Ah, the Fourth of July. Our day of independence. The best time of the year to celebrate America while at the same time rocketing illegal fireworks into the night sky. It’s a time when we as Americans look back on the days of our country’s founders and celebrate democracy. Of course, my faith in the history of our nation has been shaken somewhat by my education, both in high school and at UCLA (I could have sworn our founding document stood for freedom and equality, but apparently, according to some readings from my freshman general education cluster, the Constitution is a racist, slave-loving covenant of evil). But through it all, I still cherish freedom and the liberties we are guaranteed. I always have and always will. I mean, I’m practically giddy when people are guaranteed due process and are not forced to quarter soldiers against their will. But even with this appreciation of the freedom we are all given as citizens, there is an important freedom we as college students have. It’s a multifaceted freedom, which encompasses youth and good times, allowing us to live as we want to without the “Big Brother” surveillance of our parents or guardians, or the demanding responsibilities of a full-time job or a family of our own. It is a distinctly collegiate freedom that comes after living at home and before finding a home of your own. The first time I experienced this freedom was back in the good old days of 2005, when gas was only $2.69, Albert Carnesale was still our chancellor and being a carefree freshman was all I had to think about. It was a night I’ll never forget, though sometimes I’d like to. I decided to hang out with some of my friends on a Thursday night in March. I had never had alcohol before, and nervous is a generous way of describing how I felt. By the next morning, I had gotten sick, had a run-in with a UCPD patrol car (the phrase “don’t make me chase you” will never sound the same to me again), and had a new story to tell my friends the next day. But more than all that, I had a realization. Before I went out with my friends that night, I had never considered ever feeling drunk. It was unthinkable. But that night I realized I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I had the freedom to do something like that, even if it meant certain consequences. Since then, I’ve realized this freedom extends far beyond partying. In my days as a high school student, missing class was never an option. Now, I have the freedom to choose whether class is worth going to on any given day, and I have learned to deal with the repercussions of not going and make use of my time better than ever. Back then, I could count on one hand the number of times my girlfriend had stayed the night at my house (my mom was very much opposed to the idea). Now, I happily sleep beside my new girlfriend almost more than I do alone. Heck, sometimes we just skip class instead of getting out of bed on weekdays. The reason we have this freedom is because it is our first time of personal independence, and maybe our last. When we leave UCLA, we won’t have the ability to pursue our interests without worrying about how it will affect those close to us. We won’t be able to study abroad in another country for an entire year. After UCLA, we will not have the same opportunity to take liberties with our time or devote ourselves solely to a cause we care about. We’ll have other responsibilities, so now is the time to use our freedom to the fullest extent. No, this freedom has not taught me that I should go out and drink every Thursday night, or that I should skip class for no good reason. But it has helped me understand the privilege I have as a student, the independence we all have to pursue happiness and do our best to reach our loftiest goals. For most of us, college is the place where we are no longer under the watchful eyes of parents, nor under the pressure of being responsible to a family of our own, nor a full-time job that demands our attention. We are free to define ourselves politically, socially and in any other way, and we are free to act without the great responsibility that will meet us in the next chapter of our lives. And that is a declaration of independence I’ll be glad to celebrate this Fourth of July.

If you also love celebrating the United States by breaking the law, send Lipkin a line at dlipkin@media.ucla.edu.