By Ellie Nahm
Here we are. The end of it all. How could 3 weeks go so fast, yet feel like a lifetime? Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, but that doesn’t mean we have to forget them. I’m here to remind you of your journey as scholars and allow you to look back on the past 3 weeks with smiles, tears, or a bittersweet mixture of both. Every protagonist must begin their journey, so how did we get here?
Acceptance
Most, if not all of us had conflicting emotions when we received that acceptance letter: excitement, wonder, curiosity, hesitation, anxiety, anticipation, and even more anxiety (just to name a few). Despite the overwhelming emotions, we committed. We committed to leaving behind our families, pets, friends, significant others, and our beds. For most everyone here, this is the longest we’ve ever been away from home. We took a BIG risk. A risk I like to think paid off greatly.
Growing Community
I want you all to remember your first night here. Really the only person we all knew was our roommate. Who were we going to sit with? What would our classes be like? Would we like our teachers? The people in our class? Questions ran wild through our minds. Sleep evaded us like children on Christmas Eve. But instead of ripping open our presents the next morning, we wouldn’t see the full gift until it was time to leave. The days turned to weeks, and suddenly we were surrounded by a fulfilling community of people who were once strangers. A second family had emerged. A new question occupies our minds: how are we supposed to leave?
Remembrance
One of the only things that will make this transition easier is holding onto each and every memory, big and small:
Remember Playfair.
Remember Aloha! with Kevin Wanzer. Remember the moment when the entire auditorium won bingo at the same time. Remember the Kazoos.
Remember your RAs. Reminisce on the banging of the pool noodle on your dorm door before Big Group.
Remember Wednesday morning Taiso.
Remember coloring on the tables during Kindergarten Lunch.
Remember opening up in COR:PSD
Remember the street dances on Lowry Mall. Remember Bohemian Rhapsody.
Remember the sidewalk being filled with inspiring art.
Remember to have a Carly Rae Jepsen Day, or else.
Remember the talent show.
Remember the nights on the quad.
Remember the sunsets.
Remember downtown Columbia.
Remember each other.
Remember MSA.
And most importantly, remember your name tag scholar! See you in week 4, Boomba!
Comments