Freshman Collin Newberg got his tattoo in order to remind himself that sometimes, patience is the key to overcoming adversities. The tattoo, which he got after his high school graduation last June, shows two arrows pointing in opposite directions.

The reason for the arrows, Newberg said, is that they represent how patience can be the best way to overcome a situation: sometimes you have to let yourself draw back, like an arrow, in order to shoot forward.

“If I’m ever feeling down, I can look at that tattoo and remember the metaphor for which it stands for, and be like, ‘Oh ok, I’ll get through this,’” Newberg said.

Now a public relations major at Syracuse University, Newberg said his high school experience, specifically his emotionally abusive drama club director and his AP classes, dragged his arrow backwards for the last four years.

Newberg had the same director for all of high school. The director would scream offensive remarks at rehearsal every day to intimidate the actors, Newberg said, and he’d use unkind tactics, such as humiliating a student in front of the entire cast in order to make a point.

Yet despite the frustration his director caused him and his friends, Newberg said he knew he had to push past the behavior in order to keep doing what he loved.

“You can’t let people like my drama director tear you down, and you can’t just stop because of that,” Newberg said.

In addition to his director, academics also contributed to his arrow being drawn back.

He used the patience he gained from drama club to persevere through the year until the AP tests were over. After that, Newberg said, he was finally able to relax and get his mental health back to normal.

Now that he’s at SU, Newberg said he finally feels like his arrow has been shot forward.

“Changing momentum in my life, and focusing on college, really helped me get over high school,” Newberg said. “I love it here; it’s so much better.”

Published on November 3, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact: emmichae@syr.edu