One last time I will wake up and go to class. One last time I’ll walk into CSTAC and French. One last time I’ll walk across campus taking in all the students wanting the semester to be over. One last time I’ll look around and see my friends before we all become real adults and start living adult lives.
There are a lot of things that we do for one last time that we don’t even realize, and we take them for granted. Longwood has been good to me these last three years, teaching me things and helping me meet some of my favorite people in the world. Longwood has also allowed me to gain the recognition of my work among my peers which is one of the greatest feeling in the world. Having your friends, classmates and professors tell you, you had a good article, video or project is something that everyone should be proud of.
School isn’t just about getting good grades and doing the bare minimum, it should be about trying to put your best work possible into the world where you aren’t yet respected as a professional. What I’ve learned however, it that as long as you’re confident in what you’re doing they won’t be able to tell you’re a student.
I owe everything I learned to the COMMunity. Without the help of Dr. Stouffer, Professor Halliday, Clint Wright and my Comm lab classes I don’t know how I would be what I am today. I also owe a lot to the athletics department for allowing me to work on Big South Network and ESPN Plus. Without them I wouldn’t have rediscovered my passion for sports broadcasting and for allowing me to create amazing relationships with coaches within the department. I owe my skills on-air to Darius Thigpen and Tj Wengert, because without them I know I definitely wouldn’t be as good as I am, and I’ve truly learned a lot from the two of them which is something I couldn’t be without.
I was only in two organizations my first year, one was club swim and the second was the Big South Network. My second year I added WMLU and that was only because Tj asked me to join and help him with sports. Without being asked I wouldn’t have met all the great people in that organization which I consider family. I’ve had so much fun with them over the past two years and that’s something I’ll never forget.
This past month I’ve joined the Rotunda, an organization that I regret not joining earlier despite my friends asking me to join. This is another organization filled with amazing people and although half of them I already know, I unfortunately haven’t been able to know the other half. I do know that they all do amazing work and I am super appreciative of all the hard work everyone does to make sure my articles look good from layout, to the photo staff, to the editors and former editors who’ve helped me out.
I’m not ready to leave but everyone has their time and the longer the stay, the more painful goodbye. If you are still reading up to this point, I challenge you to look around you and truly appreciate everything you have. I’m talking about friends, professors, roommates and experiences you’ve had. The reason behind this is because all of these things influence who you are and who you will become. I know I’m appreciative of all my friends, professors and experiences I’ve had to make me who I am today, ready or not to graduate.
Thanks Longwood,
Nick Lewis
