I’m On the Right Track baby, I Was Born this Way

It’s surreal. I keep catching myself thinking when I’ll have to book my Greyhound tickets and going wait, I won’t be back (anytime soon). Or standing in the corner trying to see if I have cell phone reception and reminding myself that I’m back in the city. Or taking the shuttle every week to Walmart to pick up groceries.

It’s the little things, those “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore” moments that keep replaying in my head. Today even without an alarm, I  woke up at 7 and began to instinctively plan my day around the gym (Merrill, I’ll miss you!). Then at breakfast, I silently and mentally commemorated Commons- especially those meals that were intended to be quick ones, but which ended up lasting for two hours due to the incredible distractions of food and people.

Congratulations!

“Today is your day!”

"You're off to great places!"

“You’re off and away!”

“You have brains in your head.”

“You have feet in your shoes.”

“You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

“You’re on your own. And you know what you know.”

“And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

Maybe it sounds cliched (and Dr. Seuss’ inspirational lines too), but I’m thankful for leaving Bates a different individual: I’ve grown.a pair of spontaneous wings (back-ups in case I need to deal with last minute changes) that have taught me to live more in the moment. I’ve learned to not dwell on the past and to move on. I’ve reverse-evolved from a night owl to an early bird. I’ve developed new interests that I’ve either picked up or abandoned- Professional dancing? Working in fashion? Advertising? Writing for a magazine? Culinary school? Who knows?!

Yet, I think the only thing that hasn’t changed is that restlessness- I still haven’t felt that I’ve taken enough advantage of all the opportunities Bates has (had) to offer. If anything, graduating from Bates has recharged me even more. It’s left me ridiculously super-energized, especially when I start working (and plan to volunteer on the weekends!)

And as I sit in my new apartment single typing this sort-of last will & testament, I can say that Bates has truly killed my fear of flying- whatever I was unsure of before I came here has taught me to build my confidence diving into the unknown. So thank you-to my classmates and professors: for sharing your paths with mine; to my work supervisors: for the kindness and advice you’ve passed to me (and for those gifts!); finally, to Bates, if you were a person, you’d be like the Megazord from the Power Rangers who come together in the ultimate big bang of flavors that do all things unimaginable to the tongue- dance, blanch, julienne, suspend- all to no end.

I’ve left the den. And I hope I can be able to guide those waiting in line. But for now: Oh, the places we’ll go!
(Fun note for those who ever instinctively dissected graduation speeches)

Yours truly,

V for Voracious Bobcat

“To love and to Cherish, ’till Death Do Us Part”

As Parents Weekend winded down, I managed to catch a wedding on campus near the Bates College Chapel this afternoon. As many Batesies know, it’s a well-known rumor that 60% of Batesies will end up tying the knot. As over-sappy as this may sound, a recent Bates grad after analysis for her senior project discovered that the accurate figure is “approximately 12.5 percent. Of the 23,356 living alums in the Bates database, 2,914 have a spouse or partner who is also a Bates alum.”

Sorry for all the romantics out there, but do remember, most of our parents (I can speak for mine, at least) met in college. You could call it a marketing strategy to attract prospective students and even more so, long-time partners, but one thing remains for certain: that this incident I’ve witnessed today demonstrates how deep the bond runs between Batesies, even down to love and to truly “cherish, till death do us part”- both of each other and our school.

And most definitely, “I do“.

Bobcat wedding cake of my own? We'll see.

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Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go, ‘Cause I’m Not Planning on Goin’ Solo

Over the week, I’m still seeing and checking in with acquaintances I haven’t seen since either last summer or junior year abroad. I’d like to point out that within each conversation, the inevitable follow-up question of “So are you working on thesis?” comes up 99.9% of the time. Although I don’t officially begin writing until next semester, it’s never too early to start garnering references (thankfully, our library is already equipped with resources for thesis writers!).

“Thesis”. A daunting word that upon uttered, its implications weigh heavily- like the elephant in the room. I’ve spoken with seniors whose faces 1) light up instantly, and their next words tumble out like unchopped gibberish- waiting to fire off in response to your usual round of questions, such as what they’re writing about, who they’re writing with, how many they’re writing, etc.) or 2) furrow nervously, and they slowly raise their Bates mugs (containing coffee, the first symptom of stress)  methodically in a monotone, “It’s going great.” That said, a word of advice to those soon-t0-be-hitched: when you propose, consider carefully the choice of your topic. Most of the time, your advisor will be there to determine whether your thesis needs zooming “in” (refining) or “out” (broadening). After you submit your proposal, you’re ready to walk down the aisle hand-in-hand til death do you part!col

Whether you marry  thesis lovingly or loathingly, the time spent together regardless will serve as a learning experience as not simply a student, but a scholar. For now, just as in any relationship, I’m still in the beginning stages of dating. However, after I decide to commit and settle down to write, I know that I won’t become the businessman from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” who is so  concerned with “matters of consequence” that I’ll forget to enjoy my last year of college (as a matter of fact, the 80′s dance was last night!). And in the end, even if thesis is to be an individual road to go down alone, I’ll take the comfort of knowing that all will have walked the same path before, with, and after me.

So, wake me up before you go-go, ’cause I’m not planning on goin’ solo.

Mount David

Yesterday I scaled the Mount David Summit. All right, not literally (although it does exist on our campus). But, it was an exceptionally educational climb-as it was a day set aside for seniors to present their projects, theses, and to share both the intellectual  and creative knowledge they’ve gained from Bates. The topics exhibited featured a broad range of interests- from photography to poetry readings, lectures to physics findings, gamelan to dance concerts, and just about everything from the catalog of courses offered here at Bates. Not only did I have the chance to support my friends in the academic spotlight, but mingle with the crowd.

There were parents, alumni, and professors galore in Pettengill- it was like one giant scholarly fishbowl, with everyone partaking “voraciously” in a culmination of didactic exchanges. And it was a spectacle where students and professors exchanged places, and enlightened each other discussing side by side. By the time it was over it was a happy ending; it was apparent that seniors left this event both tired and content that their semester’s (or year-long, depending on thesis) worth of efforts paid off- in addition to the air heavy with sentimentality of the last memories at this school. It’s really made me think in my own terms about my experience next year, as the bobcat prepares to leave its den for the final time.

On a nostalgic note, as the end of the semester creeps closer, here’s a brief comical moment from the Mount David Society Scholarship Luncheon I attended yesterday, sponsored by the Mount David Scholarship Society that’s really made a difference in my life:

It truly is electrifying that  months of hard work and dreary Maine winter weather have blossomed into something amazing (70 degrees this week- whoa!)- like a light at the end of the tunnel. I guess, April showers do bring May flowers.