In exactly one week, I'll be moved out of school. Finished with my undergraduate education.
I went to my favorite Susquehanna tradition tonight, Christmas Candlelight Service. Personal feelings about Christianity aside, the candlelight service is a night when I feel the most connected to my campus and myself. It always ends with "O Little Town of Bethlehem" sung while the audience holds candles; the house lights completely off. As the song ended and Chaplain Radecke sent us out into the cold night, I blew out my candle. How symbolic, I thought. The flame that was my 3.5 years here is extinguished.
A lot of shit has gone down here. Both good and bad. But the good has been so very, very, very good. I will miss the fellowship here. I look forward to going to a large research university for graduate school, but there will be a very empty part of me that longs for the smallness of SU. I would love to teach at a place like this. Well, more diverse and with a larger array of majors, but still small enough to know everyone by name.
I also realized tonight that sometime in the future, President Lemons won't be President anymore. THAT'S SO GROSS. I hope he stays forever and pulls a Blessing. Speaking of, I'm going to miss the professors here SO MUCH. They've all played such an influential part in my development; much more than my peers. I hope they all know just how wonderful, insightful, and caring they are.
Maybe someday I'll weirdly be wealthy and I promise I will donate a shit-ton of money. It will go towards building a mosque, gender neutral housing, an expansion of the Women's Studies Program, endowments and grants for serious student research, and of course, a James Blessing Political Science Seminar Room where all kinds of good shit (i.e. movie screenings, discussions, fancy speakers, simulations, etc.) will take place. With leather couches. And a candy bowl that is perpetually filled with Vanilla Midgies.
I love you, Susquehanna. And I'll miss you.
