The Oyster of Our Eye: Reintroducing Pearl

Hey there Lawrenceville, 

Long time no see. You may be surprised to hear from me again considering my farewell letter last year, but you will be happy to know that the genius founder of Pearl, our dear Quinn Thierfelder ’22, has left this column in good hands. And so, we have been recruited to continue the legacy of Pearl, Lawrenceville’s resident keepers of wisdom (otherwise  known as the advice column writers). And guess what—there’s two of us this year! You may be asking yourself, dear reader, what does this mean for me? We’ll tell you: We promise you double the fun, double the mystery, and double the love. We solemnly swear to put our heads together and deliver the best advice we can; blood, sweat, tears, and all that jazz. 

It’s the beginning of the year, which means a variety of things for us all over campus. The II Formers are looking extra fresh, sophomores are getting into the groove, juniors are hard at work, and seniors are looking toward the future. 

Already browsing through your queries, we can tell this year is going to be full of excitement. One of you lovely people already asked a question that had our heads spinning in search of an answer: “Why are my hands a little bit wet all the time?” Others have inquired about friends, classes, love lives, and all sorts of drama. We are here for it all, and here’s the best part: Your requests are completely anonymous.

For today, we’ll keep it simple. To answer the aforementioned question concerning the dampness of your hands, we think we might have an answer: You’re probably awkward. Clammy hands usually afflict those stepping outside of their comfort zones (congrats!) or those with immaculate hygiene. Feeling nervous or awkward when meeting new people, starting new classes, or even just having an incredibly uncomfortable conversation with the duty affiliate every night is a perfectly normal thing. Embrace it, because that feeling and those experiences make for the funniest stories later on in your Lawrenceville career. As seniors ourselves, we can promise you that the most valuable memories stem from moments that may seem uncomfortable at first.

If you remember one thing during the initial weeks of this brand new year, let it be that everything works out in the end. Some friends will come and go, others will be by your side until you walk across the stage at graduation. Some of your crushes will be lived out just in passing through the hallways, and some will blossom into relationships. You will have teachers whom you don’t especially like, and others who will one day write your college recommendations. But rest assured, everything always works out in the end. There is a lot of advice still yet to come as you all venture out onto your different paths at Lawrenceville, but for now, keep on rockin’ in the free world. 

XOXO, 

your Pearls