Student Life

Lydia Chapman Senior Reporter Every morning on her way to class, Abby Ehrsam, a junior social work major, waves to people she recognizes, classmates from past semesters, faces from the dining hall, and the coffee line. They smile, exchange a quick “Hey, how are you?” and keep walking. By the end of the day, she’s talked to plenty of people, yet something still feels missing. “You just say hi to be nice,” she said. “You want someone to talk to, but you don’t want more than that.” Ehrsam calls them her “almost friends.” It’s not loneliness; instead, it’s the feeling of being connected but not close, known but not really known. For many college students, that phrase hits uncomfortably close to home. At first glance, college campuses seem like the perfect environment for c...