As editor in chief of The Setonian for this coming academic year, I want to thank you all for reading. Whether you are diving into our 16 page publication every Thursday as it comes off the press, or even if this is the first and last time you'll open a copy, your participation means so much. The Setonian encourages feedback from our audience - faculty, administrators, students, parents, strangers on the web, etc.
As I ventured on campus to begin my 'last first day' of college, a range of emotions fell over me. Although I was excited that I was finally a senior and considered the big dog on campus, I also felt scared thinking about the near future. In just over nine months, it will be time for me to step out of the utopia that I call college and enter into the real world.
That mystical moment the near future held all summer, the one I waited patiently and impatiently for was finally here. It was move-in day, Aug. 23. I had my sights set on this date since the moment I received that acceptance letter, when the next chapter of my life would finally begin.
As the school year begins, excitement over the new addition to campus is certainly unavoidable. Dunkin' Donuts has arrived and has already been a hit for students as well as faculty. The line has almost constantly been out the door and wrapped around the library at any given hour. The new question that everyone is asking on campus seems to be "Have you grabbed a snack from the new Dunkin'?"
My Fellow Pirates,
Two days after I sent in my application to Seton Hall I turned on the television to watch the news after a long day at school and the top news story was about a man who had driven on to this campus, shot himself in his car, and walked into a residence hall, bleeding at the stomach from the wound.
As was reported on page one of The Setonian this week, the Theatre Council shake up has many of its members up in arms. The proposed leadership change could potentially remove the Theatre Council student executive board, giving sole say over the operation of the Theater Council to one individual and the faculty.
Four years at Seton Hall can't teach you every life lesson. Sometimes, you learn from the people around you - people who hurt you. That's where the real lessons are learned.
Since day one at Seton Hall, the one thing we learned is to be mindful of everything that's been given to us, and to pay it forward. The countless hours of community service that we did freshman year and beyond instilled that in us.
It is no secret that the journalism profession has constantly evolved over the past few decades. What was once dominated by personalities such as Edward R. Murrow or Walter Kronkite has now taken many forms. From professionals to citizen journalists to student journalists, the practice of journalism is continuing to grow, yet many fear it has ceased to prosper.
If you came here expecting to read about how great my life has been over the last four years, now would be a good time to turn the page and find something else to read.
Is the choice of college major solely made out of passion for a person's particular course of study? Or, has the single biggest decision at the beginning of every student's college career become littered with ambiguity by the gravities of society's economic pressures to make a certain base salary right after graduation?
It was around this time in my freshman year when I came very close to submitting applications to transfer out of Seton Hall. I would have gone anywhere, but I was pretty sure I wasn't staying here.
I have to admit, Seton Hall was not my first choice. In fact, it was my safety school, and last on the list of schools I ever wanted to attend. I'm not sure why I drastically changed my mind to enroll, but I'm glad I did.
For several years, criminals who have developed good prison records have been given the opportunity to come to Seton Hall and speak to students in criminal justice classes. While some may undoubtedly feel somewhat uneasy at the idea of having convicted criminals on campus, it is important to point out the invaluable lessons that can be generated from this kind of interaction.
What if? Two words, and that's it. That's all it takes to stop me in my tracks and make me think. But that's life. It's full of questions that I can't answer; that no one will ever be able to answer. What if I decided to play basketball rather than volleyball in college? What if I didn't choose Seton Hall? What if I stayed a graphic design major? What if I wasn't a sports copy editor for The Setonian?
September 2008, I was a little freshman, far from home, volunteering every Wednesday night for the Setonian. Four years later, still little, now the Graphic Design Editor writing my senior column at one of my last Setonian production nights.
It's that time of year, when everyone finds themselves looking back. Seniors, in particular, are probably looking back on the past four (or more) years and wondering where the time went. Four years ago, I was a shy, impressionable freshman who didn't drink coffee or even know who Lady Gaga was. (I know - Gaga has been on the mainstream music scene for less than four years. Don't you feel old now?)
As reported on the front page of The Setonian this week, the University is planning campus-wide renovations that would improve on-campus living and recreation services. Among these planned improvements are the anticipated addition of a Dunkin' Donuts in Walsh Library and massive improvements to the Richie Regan Athletic Center.
Solutions by The State News
