I have watched all my senior friends slowly catch a disease in the last few weeks: senioritus. For some, it started a few months ago. Others have only started showing symptoms in the last few weeks. They started counting down the number of days until graduation and grumble if they are asked to complete even the shortest assignment. “I’m so done with this” is a common phrase among them. As I watch them all trudge through their last few days of school, I try to remind them of all the great and not-so-great times we’ve had at this school.
As the seniors head off to bigger things, remember this place you have come from. Remember the beautiful things in Rochester. Remember the few sunny days we get here every year and the time spent reclining on a blanket on the quad. Think back to orientation and first arrivals on campus, not knowing how to get around or where the dining centers were. Remember the many Mel burgers consumed over the years (regular or veggie), the candy from the market in the little paper bags, and all of the other fried foods you consumed on a daily basis, including fries with ranch dressing. Think back to the semesters with no class before noon and the all-nighters with friends. Think back to all four D-days miraculously survived, despite the massive amount of food truck food consumed before going on the tilt-a-whirl, not to mention other substances likely ingested. Remember the athletic victories, the standing ovations after shows, or the competitions won. Remember the fantastic musical groups that have come to campus, people that were rising stars or the has-beens of yesterday; regardless of the band, remember how much fun it was rocking out with friends.
But part of remembering the college experience is recalling the not-so-much-fun times that we all had. The exams that didn’t go as planned due to lack of studying, or falling asleep in ITS, face down in a textbook. The endless cups of coffee and energy drinks it took to power through essays the night before they were due, or worse, problem sets and WebWork. Those professors who were really not so great but who taught classes that you needed for your major. All the days with terrible weather (80% of the year), of trudging through snowdrifts in giant boots and losing feeling in our extremities if outside for more than 10 minutes. The days of uncertainty when trying to decide on a major, where to study abroad, or where to eat for dinner. The nights where a little too much fun was had at a party and dealing with the hangover the next morning. The endless Panda bowls that seemed like a good idea in the beginning but left you feeling sick by the end.
I hope you have enjoyed your time here at UR and will miss it dearly. But now is your time to get out of Rochester for a while and go and see the world. There is so much more than just this little city in this not-so-big state of New York. We have all had the feeling of isolation from the rest of the world while we have been here. The phrase “living in a small bubble” is applicable to both the River Campus and the Eastman Campus. It always shocked me how infrequently people leave their respective campuses to go out and see the city. Don’t forget the days when taking the Red Line to Eastman campus and going to Dim-Sum and Javas felt like a big deal and a night out on the town. Or for Eastman students, taking the Orange Line over to River Campus in the evening for Starbucks, Panda Express, and maybe a trip to little market.
Talking to the seniors is always very exciting. They are all looking forward to getting out of here but are also hating to leave the safety of the home they have found at UR. It’s a big world out there, but I’m confident they have the skills to take it headon. Go out and make a difference in our world. Good luck class of 2014.
Sanguinetti is a member of the class of 2015.
