I entered this year under the assumption that my art thesis would be the focus of my senior year, the central object of my labor, the pot always simmering on the back burner of my mind. It wasn’t, though, and as I sit here in The College Voice office on a Sunday night, surrounded by my motley crew of editors as they place final edits on the newspaper you hold before you, it’s clear why. While my thesis provides tangible evidence of my own thoughts and musings, the Voice is the embodiment of the efforts of everyone who has contributed to this year’s edition of the paper, every editor that came before me, the writers, illustrators and photographers with whom Melanie and I, and much of our staff, will soon join in the ranks of TCV alumni.
I’ve yet to meet a student here who doesn’t love to complain about this college, but I think there’s something to be said for being dissatisfied, for identifying a problem and yearning for a solution. Of course, those who sit around and complain about the crappy shower-curtains are not so commendable, but those are not the people who go on to make the most out of this four-year journey. Among the staff of The College Voice, the desire for improvement is not only palpable, it is recorded and documented throughout the 14 issues we’ve produced this year.
I must thank my co-Editor Melanie Thibeault and Managing Editor Julia Cristofano for keeping me out of trouble (in my writing and otherwise), supporting me unconditionally (nobody will ever call me a beautiful genius with the same frequency and candor as you, Julia) and for sticking with this thing, together, until the end. And while it’s a shame that so many of the Voice staff will be graduating and moving on this May, the College is lucky that the paper is being left in the incredibly capable hands of Ayla Zuraw-Friedland as Editor in Chief and editors Dana Sorkin, Eleanor Hardy, Matteo Mobilio, Hallie Grossman and Luca Powell. I have no doubt you’ll whip your new co-editors in to shape soon enough and continue with the upwards trajectory that we’ve worked towards together.
All in all, I’d say I did the whole Conn Coll thing pretty well. And, not that my opinion is worth any bit more than anyone else’s, I do have a few tidbits of advice for all you juniors, sophomores and freshmen who are inclined to read them…
1. Have goals. Seriously, it’s easy to just float on by at a school like this, but give yourself a purpose. I cannot imagine that the real world is nearly as saturated with opportunity as this campus.
2. Don’t take no for an answer. That’s how you reach your goals, duh. But in all seriousness, it’s a small school, and even though we register for classes online and email our professors more than we go to office hours, there’s always a human being on the other end of any decision put before you. So if you don’t like the decision, find out who made it and change his or her mind.
3. Talk outside the library. You don’t have to be smoking a cigarette to step away from your work and just talk with your friends – or strangers – for fifteen minutes. Even if you’re talking about your work, take breaks, meet new people and learn about what your peers are working on. There are some freaking interesting people here.
4. Eat alone sometimes, dinner especially. This one’s mostly practical. You don’t have to wrangle a dozen friends together just to stuff a nasty Harris meal down your gullet. Grab a New York Times and leave it unopened on your table as you stare off into space and take a moment for yourself. Nobody is going to think you’re a loser and if they do, it’s probably not because you’re eating by yourself.
5. Respect the Honor Code. Even if you don’t think anyone else does (but always assume that they do). But still lock your door. That’s just common sense.
Over & out,
Dave
