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This Saturday, at precisely 3 PM, I meet my doom.
Ever since I could remember, I had my game plan laid out for me. I would go to school, go to college, graduate and get a job. That’s what was expected of me and anything else would have been a disappointment. My high school was established by where I lived, but my college was established by a unique combination of bloodline and passion.
My father never went to college, but he had been a Cougar fan for as long as I can remember. I always had to choice to go somewhere else, with the knowledge that my dad firmly preferred that I go to WSU. My sister took that opportunity and went to a private school in
For me, there was really no decision to make. From the first time I set foot on campus in 2006, to watch WSU football fall to
After that, I made the trip east as often as possible. I attended every preview event I could. I came to so many that when I applied to be a tour guide my freshman year, the interviewer recognized my name from seeing it so many times on paperwork. For some reason I still don’t comprehend, I didn't get the job. Every spring from 2007 to 2010, my dad and I took a four day weekend and came over to tour the campus on a Friday afternoon. It just so happened that these weekends coincidentally coincided with a Thursday/Saturday Pac-10 home basketball series, usually against USC and UCLA.
When it came time to apply for colleges, WSU was the first and only place I applied to. Because of their guaranteed admission policy, I didn't have to worry about getting in. At the urging of my mom and sister, I looked into other schools. On a vacation to LA, we arranged a tour at Cal State Fullerton because, why not. We got to campus and drove around for more than a half an hour on a failed quest to find a parking spot. Eventually we gave up and probably drove to in-and-out without giving the tour a second thought. Nothing against the fighting Titans of Cal State Fullerton, but my mind was made up and there was no changing it.
In August of 2010, my parents dropped me off. They helped me move into my room on the second floor of Scott Hall and drove off into the sunset. For the first time, I was on my own. But that didn't last long. I met tons of people and grew closer because of the close knit community that this school develops. We adapted to college life together. We camped out for hours in the freezing cold to see the Cougs play
As the years went on, the classes started to align with your major and started to be more and more interesting. I started to take broadcasting classes and grew closer to the people I spent countless hours shooting video and editing with. We started spending less time at Up All Nights and more time at The Coug and
Then, just like that… It’s over. In a moment coming my way very soon, sooner than I’d like, you drive down 195 towards Colfax and see the best place on Earth in your rearview mirror. In front of you? A scary place full of darkness and the unknown called "the real world." Goodbye Wing Wednesday, I'll miss you far more than I probably should.
This Saturday, at precisely 3 PM, I meet my doom. For the first time, my life is not laid out for me. I have no idea what the future holds, no idea what I’m doing and no idea where I’m going and that’s a scary prospect to say the least. The one thing that helps me in this situation is the fact that I went to
This Saturday’s graduation may be the end of my time in Pullman, but it’s also a new beginning. And I can’t wait to see what comes my way.
With graduation right around the corner, we'd love to hear your memories. What did this school mean to you and what advice do you have for future graduates? Leave your thoughts in the comments.