And to think, I never saw this day coming. The day I submit my final article as a staff writer for The Outlook.
The day college ends, and life without eCampus, drop boxes and SquirrelMail begins. The day I can matter-of-factly say, “I will never have to hand in another homework assignment and I will never take another test, unless of course it’s medical (those actually become more common with age).”
I will never have to come up with a plausible excuse, written in an e-mail, as to why I missed class this week, or anxiously await my professor’s response, which I hardly ever received.
In 48 months, which doesn’t really sound all that long, I have grown. My first day of freshman year at the University was a day I will never forget. Not because it was overwhelming or like something I had never experienced before, but instead because it was a Friday morning at 8:30 and I was miserably hung-over. I remember sitting in Plangere for the first time with my first Einstein’s everything bagel, thinking, “These are going to be the best four years of my life.” Cliché yes, but absolutely, undoubtedly true.
Four years went faster than four days, it seems. My years of college could be rolled up into a two-hour comedy about what life is like when you’re young and living among your immature, yet highly comical, carefree friends. To say I took advantage of living way beyond my parents’ roof would be an understatement and to say I remember every time I took full advantage would be a blatant lie.
“Remember when?” This is a famous phrase that we often use to reminisce through past experiences, both good and bad. But it’s hard to remember all that has taken place throughout my college career. Maybe it’s because my brain literally can’t handle it all, or maybe its because my cerebrum has become particularly selective.
To help me recollect, I asked seniors which of their college moments has remained especially distinct in their minds. The answers helped to bring me back in time, which I very much enjoyed.
“Remember the black out first semester freshman year [2008]?” said Michael Ciprello. “Everyone went to the Dining Hall and I wore my rollerblades inside. No one said anything, we did whatever we wanted.”
“Freshman year Homecoming, when it was actually fun,” said Dana Machiz, referring to fall 2008 when students were allowed to tailgate the entire day, rather than now, when a new set of rules prohibit tailgating after the game has begun. “So now, we go to homecoming for an hour or two, and leave to go to someone’s house because no one really cares about watching the game. I remember being able to hang out with so many different people freshman year, now everyone goes their own way. I wish they never changed that.”
“Scabies,” said James Savage, trying so hard to hold back the laughter. Scabies is a skin irritation passed from person to person through contact, it can be placed under the category of a Sexually Transmitted Disease, but is easily curable with prescription lotion. “Sophomore year, people I know were getting scabies, everyone was itchy. I never got it, but it passed from person to person, and we still don’t know where it came from. It wasn’t funny then, but it’s definitely funny now.”
“Pledging,” said Kara Hunt, boldly. “I will never forget pledging Theta Phi Alpha in the spring of 2009. I think all of Greek life can agree that there’s something special about those six weeks that you’ll never forget,” she said with a smirk. “I made the best friends I could ever ask for and learned a lot about myself and growing up and what it means to literally have friends for life.”
I personally will never forget the multiple snowfalls of 2009 and 2010. Our sophomore year was filled with constant snow days, which prevented us from attending class and forced us to lay around all day and build the occasional snowman. Of course we were upset about being deprived of our education, but we made the best of the situation placed in front of us.
The University did not see snow like that this winter, which, I think I can speak for everyone, was kind of upsetting. No matter how old you are, there’s something about a snow day that excites the soul. For future students and future winters, I hope for snow days; you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Four years, maybe the most important years of our lives, went by too fast; I wish I could remember it all, but then again we don’t remember days, we remember moments, and the University has given all of us moments we will never forget.
