To quote a fictional hometown hero of mine, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris was right — that is exactly how I feel right about now as graduation is on deck and the inevitable senioritis begins to kick in.
As a matter of fact, it was not that long ago when I based an entire individual presentation for my first-year speech class off of the classic Chicago film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Now, here I am four years later using the same words of wisdom to start my Senior Sendoff that I used to end that speech. Before I get any further, I should probably address the elephant in the room that people tend to wonder when “Chicago” is mentioned in reference to hometown: no, I am not from the actual city of Chicago, but am a proud northwest suburbian of Chicago.
There was one piece of advice that I continuously heard from my high school counselors and mentors about how to make the transition to college easier: Find something that you can carry into college to create a stronger sense of normalcy during a time of new environments and change.
Sports and producing content in our student multimedia pathway was my life for four years, so I did just that. I joined The Collegian and became a student manager with the women’s basketball team. My friends would enthusiastically — most likely — tell you that I have probably spent more time in Fairbanks 210 and Hinkle Fieldhouse than I have in my own room.
After spending my first-year and sophomore year writing for the sports section, I started to have an inkling that longer-form writing was no longer my forte as it once was. This isn’t to say that I didn’t love telling athletes’ stories, but I started falling out of love with journalism style writing. Taking a leap of faith by asking then-Editor-in-Chief Leah Ollie if an Assistant Marketing Manager was a position, spoiler alert – it wasn’t, opened the door for discovering a new set of interests: creative-marketing and short-from writing.
I could be on a soapbox about how The Collegian has impacted me professionally, but I will spare you the fine details. What I’ll say is this paper taught me how to write at a professional level and stay true to what you’re passionate about and your values.
Beyond the life-long skills and lessons that The Collegian has equipped me with, it planted the seed in building friendships with some of my best friends who I’ve since shared many laughs, agony and frustrations with. To my OG sports media friends Cybil and Caleb, as well as honorary SPM major Eva, the passion and drive you all have for your desired career paths inspires me and I can’t wait to see where your journey takes you. Perhaps, we will hit the golf course one of these days.
To any future students reading this or to any underclassmen who are still looking to find their people, trust me when I say to step outside of your comfort zone and go to that quirky event on campus. For me, that event was blackout bingo during orientation week. If I hadn’t gone to that without knowing a single person and sitting at a table tucked away in the back corner, I truly don’t know what my college experience would’ve shaped up to be like.
That single decision can have the domino effect into your best friends who will one day turn into your senior year roommates. So, I have blackout bingo to thank for Madison and Maddie, who were coincidentally suitemates, and a school bus to thank Ella, whom Madison met during BITS. Even though you would probably rather watch paint dry on a wall than listen to me talk about sports, thank you for letting me be your personal sports coach. I hope you all now know what a fourth down is.
I’m starting to run out of juice writing this, so I’m going to wrap this up with some thank you’s.
Thank you to The Collegian for giving me new words to use in Banangrams.
Thank you to the editorial board, past and present, for the laughter and fun on Tuesday nights and accepting my request to be in videos.
Thank you study abroad and New Zealand for an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have caught the travel bug indefinitely.
Thank you “Fairview Freshie” for giving me a conversation starter to use and forcing me to go to blackout bingo.
Thank you Resco bowls for fueling my hunger throughout my first-year.
Thank you Spotify’s Premium Student discount plan for powering me through my assignments, I’ll miss you.
Thank you to Hot Dawgs for showing me how much fun throwing a plastic circular disc can be.
Thank you Alpha Chi Omega for giving me some of my best friends and a support system in sisters that I never had.
Thank you to Greek philanthropy weeks for giving me the opportunity to unleash my hidden talent in sorority dodgeball. You will be missed greatly — I’m being serious.
Thank you to the Chicago White Sox and my parents for enrolling me into youth sports for not only sparking my love of sports but impacting my life in more ways than one. Sports have taught me so much about life.
Thank you to Butler for giving me the opportunity to find my home away from home.
I will cap off this farewell to Butler and the Collegian in the same way I started: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1:38:00.