What makes a moment

W hen looking back on my college career I ponder what I really learned. Or, more importantly, the most important thing I learned. No doubt the information I obtained in my courses

relating to the career I hope to have is critical. I have already

discovered that I had wonderful professors who taught me how to be a good musician and teacher. I was taught how

to write, compose, analyze and perform. Still, are those tangibles really what the four year journey is about? I honestly don't believe so. It is not the events I think I'm going to remember and certainly not all the paper topics I worked on for hours into the night. Nope, it's the people I shared those times with. Those people who were with me during good and bad times, painful and joyous situations and stressful and relieving moments. I am talking about relationships, or friends if you like. Learning to develop and

maintain successful relationships with people, I believe, is the most important thing you can learn in college. I have developed friendships that I will hold onto my whole life. There are people in my life that have put so much effort into getting to know me, and me them, that it wouldn't be worth all the money in the world to let them go. I see seniors getting ready to graduate spending so much time with their friends and I think that they will agree with me when

I say those friendships are the best thing that came out of their college careers. They may love sports or a club or a performing group but, though they will remember the great events that took place, the part that means the most to them is who they did those things with. I spent some time traveling this past summer and though I saw some

amazing things and went to some amazing places, my most

memorable experiences were shared with others. We as humans aren't meant to live life alone or spend great

amounts of time in solitude. Now, I will agree as much as the

next person that a little alone time now and again can be very soothing. That being said, you're not going to remember that as your favorite time in life. Ask yourself this question. "In your favorite memory, are you by yourself?" I bet most of you will say, "no." All this being said, I want to tell

those of you who aren't graduating this year to continue to make friends and forge relationships that you believe to be

life-altering. Get to know someone so well that you can finish eachother's sentences, guess their next move in a

game or practically know them better than yourself. Someone that in 20 years you could live next door to and it

would be like you never left each other. I want to tell my fellow seniors that I'm going to miss all of you. So many of you have made a positive addition to my life and I will be

forever grateful. Even though I think I'm ready to move on to

the real world, I would never doubt that this has been one

of the greatest times in my life. I have learned a lot and

had more fun than I will probably be willing to admit someday.

Best of luck to everyone and I wish you success and happiness.