It was a stranger, frantically asking if I had any hair oil
It was my first Saturday night in New York City as a newly admitted NYU dental student. Pari, a friend of mine from Western, told me her roommate who had also just graduated from Western was, coincidentally, also starting at NYU dental. I figured I’d meet her when I started classes.
As I was preparing for a housewarming party at my apartment, I heard a knock. Assuming it was one of my guests, I opened the door. It was a stranger, frantically asking if I had any hair oil.
Before she could even tell me her name, we sprinted to my room. As I start fixing her hair, I realized she looked familiar. Then I figured it out. It was Nicki, Pari’s roommate from Western. What are the odds? Our parallel paths from Western had converged.
Now, eight months later, we’ve become inseparable study buddies, NYC adventurers, and airport companions on our visits back home. A “small world” story that’s turned into a lovely friendship.
Jordyn Cohen
BSc’23
All thanks to Trudeau—and a rogue umbrella
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to campus on Jan. 18, 2018, to speak at Alumni Hall. I had decided not to go as it was cold and gloomy and I knew there would be long lines outside. But a friend asked if I’d stand in line and save her a spot, as I got out of class earlier.
When I saw it was raining, I took the tunnels to the University Community Centre and bought an umbrella. As I walked to Alumni Hall, the wind caught my umbrella and hit a woman square in the face. I apologized profusely, snapped my umbrella back into shape and carried on.
As I found my place in line, it suddenly struck me: the woman ahead of me was the same person who had been hit by my umbrella. I chatted with her and her friends and we added each other on Facebook right then and there. Since it was so cold, I ordered pizza to the line to warm us up. As we shared pizza, laughter and stories, a bond formed. Seven years later, that woman, Makayla, is my closest friend—all thanks to Trudeau and a rogue umbrella.
Dimple Nakhwal
BA’21 (FIMS)
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