Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

A Whirlwind Finish

Katie D.

June 14, 2009 - 9:00 PM

Hello, faithful readers!

Finally, finally I had a day to catch my breath. The end of the term is always a busy time for UO students, especially the end of spring term. You're not only busy with finals like usual, but also with summer plans and saying summer goodbyes. To this, I added work (more than 20 hours this week) and graduation celebrations. This all resulted in a very, very busy last couple of weeks.

First, the graduation stuff. My three roommates this year all graduated this weekend. I can't even believe it. They have been wonderful roommates and have become fabulous friends as well. So we had a graduation party here, as well as other celebrations.

I also worked at the Honors College graduation ceremony as an usher and general helping hand. The Honors College has been an extremely important place for me. I truly don't know what I would do without it: the professors, staff, facility, and the other students. It is the most important part of college to me and has afforded the most incredible opportunities. So work at graduation was wonderful: cheering on the students I know, and imagining myself on that stage in a single years' time.

Graduation means that the entire University demographic changes completely. I almost wouldn't recognize the place as home. All the people I have come to know here are students or faculty or staff: they are almost all my age, and all behave in their normal patterns of student life, studies, and friendships. But suddenly Graduation arrives and family reenters the mix! Grandparents, siblings, and parents everywhere. Cameras going off every other moment. Roommates brothers sleeping on couches and floors. A family context for all the grads who I have only ever known as students, rather than as members of families.

On Saturday morning I attended the International Studies graduation. This time I was working with the American Institute, serving as sighted guide for our two blind students, and as cultural translator for the other international students there with us. I love this job for many, many reasons, but I think the most valuable thing is that it forces me to re-examine things I take for granted. Who designed the goofy grad hats? The robes? How many students graduated? Why did international studies majors choose that major? And on and on.

It is a wonderful thing to examine life on occasion, and to imagine what your expectations look like from the outside.

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Overall, this has been a great week. A great end to a great term and academic year. I worked hard, and am happy with how my classes ended. I had wonderful jobs at the university and have learned so much about myself and my goals through contact with motivated and committed people.

I suppose I should write a whole blog about this year in general: my best friends, my progress toward graduation, my home, my roommates, my favorite Eugene hangouts, my summer plans, my favorite things about the University.

I guess I'll have time to blog about all of that, since I'll still be with you this summer. I hope I'm writng interesting things for you, my faithful reader.

It is all wonderful and exciting to me. I only hope you feel the same.