Senior Farewell
By Tiffany Lee, Staff Writer

“It seems like only yesterday we started, but soon we'll put away our books and pens…”

Hard to believe, but by the time this issue of Generasian is launched, senior year will be half over. With one more semester to go in our college careers, it seems like it really was only yesterday that we were these bright-eyed, eager freshmen coming to NYU, ready to hit the ground running in the city like no other, that would become our campus.

As the class of 2005, we’ve been through a lot, more than most graduating classes can say they have. We all know what started things off for us in 2001, on that fateful Tuesday morning in September. We were either in bed or class when tragedy hit, changing the way we approached our everyday lives in the city. Our lives would never be the same, but despite the sense of loss and disbelief we felt and perhaps still feel, we came out as better individuals – stronger and more united than we would have been had it not happened. Through the endless volunteering and lending a helping hand whenever possible, we’ve come out okay. In fact, more than okay.

After 9/11, some of us decided to leave, but most of chose to stay and follow through with our plans to study in the city that never sleeps. Granted, we don’t live and learn in what’s associated with your stereotypical picturesque campus, with the rolling green trees and Grecian-columned buildings. Come to think of it, I always saw myself attending one of those suburbanite schools, but looking back now, I don’t regret coming here. New York City has always been the happening place to be – the center of business, the arts, music, and culture. You name it, NYC’s got it. Even at 3 in the morning, you can walk out your dorm, turn the corner, and find something cool going on. It is so diverse in all aspects; we joined here three and a half years ago at the crossroads of the world. Our classmates range from our next-door neighbors from back home, to people from all fifty states, to students studying here from halfway around the world. We’ve brought our experiences together to create our own college one. In doing so, we’ve met some amazing people and made a lot of great friends along the way.

And so with our major credits winding down, we look forward to our last semester as we take in our final moments of undergraduate life. For those of us who dormed, we won’t forget the excitement of moving into the Big Apple, meeting our roommates, having to eat dining hall food and then cooking ourselves, just basically living on our own for the first time. For the commuters, it was always nice to have the best of both worlds – hanging around campus for the day, and then being able to go home, have your mom cook you dinner, sleep in your own bed, and not have to worry about fire alarms at 4:30 in the morning. Outside of class, we learned how to navigate the streets and avenues of the city, check out hot spots like Spice and Saint’s Alp, and of course, we got acquainted with the NYC subway system along the way. When we weren’t busy exploring everything the city has to offer, we got ourselves involved in clubs and organizations fueled by our interests, taking on leadership roles and doing things you’d never dreamt you’d be doing back in high school.

We’ve accomplished a lot in this short amount of time, but we can’t help but feel senioritis kicking in. Mixed in with classes and work, we’re all busy preparing for the next stage in our lives, whether that may be full-time employment or grad school. It’s a pretty stressful time. (Senior year of college is nothing like it was in high school!) A lot of you are probably anxious to get out of here and move on, but try to savor the few months that remain. College is a one-time shot, the best time of our lives, so don’t be so quick to forget it. Remember what you learned in class and from your peers; take your experiences outside of class and keep them handy for future use. Be grateful for the professors who inspired and challenged you to think differently. The same goes for the friends who’ve been at your side, (some since freshmen orientation!) Take advantage of all the opportunities that have been presented to you. Through the ups and downs, it has been a great four years. To put it simply: Cherish where you are in your life right now. Reflect upon past times and make them memories. Aspire to see what you want to see and become who you want to be in the future.

So on May 12th, we’ll find ourselves sitting in Washington Square Park, ready to toss our caps into the air after that last speech, as we think to ourselves…“Soon NYU will be just a memory. Our four years here have all become unraveled, and so our college story finally ends.”

Congratulations Class of 2005!