Editorial: Closing Remarks

As EMU heads into the final weeks of the school year, it is not hard to already look towards the summer and the possibilities that it holds. As seniors, we must look even farther.

Though it would be nice to be able to simply plan ahead for the short-term, for the summer, that is not always the case. That option is not feasible for seniors. For the first time since before kindergarten, or pre-k for those unfortunate few, we do not have a fall semester to look forward to. We do not have to determine which books we will need or with which friends we want to live. While we do have to figure out what to do this summer (which will likely include making money or some "I can't believe it's finally over" traveling), we have bigger fish to fry. What we have to determine is the beginning of the rest of our lives.

For seniors, the most common question at this stage of the semester is not "How are you doing?" or "Are you looking forward to graduating?" In actuality, the question is "What are you going to do next year?" A typical answer to such an annoying question is "Well... I might do this or that, but maybe if this works out I can do this... that is if I can manage to graduate." At least as a Mennonite or as someone affiliated with Mennonites, the option to go overseas for a year or two is enticing and for some it is the right thing to do; for others, it would simply be a way to postpone life... and loan payments.

The word "life" seems simple, but when trying to determine its outlook, the word takes a deeper, and potentially more threatening, look. Sure, college has been serving as a manner in which focus or special training in one field has taken place, but what if that is not the case? What if college was simply a way to effectively stall life for four years while managing to make your parents proud, accrue debt and make long-lasting friends?

The flipside of such a negative look at college is the new wonderful world of life that exists without limitation, without the instructions of a teacher that says "you must include this, with this much effort, to achieve this grade." Living in the United States of Opportunity is an amazing thing that no graduate, be it high school or college, should take for granted. We are lucky to have the chance for secondary education that gives us a chance to realize childhood dreams and aspirations.

Hopefully seniors as well as freshman, sophomores, and juniors will be able to find their paths. When you are able to determine what you like and are good at, your focus in college can meet your determination, desire and opportunity. It might be tomorrow that you realize your calling and life begins to change, but be open to change or it will rule you. Being open to possibility is the best advice that students can take as the semester ends-embrace life and let it take carry you to your futures. Best of luck!