Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall – Railing to his friends recently at everyone’s favorite dining hall, Jake Donahue (MSB ‘24) expressed his frustration at how many people mistake him for other white men on a daily basis. Even more disheartening to Jake is that, upon first glance (as well as closer inspection), it is no surprise why: his brown hair, average face with a backwards hat, plain shirt, khaki shorts, and nondescript brand name tennis shoes aren’t anything that hasn’t been done before. With or without a mask, no amount of discernment could help this author differentiate him from literally anyone else on this campus. I could fall in love with this man, marry him, raise 3 children with him, and then mistake him for some random guy I run into at a 7/11 on a Tuesday afternoon. He is, in short, the type of average-looking Joe that makes me ponder God’s creativity.

 To make matters worse, he spent the rest of his time in Leo’s discussing an article in the Wall Street Journal (with all his friends, who look exactly like him). But I sympathize with the frustration of Jake – or, uh, John, Joseph, or Jason, which one is he again? Whatever. Well, being constantly mistaken for someone else must be exhausting, so I offer a bit of encouragement to anyone who finds themself in this position: embrace the unique personality traits that make you, you!