Goodbye College

As I set in a crowded lecture hall last night marking the answers in my management 3000 test, it hit me. This would be the last time I have to fill in these ridiculous bubbles. I realized I was in the middle of my last college test.

I look back at my college career that ends in a week and remember the fun times, the occasional bad times, and what I have learned in my time at the University of Missouri.
I remember some of the more important advice that i received in the last three and a half years in Columbia.

One piece of advice I remember came from Greeley Kyle: "Don't try to hard to hit home runs because you usually strike out." I realize now the importance of this lesson. This lesson, like so many others, I learned the hard way when I was arrested for trying to get better shots in a story about a rollover accident on I-70. I ran across the highway after authorities disguised in jeans and T-shirt instructed me not to do so. I thought better shots awaited me on the other side of the highway but I could have gotten a great story if I stayed put. Instead, I spent the rest of that morning in a holding cell and lost a story. I had struck out.

The above story fits the mold of those bad experiences, but now I look back at it and laugh. I do the same with most of the other horror stories I have from reporting, and from pledging a fraternity.

There were also some great times including sporting events like, the basketball game against Kansas in 2009 and the Oklahoma game this year. I also made a ton of friends and enjoyed the little free time I had as a student. Unlike some, I will not pretend I did not party in my college days. In fact the ability to relax and enjoy my weekends is the only way I survived the challenging convergence reporting class. I made friends that will last a lifetime. This partying was only in moderation and did not interfere with any of my other obligations, which is exactly as it should be.

As a journalist, there have been a lot of excellent times too. I was courtside the Big 12 men's basketball tournament in Oklahoma City with 4 friends. I got be on the sidelines for the above mentioned Oklahoma game and interviewed an idol of mine in Chris Fowler. I did play-by-play for NCAA regional games for both soccer and softball. I traveled with the volleyball team to do play-by-play for them for three seasons. However, one of the best times I had reporting was covering a Moberly High School soccer game. The people were great and the game gave me a new appreciation for soccer.I also had an excellent experience reporting a news story in Mexico, Missouri. The story was about a dangerous train track that had two feet of clearance for the train on either side of the tracks. The people I interviewed were incredibly kind, and I spent an hour having a conversation with them. The people of Mexico, Missouri impressed me with their kindness once more when I covered the Miss Missouri pageant. The people of Mexico, Missouri are the nicest I have met anywhere.


I enjoyed my reporting experiences, my social experiences,and almost all my other experiences. My time at the University of Missouri will always be three and a half years of fond memories.