My Final Daily Beacon Column

Welcome, my friends, to my final column. Ever. This is the last time my writing will appear in The Daily Beacon — at least until I win the Pulitzer in literature and UT does what it does best and capitalizes on the fame and talent of its alumni — talent it had no hand in cultivating. Go Big Orange!

The end of my columns caps off the end of my college years. I say “college years” rather than “college experience” because technically, everything that happens to us is an “experience,” and despite the positive connotations “experience” might carry, not all of it was positive.

A lot of it was, though; I did enjoy college. I will miss it. From every late paper to each missed 8 a.m. class, from all of my poorly done assignments to each useless and/or boring class to drunk nights with friends and sober nights without friends. It was a wonderful experience, one that I will soon bleach from my memory as I move on along with the rest of the world.

Honestly, I have never been one for goodbyes, so allow me to offer the following without appearing too hokey.

I hope anyone reading this has an enjoyable college year or years to come, and if I were to offer any advice, it would be to keep thinking, keep going and keep those close to you close to you. You have time on your hands, and you have a choice: Use it wisely or don’t. Perhaps the following quote may help explain things:

“On a large enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone will drop to zero.” — Chuck Palahniuk, “Fight Club”

I may not have always used all my time efficiently, but what I did use has provided me with strong bonds and wonderful memories. Besides what I listed above, there is much more that I will miss.

I will miss roasting marshmallows on the Torchbearer. I will miss my French theater class and the wonderful people in it. I will miss weekend trips to Nashville and late-night trips to Cades Cove. These activities and many more, essentially arbitrary next to the time I spent.

I will miss the time I spent among friends, time spent wisely. Time has a limited quantity, so why not put aside your ego and appreciate your friends while you still can instead of holding grudges and ending friendships over trivial disputes? Why not live for what you have instead of what you might have? Why not deal with it when it comes and concentrate on the present, today, all that matters?

I believe in that. I believe in much more. I believe in love. Love and peace, and if those don’t work, then go ahead and kill ‘em all — but seriously I believe there is a common truth in the world, a universal language understood by all, heard by few not deaf to its whispers. Call it what you will. A common consciousness, a common spirit, a god, whatever — I believe it exists and that everyone has the capacity to understand it, though few are willing to. A heart, a beat, a rhythm, it pulses.

Somewhere within, dawns the truth. From the outskirts, we may glimpse heaven.

I believe in friendship, brotherhood and unity. The best solution to any problem? Rise above it, rise above that level and set an example for others to follow. There are few leaders in this world. Few individuals. Few people willing to think for themselves and fight for their beliefs. Be one of them, and you stand to gain everything and lose nothing.

As far as friendship goes, I have been blessed to have a set of good people at my side. Each of you — even the ones I no longer speak to — I have learned from all of you, and it is to you that I address this one final part.

You call me and I call you. I see you and you see me. I see you, my friend, wounded. How I want to take you and heal you, inside and out, how I want to grant you strength to endure all your trials. Together, we have endured.

Together, we have come a long way.

And such a long way yet to go. My final advice? Keep going, stopping on occasion to enjoy the scene.

I’d like to thank you for stopping on this occasion. Enjoy yourselves, and help someone else enjoy themselves too.

Farewell.