As the school year comes to an end, it has become apparent to me that the demeanor on campus has shifted – we are transitioning. Perhaps you are excited for the end of the term, or sad for having to say goodbye. Maybe you are stressed over finals, or anxious for your upcoming summer. Whatever you’re feeling, there’s no denying that we are all feeling it too – the unrest in the air, the symptoms of an upcoming whirlwind of change.
For me, this heart-gripping feeling of the imminent unfamiliar is further exacerbated by the fact that after today, I will no longer be “Anything but Apathy.” My insidious grin will no longer precede some weekly gripe over a particular aspect of college life. I will no longer have the opportunity to use these margins as an outlet for my ideas and criticisms. The picture will change. The title will change. The opinions will change.
Such a prospect has caused me to reflect upon my own year as a writer and to question my own opinions and how they have changed. In retrospect, I should have laid off the University’s Greek system; they are mocked enough as it is. But the majority of the issues I address remain consistent.
That being said, I will never deny my habit of smoking too much, browsing Facebook too frequently or consciously neglecting myself. After all, I’m only human. I still do these things because, despite the long-term ramifications, they are a source of temporary satiation. I, like anyone else, am involved in a constant struggle between delayed and instant gratification, between reason and impulse.
Writing this column has been an invaluable experience that has changed me for the better. Developing myself as a writer has caused me to form stronger, more concise opinions. Opening myself up to criticism has led me to build tougher skin. You see, I did not choose to write to an audience in order to be preachy, or to typify myself as the ideal of discipline. I wrote this column because, in the words of Socrates, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I wanted to reach out and relate to you. I wanted to provoke thought and cause you to question the conventional. I wanted to make a contribution.
Much like life, change is inevitable. Dealing with it requires a strong sense of self, an internal locus of control, and an open, flexible outlook on life. The majority of topics I have covered deal with just that: taking responsibility for your own circumstances, acknowledging your own potential, listening to your intuition and fostering a better relationship with yourself. Think critically about your own priorities, values and beliefs. Consider how they contribute to your lives. Finally, make choices that you will want to reflect on, because in the words of one of the most insightful people I have ever met, “to love the life you live, you must live the life you love.”
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