Last week, my brother Sam came to visit SMU. He had a great time. He loved the classes he sat in on, spending time with my friends, going out and seeing Dallas.

But his favorite part, the thing he wouldn’t shut up about, was the food at Umphrey Lee.

Obviously, I was a little confused. I like my grilled cheese sandwich as well as the next guy, but of all the great things about SMU, the slightly soggy French fries don’t exactly top the list.

The first time I took him to the cafeteria, Sam had a little trouble deciding what to get. He wanted a hamburger, but he also wanted a piece of chicken, but the stir-fry looked pretty good, too. And what about the gyro station?

Imagine his happiness when I told him he could get all of it. “You mean I can eat anything I want, as much as I want?” he asked, his eyes bulging.

He went on to do just that. In one sitting, Sam devoured three halves of grilled cheese, a piece of pizza, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, a hamburger, two gyros, fries, an ice cream cone, and two cookies.

The rest of our trips to Umph were similar. I watched in amazement as he consumed the diet of Andre the Giant. Each time, he told me what a magical place Umph was.

After a while, I realized that Sam wasn’t really talking about what he thought he was talking about. It wasn’t about the quality of the food. It was about being free to eat whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

For someone who lives at home and still gets told to eat his broccoli, a few days without our mom’s cooking was a big deal. For the first time, Sam got to start making choices for himself, even if it was just about what to eat at the cafeteria.

The rest of us are feeling that same freedom, although the scope encompasses more than just the salad bar. On a daily basis, we’re confronted with choices about sex, drugs, studying, parties, relationships, classes, our futures. There’s no one there to make sure we’re making the right ones.

Think seriously about what that freedom means to you. For many, it’s a great thing. You can find out who you are and who you want to become, free from the pressures of your parents.

For others, it’s a bit more difficult. It’s hard to map out the rest of your life when you’re only 20.

Ultimately, our time in college is what we make it. We’re free to do great things and to make a few mistakes. Most of all, it’s a trial run for the rest of our lives.

What will you do with the time you have left here?

-Nathaniel French

Opinion Editor