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Melanie couldn't believe she had finally made it to campus. The ride with her parents from their farm just outside of Des Moines, Iowa all the way to Phoenix, Arizona was all kinds of hell. The three of them cramped in her father's old pickup truck. He spent most of the drive complaining about the high gas prices and the other drivers' speeds (they all went too fast, according to her dad). Mostly, however, her parents complained about her choice in schools.
"Cactus State University, I just can't believe it," her mom would say every time there was a lull in the conversation.
"Mom, I'll be fine," Melanie responded.
"Well, your father had a great time at Iowa State, and besides, Ames is less than a half an hour from us," her mom said.
More silence. Melanie looked out the window at the
