Value your EWU experience

I started as a student here back in 1999. As a point of reference, the JFK Library had just finished being remodeled, and the band Everclear was gearing up for a benefit concert at the mall. Back then if you had asked someone for an opinion of me, and they were being kind, they probably would have described me as a "jerk." Contrast that with today, I'm more often described as "pompous" or "egotistical;" see, I call that growth. And yet we've all grown a little since we began our journey here at Eastern; we all have stories, memories, heartaches, triumphs and tragedies. We have all learned more than what was required of us by our teachers, we did more than just memorize dates and formulas. We grew as people, we applied our knowledge to life and, as a result, gained wisdom.

As a freshman at Eastern I was like many of you, invincible and ready to take on the world. Just kidding, I was scared shitless. I began my tenure as a running start student, and often found myself out of place with older, mature people, you know, those over 18. And yet even then as a doe-eyed 17-year-old I did my best to obtain stature by running for the ASEWU Public Affairs Office. My platform consisted of, well, it didn't consist of anything actually, I just put up a caricature drawing of myself which said "Elect Kevin;" amazingly I garnered some 18 percent of the popular vote.

As a graduating senior looking back, it's hard to grasp all the events that took place that eventually got us all here. All the mornings spent writing that mid-term paper, the one we were supposed to have started weeks ago and is due in a few hours. The times we skipped class because, well, we wanted to, and in our minds that was a good enough reason. The pep rallies, our friends, the parties, the relationships, the drama, the little things, all of which helped to shape us into what we are today - graduating seniors.

Thinking about what I wanted to say in my final piece for The Easterner, I sat on the grass and just took it in. Around me there were students chatting, walking, and eating. Familiar faces like Pastors Paul and Bob were in and around the PUB, greeting people as they always do. Eagle Entertainment had set up a concession stand and was giving away free hot dogs and soda, just because.

I thought about how many times I have taken or not taken advantage of situations like this in my near-decade of experience here. How many times had Eagle Entertainment, the ASEWU, the Library, or any of the numerous groups on campus set up an event, given away food, or tried to engage us in some way and we turned them down? Why didn't we participate more? Why were we so timid about meeting people at a booth, learning about what they offered, or just striking up conversations with complete strangers? If an underclassman was to ask me now what I have learned here at Eastern, I would tell them I learned to enjoy subtlety. Life really is precious and precarious, and these moments, these surreal and fantastic moments that take place in school are never again duplicated. What, if you could do it all over again, would you change, if anything? Would you change how hard you tried, would you change how people perceived you, would you change what you did in your free time? These are important questions and you should ask them through all stages of your life, not for the purposes of regret, but to better yourself. Once you can truly answer there is nothing you would ever change about the choices you made, well in that case, I guess you're done.

As a nine-year veteran of this school I have learned a thing or two, things I think could be useful to those whose time at Eastern is not quite finished.

One, your teachers care. Believe it or not, your professors really want you to do well. They may push you and give the perception that they are just hard-asses who couldn't possibly understand the strains of college life, like how stressful an entire three hours of class is every day, but they want you to succeed. My time in the education department taught me that teachers want nothing more than to know that the time you spent with them has bettered your life in some way.

Two, a couple of failed attempts at becoming ASEWU president has taught me some things; I'm not as popular as I thought, and the ASEWU is just a bunch of students like you and me. And I'm not saying that in a negative context, just that they are fallible and make mistakes like any of us. However, for the most part, those elected to student government take on a lot of responsibility and really do their damnedest to make life a little easier for everyone on campus.

Three, the writers and editors of The Easterner are better at their jobs than most "professionals." This isn't a selfless plug, this is the truth. I came on as an opinion writer for this paper at the behest of outgoing editor-in-chief, Eric Schwartz. My opinions, although controversial and often irritable, were always given respect and a home in our school's paper of record. Rarely in life will a media outlet allow for such cantankerous wordplay especially when the attacks bring such scathing criticism. But The Easterner held their own and made damn sure "free speech" wasn't just a bumper sticker. To that I commend The Easterner staff not just for publishing my writing, but for publishing all of the contributors who had something to say outside the mainstream. Finally, I've learned that we Eagles have a wide variety of opportunities if we only take advantage of them.

I'm talking about more than just internships and academia. There are student groups, volunteer opportunities, and, yes, even religious services that are held with the sole purpose of engaging and enriching your collegiate experience.

Meet random people; you never know how a few kind words to a complete stranger can make a world of difference to you and them. College is one of the few chances in your life when you can officially call a "do-over." Challenge yourself and others; this school provides all the tools you will need, it is up to you to use them.

We, the class of 2008, stand on the precipice. For many of us, our lives will no longer revolve around midterms, 6 a.m. cram sessions, and 20-page finals. And yet our education never truly ceases, if we maintain our curiosity and never stop learning. The real value of a collegiate education comes from the community, the experience, and how we personally apply it to our lives.