To all graduating Aggies

I started as a freshman at Utah State University in the fall of 2010. That means I’ve been here nearly 5 years, though internships and a religious mission sucked up some time in the middle. I’ve always loved USU and my time here, and as it comes to a close, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts, especially with fellow graduating Aggies.

We all know it’s easy to take something for granted once we’ve had it around for a long time. The other day, I realized that was exactly how I was treating USU. I had had it around for so long, it didn’t mean that much to me the last few semesters.

That was, until I was on my way down the walk that passes in front of the Ag Science and Business buildings to get to class one wintry morning, and happened to look up through the chilly air at the frosty pine trees above and around me. Then, I looked down at the many students walking around me who were heading to classes, work, lunch, meetings, naps. Not one other person seemed to have noticed the beautiful, white, sharp frost on every single pine needle and branch surrounding them. I realized I had also been spending months — years — doing the same thing: not looking around and admiring, but simply rushing from one piece of life to the next.

We started out at USU looking at every interesting building, every nook of our classrooms, every frosted tree, because college and all that comes with it was new and fresh to us. But — like anything — losing interest in something that is so “the same” comes along, and we take it for granted.

So, I wanted to share a few of the things that I don’t want to take for granted my last six weeks of this USU experience. Maybe all of us can look around more to see what is important to us here at USU.

• Old Main and Old Main Hill. I think these two are so iconic at USU, and something I have always loved about our campus. I’ve ice blocked, sledded, watched movies, napped on and run down Old Main hill so many times. I’ve enjoyed views from the top, and dreaded but also relished in the experience of hiking the stairs to the top. I’ve also loved discovering interesting rooms, offices and nooks in Old Main, and would never want any part of it changed.
• The TSC third floor. I may be a bit biased with this one, but I have had so much involvement on the third floor of the TSC, between a desk job in one of the offices, to A-Team, to the Statesman, to Service Center volunteering. But I think everyone who has taken advantage of the third floor knows that the ping pong tables and comfy couches offer a refuge and napping/studying place to all. There are ways to be more connected to the university up there, and to find purpose. Too bad life doesn’t have a third floor for everyone to visit and find so many places to be involved and make a difference in one place.
• The Quad. Whether napping in sun or running by a massive duck snow sculpture, the area of the Quad and the “A” block are all special to many students. I’ve watched movies there for start-of-semester activities, played ultimate frisbee, joined clubs at Day on the Quad, become a True Aggie, joined in the world’s longest kissing chain (are we still #1? I don’t know), and taken midnight walks over and star-gazed on the Quad. Who couldn’t love a place of nature in the middle of a world of textbooks and quizzes?
• The library. Studying until midnight, buying overpriced steamers and soup, snagging a golden table on the third or fourth floors, falling asleep at a desk back in the Course Reserves area, dancing silently to music from headphones with 100 strangers, it’s all been part of the experience. Everyone has to admit that their relationship with the library has always been a love-hate one, with good and bad coming from hours stressing, studying and laughing (out of crazed anxiety, usually) there.

USU is an incredible place, and we all take it for granted a little bit. Look around at the trees, even if you’re walking through a blizzard. Sit down on the Quad for a minute, even if you need to run to class in a minute. Stroll through the third floor of the TSC and play some ping pong before heading to work. Don’t take being an Aggie on campus for granted, because someday soon you’ll probably be in an office or at a desk far away, wishing you could take a run down Old Main hill or attend a PoBev.

— mandy.m.morgan@aggiemail.usu.edu
@mandy_morg