“Hey, is there any way I could have a ride home tonight?”

Gabe G., Justin B., Max L., and Zach S. were my go-tos for asking for rides, and they ranged from about 1 to 20 minutes out of the way for me.

I don’t really remember much about my first upperclassman ride home, but I remember it was with Gabe during my 8th-grade year. He told me about another guy, maybe Adam H., who had given him a ride home during his own 8th-grade year, and that BBYO rides are insanely meaningful.

Three years later, I have a driver’s license, I am an outstanding driver (my chapter will back me up on this), and I officially give out rides. I remember the first event of Rush Week. We went to Wingstop after Mac Miller AZA Mr. Greedy Night, and five or six kids didn’t have rides. Somewhere between the ride plans falling apart and the other upperclassmen all having huge tests the following Monday, I became responsible for going on what can only be described as a modern iteration of The Odyssey. I wouldn’t return to Ithaca that night without driving through five other cities over the course of 90 minutes.

At first, I was frustrated because a prospect was yelling from the back seat, and I don’t vibe with that. After a brilliant détente, we were on our way. About 15 minutes in, I had the brilliant idea to open Spotify and search up “preppy karaoke” because if I wanted to make an impact on these guys, it was going to be through Katy Perry (shoutout to Cole A. for singing “The One That Got Away” word for word).

Another thing I’ll always remember is one of the guys’ music tastes. He’s a pretty reserved person, and when I let him have the aux, he started playing death metal. My face must have been priceless at that moment!

Eventually, I did get home, and I remember thanking the last guy, who is also my neighbor, for toughing it out. He waved it off, saying that he enjoyed getting to know those guys a bit better, whether through their karaoke or simply by seeing their day-to-day environments.

There’s something pretty poetic about car rides and showing up for each other in ways that seem small.