I’m not entirely sure how to start this article although it’s something I’ve thought about for several months now. What’s going to go in my very last MCL feature? I still don’t really know, but, per usual, I’m writing this less than 24 hours before the deadline. So here goes:
We made it. We’ve gotten through our first year of college. I don’t know about you, but I feel like that’s a pretty crazy statement. I spent my four years of high school slowly getting more and more anxious about this time in my life, and at long last it arrived. I don’t know what to make of it. During that time I would go over so many negative scenarios in my head. What if I made no friends and was miserable? What if the food sucked? What if I ended up overwhelmed with homework? What would I do? Rewind back to August, and those fears were at an all-time high. My imagination was on overdrive, running through hypothetical after hypothetical a million times a day. I was about to enter an entirely unknown environment with no knowledge of anyone else in my class. I had no clue what would happen nor who would come into my life. Luckily, it was those that I met here who helped quell those worries. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. If it weren’t for Jim, Paige, Jeff, Chris, and Media Intensive, I don’t think my year would have started off on the right foot. From the second I and my fellow participants got to campus, these people brought us into MCL and gave us a space that felt like home. This was a space where creativity was encouraged, a place where any of us could simply make. With these people I found a voice that I didn’t know I had. It gave me a break from the chaos of essay and academic requirements, as evidenced by the lack of importance displayed in the topics I chose to write on. From Day 1 through every week of the entire year,, I’ve gotten to see the unique individuality of everyone on staff, something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
But it wasn’t just those at MCL that made this year special. It was also the people that I got to work with closely on a near-daily basis. These included teachers, peers, colleagues, and friends, all of whom have broadened my horizons in ways I never dreamed. I took two classes that I had no previous interest in whatsoever – Intro to International Politics and Global Korean Cinema. It was in these classes however, that I felt gave me some of the most unique academic experiences of my life. They provided me with surprising new worlds (no pun intended) and research that allowed for new and fascinating exploration. My peers and colleagues are among the brightest and most talented people I know. I look forward to three more years of collaboration with them, whether that means having the opportunity to perform and premier brand new pieces with living composers or engaging in the art of last-minute essay writing. I look around at these people and I’m amazed. This past year they brought incredible innovation and imagination into my life and gave me new ways to work and learn. The performers and composers within Blair are incredible artists and people; all are passionate about what they do. I looked to several for advice and felt that they always offered wonderful insight. However, more so than just these chances to work with them, I’ve had the immense pleasure and honor to call these delightful people something more: my friends.
They have shown me how beautiful life can be. I’ve loved every second that I got to spend with them, every experience we shared, and every chaotic moment. There were no boring days with my friends, and I was constantly surprised with each new and memorable way we found to bring us closer together. These people accepted me and brought me in; they gave me a home. I will be forever grateful to them for what they’ve given me during freshman year. I don’t know how I would’ve made it through the year without them.
In closing, I did some crazy stuff this year. Stuff I’d never thought I’d get the chance to do, nor stuff that I thought I’d ever want to do. I met people who are just as insane as I am, something I didn’t think would ever really happen. I’m very fortunate to now have these people in my life, and I hope that this article conveys that one last time. I am amazed – thrilled, even – at the opportunities I’ve been given during my time here. I wouldn’t trade this semester for any amount of free Taco Mama. I have no clue how I kept up with assignments, nor how I made it to (most of) my classes on time. What I do know, however, is that I now have a place here. I’m probably going to miss Vanderbilt a lot over the summer, but really it was the people and the experiences that have so endeared this university to me. I now have the privilege of saying that I found my people. I’ve discovered the source for some of the favorite memories that I have yet to make. Thank you MCL, thank you Fliala, thank you Trauma Bonding, and thank you to every single person that made my freshman year the best year of my life. We made it.
Hopefully nobody took anything I wrote too seriously – I certainly didn’t.