To Whitman, Walla Walla and beyond,
In my 4 years on this campus, I’ve experienced a ravenous amount. I’ve thought about much. I’ve done some. I regret little.
Rather than pitifully attempt to summarize my undergraduate experience, I figure I’d give some advice, apologies and thanks to various groups, going off of what I’ve learned here at Whitman.
To the first-years/underclassmen/the young at heart, I urge you, as trite as it may sound, to take risks. Do daring, unusual things, step outside of your comfort zone a bit, and NEVER be quick with your judgments.
To Walla Walla, I beseech thee. Please, please, PLEASE construct a restaurant and/or café that operates longer than 9 pm on weekdays and 6 pm on the weekends. Really. I mean, I know there’s a harsh economic climate, but, I guarantee that you’d have a strong Whitman clientele, and I’m fairly sure townie adolescents would flock there as well in the wee hours of the morning. Shari’s is great and all, but, the distance can be a bit troublesome at times, and, most people care not for the quality of food (which, really, I’m ok with, but, that’s a different story).
To those that think Walla Walla is a slumbering, dormant town, I urge you to re-evaluate your judgment.
To those that drive by on Isaacs with the windows down, don’t yell slurs at people. It’s not nice. Really, you should have learned that in Kindergarten.
To those I’ve ever offended or hurt via my tardiness, please understand that I meant no such thing –– it is merely a flaw of my personality which has improved modestly, and is an ongoing project.
To those who I’ve offended with my sometimes off-putting taste in modern music, I apologize slightly (and a bit half-heartedly).
To all those who I wanted to meet, but never got the chance, I apologize most dearly.
To those who I RA’ed, thank you for always providing a challenge, as well as many life lessons and no shortage of intriguing stories.
To those support groups and student services, including those in the Health Center, Financial Aid Office, ARC, FGWC and GLBTQ, among others, thank you immensely for all of your help and support, without which I would surely have been lost.
To all the musicians whom I’ve had the honor and privilege of playing, studying and growing with, thank you for sharing your immense talents, passion and wisdom with me.
To those in Danger Mermaid (which, along with The Peeled Tangerines, is officially the best band on campus), I love you all. Never lose the upbeat.
To those of you who insane enough to have been a friend to me, words cannot describe how you have impacted me. You will always have a special place in my heart.
As we disperse into the wild unknown that is the real world, far from the seclusion of the Whitman bubble, I hope you can look back on this time with me and smile. To know that even if we did fall, we fell together.
To you, my dear Whitman. Here’s to you.
