A greater day

I t seems there has been a good amount of complaining,

whining and general debauchery happening in the Op-Ed section of this newspaper, and I do not evade any responsibility I have for that. I thought, however, it might be nice to have a change of pace, a switch in perspective if I may, from the past happenings to present and future. Graduation. I hope you seniors didn't set the paper down after you read that word. Yes, our years here together are

ending, (except for those of us sticking around — shout-out to the occupational therapists), but we are still experiencing a big change. Regardless, my opinion this week has little to do with that bittersweet celebration, but rather the moments leading up to it. As a senior who will be much

further away from — but not losing — some of his very good

friends next fall, obviously the next several weeks have become a bit of a treasure in my mind. We have spent the last four years creating friends and sometimes creating

foes. We have had late night conversations from Brockman

Hall to houses on Cleneay Avenue that either ended well or

caused more pain. We have loved each other and hurt each other. We have made each other smile and I'm sure we've caused a few tears. It has been quite a journey. But what do we do now that we can see the fork in the path ahead where applications must be written and choices must be

made? With less than a semester left, what do we do? Some may think this article is a bit premature since there is still some time until the day-that-must-not-bementioned, but I recently had a friend challenge me and so I pass this challenge on. Seniors, I challenge you for the weeks of the rest of this semester to take a risk, to have dinner with

a distanced friend, to have lunch with someone you hurt or

to simply spend extra time with your closest friends. The

procrastination is over and our time is short to become the Jesuit-educated men and women for others we each have the potential to be. This is our time to strengthen friendships we have and to find closure in relationships we once had. We are about to begin a new day; I don't want to begin with weight on my shoulders or pain in my heart. I want to step across that stage and know that I have friends who will meet my children, who I will call when the days get hard and who gave me life lessons I will never forget. I

want to shake the hand of Father Graham and know that I have done everything I can for this community and this University. This is the time to reflect, yes, but it is a time of action as well. A time to be you and a time to give yourself to

your community. A time to make these fleeting weeks the firm ground on which you build the rest of your life. Yes, this

journey is coming to an end, but that end (as cliché as

it sounds) is the beginning of something greater. Seniors, we have learned much about ourselves and the world from the time we've spent here together. We have fallen in love

with the community and the place. From classes in Alter to

treks across campus from Elet to Cohen, we have become part of all that is here. We have seen the good (historic presidential elections, amazing half-court shots and movements for workers' rights) but we have also seen

the bad (masked masturbators, fights and awkward Xavier

commercials). We have seen a lot as we walked down the

collegiate path together, and these weeks are the time when we live up to the Jesuit education and community

we have built together. This is our time to take action, leave our mark, build a firm foundation and make our Xavier experience a springboard for a greater day.