Seniors reflect on four years

Laura Gieseking & Jo Teeters
Sfaff Writers
May 6, 2004, Page 1

The caps and gowns are ordered, all the final papers and projects are due, and with graduation only a week away, seniors are looking ahead to life beyond Doane.
As their eyes gaze forward to the future their minds are looking back.The past four years have created many memories. However, seniors would rather forget some of them.
“I had a really bad freshman year, I had to go through six roommates,” senior Anne Golden said. “From language barriers to being allergic to deodorant, my roommates gave me terrible circumstances to work with.”
Senior Wyatt Webster said that he himself was to blame for his worst memory.
“I would have to say the worst experience was stressing myself out,” Webster said. “I was kidding myself, thinking I could take on all these responsibilities and not be stressed.”
Though seniors have had their share of bad memories, most find themselves smiling at the good.
Senior Aaron Hall said he will never forget his adventures on his freshman interterm trip to Washington, D. C. with fellow senior Jonathon Hoke.
“We had two missions and completed them,” Hall said. “We invaded the White House, got two VIP passes to visit the Kennedy Center and got to sit in the presidential suite.”
For many seniors, this year has also proven to be unforgettable.
“I had some really big highs and lows this year,” Golden said. “I got the Homecoming Duchess and that was really great. But a couple of months later they found a blood clot in my leg and I had to miss school for a month and a half.”
For senior Andrea Clark, the setting for her senior year was unexpected, as she interned with the Department of Corrections for most of her spring semester.
“I spent more time in prison than in the classroom,” Clark said.
Some seniors wanted to have a more relaxed and enjoyable year.
“After having three majors and 20-25 credit hours a semester, I took a few summer classes to lighten the load,” Hall said. “I wanted to enjoy the aspects of college, such as camaraderie and being involved in HLP events.”
Though the seniors’ time at Doane is nearing its end, the rest of their lives are just beginning.
For some seniors the future is clear.
Hall said that he is going to Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, after which he will pursue a military career as either an intelligence officer or a J. A. G. core officer. His long-term goals include owning his own business and becoming a United States senator.
For others, the future remains unknown.
“I plan to find a job or possibly go to grad school,” Hoke said.
Soon, seniors will throw their caps in celebration and leave Doane to embark on their new lives. But the experience of Doane will always stay with them.
“‘Carpe diem!’ It is Latin for ‘seize the day’,” Webster said. “Realize that even though Doane is just a four-year experience, the bonds you make are for a lifetime. And realize you never know what tomorrow will hold.”