Collegiate Times

He Said:

Well Blacksburg, it's been fun. Over the last academic year, Rachel and I have had the distinct opportunity of writing this column. Personally, it's all been in an effort to make sense of college life; and, for that matter, life in general. Hopefully, you've found a few bits of truth within the pockets of dirty laundry we've aired weekly--no charge.

As a writer, you never know exactly how your words will strike someone. Will they get the joke? Has anyone else ever felt that way? Is this good enough for network syndication? I suppose that writing has helped me cope with many different aspects of my own life by believing that the majority of people do, in fact, deal with the very same stressful shenanigans as one another.

Now, this is not to say that we all have the same opinions. The world wouldn't turn if that were true. Yet, you can't form opinions without raising a subject in the first place. Whether it's been hashing out love and heartache, hygiene, substantial substance abuse or the popular fads of our time, the purpose of this column has been and will be to break decorum by design. And, after doing so, somehow figure out one another and what we share.

Some of you might not have always agreed with my approbation of femininity. I've had several students tell me how their women's studies class spent different weeks picking apart my psyche like hyenas. And, while I'm glad I could contribute to the young and thriving minds of academia, in such an individually expensive fashion, don't misunderstand me.

You know when you zing someone by saying exactly what you mean to say exactly when you should say it? It doesn't always feel good, but oftentimes, it just has to be done. I don't have everything figured out. But, I've tried to, and I'm still trying. How else can anybody figure anything out than by trying to? So, I've spent my time blabbering on the phone to Rachel about the secret lives of guys and girls while staring at a blank Word document and losing sleep. And, I will miss it. People get used to things pretty quickly. Pretty soon, a lot of us will have to get used to not being in college anymore, which is scary stuff because we've gotten used to being here.

We've gotten used to the mid-afternoon naps after waking up at noon. We've gotten used to picking and choosing responsibilities, wearing sandals anywhere and everywhere, having too much fun and being the focus of nearly every marketing campaign.

It used to be that we'd have nothing but a paper-bagged lunch and untied shoelaces. Then, it was that certain seat on the school bus before everything turned into a popularity contest. Now, it's mostly hormones, but well-educated hormones. Life up to and through college is a scheduled affair. It's afterwards that we're forced to not only go our separate ways but find them.

So, beforehand, thank you for being a literate audience whose indulgence will always be remembered. I hope nothing but the best for all of you and that, together, we've figured out a thing or two. Goodbye, Hokies!

She Said:

Four years of hard work, four years of academic excellence, four years of fun and four years of greatness. If I could sum up my experience at Virginia Tech in one word, I'd call it amazing. I've grown as a person, gained tons of memories and made some really great friends.

After an entire year of reading Emerson and my tirades on controversial topics, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you for being a loyal reader and acknowledging our opinions. Through all of our rants and harangues, please know that everything we said was all in good fun.

Now, as commencement quickly approaches and everyday we are reminded of the tragedy of April 16, we realize what truly is important in life. We come to find that pulling an all-nighter or receiving a low score on an exam is not the end of the world. Family and friends are what we hold so dear to our hearts.

So as we march forward on this journey called life, the seniors of Virginia Tech will step into yet another crucial stage in the growing process. No more mid-afternoon naps, no more meal plans and no more flip-flops with formal wear. We'll take what we've learned over these past four years and use this knowledge throughout the rest of our lives. College is not only an institution for higher learning, but it is a means to teach young, influential minds life lessons. And so we use our hard-earned degrees in more than one way.

Whether your career path leads you to a large city with long hours or four more years of study in graduate school, I wish you the best. We all have dreams and aspirations; never settle for anything less than what you firmly believe. Money isn't everything, and they say once happiness is found the money will soon follow.

I know I'll always cherish the memories I made and the good times I had. College plays a crucial role in molding us into the great people we are today. I wouldn't change my experience or decision to come to Tech for the world, and I hope you can all say the same.

No one truly knows what it is to be a Hokie unless you are one. I met an alumnus from the class of 1969 whose wife refers to the Drillfield as the center of the universe. And the funny thing is, we all know and understand exactly what she's talking about. When someone asks you what in fact is a Hokie, the simple answer is I am. We may be the fighting gobblers or some typed winged character from the bird species, but looking past the technicalities we together understand each other as one.

Through the good and the bad and the thick and thin, we will always have Virginia Tech. And with that, I wish you happiness, success and all the best in your future endeavors. The future is yours to embrace, so hold on tight and enjoy the road ahead. In the words of the wonderful Nikki Giovanni, "We are the Hokies. We will prevail. We are Virginia Tech."