by Emily Liu

If Goldilocks were searching for the perfect college campus instead of bowls of porridge at the right temperature, she might find that her trespassing days had well prepared her for the pursuit of the ideal campus.

First she’d stumble upon a cozy college town, maybe somewhere in the midwest.  Although charming and walkable, the same three restaurants on the same street with the gym being the most entertaining pastime might get old. Before long, the familiar faces and quaint streets nestled in a quiet, undisturbed neighborhood might begin to feel stagnant. In this isolated bubble, cozy might start to get cramped and “tight knit” might morph into “no other option.” “Too small!” she’d exclaim.

Next, she’d find herself shuffling along in a swarm of people smack in the middle of a metropolitan area teeming with life. Admittedly, she’d be dazzled by the city skyline and the overabundance of opportunity on every block, but realizing her campus and effectively her home was marked solely by a couple banners on street lamps and flag poles might be at once underwhelming and overwhelming. She’d be engulfed by the city and the ceaseless hustle and bustle would drown out the experience of being in college. Plus, she didn’t want to cough up $73 every time she wanted a bagel. “Too chaotic!” she’d declare.

Finally, she’d wander here in Central Florida.  Here she would find a green space by the Reflection Pond, a lush garden consistently nurtured by a founding Dean, a koi pond someone could probably write haikus about, and at the same time, Orlando, an urban center of tourism where imagination thrives.  Not to mention the beach! There’s a place where a cultural and diverse city with opportunities meets the conversations students have at a university.  That intersection is where UCF rests. When I think of walking on UCF campus, I think of people playing volleyball on Memory Mall, and that one bench that looks like it melted under the sun; I think of longboards, penny boards, skateboards, free crumbl cookies, squirrels, the Sunshine State and Goldilocks saying, “Ah, just right!”