by Christian Todd
News & Opinion Editor
I will be graduating this May from Rochester University, but due to the coronavirus epidemic, I will be missing out on the annual traditions of commencement, Academic Symposium and other campus final events.
It is quite surreal to think that I am not presenting in the Academic Symposium. Since I first started attending RU in fall 2016, I anticipated the day when I would present in the symposium. I would talk with people preparing to present and they would tell me that they prepare weeks in advance. I have attended many of the presentations and seen many examples of the hard work.
It seemed overwhelming, but I knew I could do it if I put my mind to it and that I would be able to gain much from it. I also knew that I would feel a sense of accomplishment because it would have represented a transition from school to the workplace for me. I would also talk with family and friends about it, hoping to invite many of them.
But, as it turns out, that is not going to happen. Though I am partly relieved that I do not have to stand in front of a decent-sized crowd, not presenting is less like a grand finale, but I still have to finished the written part of the work.
The saddest part is that I do not know when I will be back on campus. I was not expecting it to occur this soon. It has truly become a bittersweet last semester at RU.
Even though I am finishing up, I still plan on visiting the campus after I graduate. I made many great memories and I have changed in many ways over the four years that I studied at RU. This college experience has had too much of an impact on me to completely distance myself from it. While the schoolwork has been tough, I am still glad that I studied at RU. It has been a ride for sure, and I will miss it as I begin to grow as an adult.
To the students who are reading this, cherish the memories you have here. It does not feel that long ago that I started off as a freshman. It may be challenging sometimes, but it is worth it. After this whole ordeal settles down, connect with friends on campus and appreciate all that you learn.
