus at The Sentry and with my friends that I met in my classes three years ago and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to reinforce the bonds I’ve made the last few years through music and live shows. And I hope that this incoming freshman class of 2024 will have the same experiences I have during their time at CU Denver.
Editor’s Pick: “R.I.P. 2 My Youth” by The Neighbourhood