The Last Supper

Ah, to be less than a week away from graduating. It is exciting, terrifying, and wonderful all at the same time. One of the many senior events of the final two weeks is the senior dinner, a delicious meal orchestrated by the President and his wife and shared with fellow seniors, professors, and staff alike. As if graduating weren’t nostalgic enough, do all of my professors have to dote on me so? Carol Howard, whom I mentioned in a previous blog as a brunette bombshell and professor of English here at WWC, saw us driving up to the dinner and waited outside of the door so that she could be sure to sit with “her students” at the dinner.

Unfortunately, Gary Hawkins, head of the creative writing department, and David Mycoff, head of the English department, did not plan so well, and we had quickly run out of space at our table, forcing them to find seats elsewhere. Carol and I discussed future plans as well as landmark college experiences over my beef filet and her portobello mushroom. Warren Gaughan, head of the music department, came over to chat, and I invited him to a post-graduation get-together at my house. He just said, “I’m invited? YES!” And I told him all about the two bands that will be performing at the party.

Following dinner, the Warren Wilson College Chorale serenaded us with everything from world music to a Bob Dylan cover. As I sipped my coffee, Mycoff took advantage of a seat vacated by my roommate, Tori, and sat down next to me. I slyly opened with “How’s your semester wrapping up?” as a casual lead in to ask if he had read my thesis yet and, if so, what he had thought of it. I dropped the question, and he told me that my forty pages about AIDS Drama was one of the best theses he has read. As he stood up to leave, he added: “And I don’t just mean out of this year’s work.” I have been on cloud 9 since that conversation and will continue floating until May 16th around 10:00 or so.

RH

No Rest for The Weary

At this point in the school year, students are realizing that there are, in fact, only a couple days left in this academic year.

Right now Wilson students are in the midst of writing final papers, preparing for exams, and reviewing all the information they’ve absorbed over the semester. In addition to all the academic work at hand, Wilson students are still putting in fifteen hours a week on their work crews. That’s right, our students are not graced with a week free of classes, let alone work. Our cows still need to be rotated on our pastures and the bathrooms in Gladfelter still need to be cleaned.

But, you know what?

That’s what makes our school and students so distinct. Outside of a college setting, the world won’t hold still when stuff starts pilling up. The same holds true here at Wilson.

LM

One Down, Three To Go

It’s funny to think how just ten months ago I was completely ignorant to the entire idea of college life. I remember thinking to myself, as I packed my final belongings into the van the night before our 14-hour journey from New York to North Carolina, that everything was going to be different from now on. All the websites say that once you leave for college your relationship between everyone at home changes, not necessarily for the worse. Then when we pulled out of the drive way the next morning I remember thinking that this is going to be my last trip down my driveway and then NY for a long time. I have always traveled and loved being away from home, but this time is different, I was going to a chapter in my life. It was a bittersweet goodbye.

I remember pulling off of Warren Wilson Road onto campus for orientation week. I remember being nervous, excited, scared, and ready all at the same time as my parents, sister, and I began to unload the van and carry my things up to the third floor of Sunderland. How we opened the door to see white walls, a bed, desk, and wardrobe, and my mother not being able to believe that she was going to leave me in such a hospital looking room. Everything is such a blur for the next week.

Life was awkward for the first month or so as we were all finding our friends and our place here on campus. It was especially awkward between my roommate and I, learning about each other and trying not to step on each other’s feet. Audrey and I have come a long way since our first meeting. Now we are best friends who stay up for hours in bed just talking. I have grown confident with my classes and the college all together.

I know I have changed since coming to college, but all for the better. I have a better idea of what I want in life. I have life long friends. I know myself better. The beginning was difficult, but it was so worth it to get to where I am now. So it is hard to believe that a year full of memories is exactly that…memories. Now I have to look to the future and a new year next fall.

AL