The summer before I came to college, all I heard was, ‘Enjoy every minute. These will be the best four – maybe five – years of your life. And they will fly by.'
I'm not French and I don't fence, but touché.
It has been three fast years of drinking throughout the winters in order to battle the icy weather, spending countless Saturdays immobile on a couch – laying low but feeling high – partying with friends and piecing together nights the following day, running the basketball courts at Clark Hall, going to Fuds for the Wednesday special (see you there tonight), and occasionally stumbling into class, trying to maintain a 3.0.
Maybe it has to do with seeing all of the seniors graduate, maybe I can feel the real world trying to adultnap me, or maybe my mind has just started to mature, but looking back, I can't help but question if I did it right.
Whether I lived it up or mucked it up, I know I'm fortunate to have one final year. I've made my share of college mistakes – missed exams, ended up drunk in the hospital, printed a horrible comment for the university to read – but I have no regrets. What's great about college is that it's a learning experience.
Say what you want about the weather, the packed parking lots and the broken computers in the library, but you can't tell me you've taken nothing positive away from UB. I've read some interesting books, had some smart professors and held some thought-provoking conversations with some intellectual peers, not to mention all I've learned outside of the classroom.
I've taken a lot away from this university, and I'm ready to give something back. Next year, I plan to bring you all the best newspaper that this campus has seen in a long time.
But I need your help.
There will be a crossword puzzle every day, we will add a satire section once a week, the stories will be more relevant to the student body, and you will want to pick up The Spectrum every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But we can't do it by ourselves.
What I propose is that you all get involved in something at UB and you let us know about it. If you have a funny professor that should be spotlighted, tell us. If you know about a great bar downtown, we want to hear about it. If you find a cheap restaurant that college kids would love, call it in.
This is the student publication. It's as much yours as it is ours. E-mail us and explain an interesting event that we should cover. Come in and tell us what we're doing wrong. Write a story yourself and turn it in. Get involved!
I plan to leave my mark by changing the image of The Spectrum because I don't want next year to fly by and be left to ponder all of the ‘What-ifs?'
For all of those who are graduating, I wish you the best of luck. If you have a job lined up, work as hard as possible and make your mark wherever you go. If you're still unemployed, stay positive and take on an unusual opportunity. If you stay grounded, you'll always end up on your feet.
To my close friends who won't be here next year (Ness, Pikachu, Kirby and Grandpa): don't forget to come back and visit your boys in Buffalo. You had a good run here, but there's always time for a throwback weekend.
Finally, I'd like to thank everyone at The Spectrum who has helped me get to where I am today. You know who you are and words can't explain how much I appreciate all that you have done. I hope I can make you proud next year.
Help us out by going to ubspectrum.com to fill out the survey!
E-mail: andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com
