By: Luke Byerly ~Managing Editor~

People expect me to tell you that Xavier is special to me because of some sappy reason that distinguishes us from other schools. The administration would probably love that, but something like that would be a lie. It would be misleading if I told you that I really love this school because it’s inclusive, because the campus is beautiful and because I got a good education, even though those things are true.

I don’t love this school, but I do love the people here. In 10 years, I won’t be able to tell you anything about most of the other things that happened during college, but I will be able to tell you about the great times my friends and I had in between the work.

I’m probably not going to tell my kids about how Dr. Quinn described Nietzsche’s philosophy, but I’ll sure as hell tell them about the time my friends snuck a keg into Kuhlman freshman year or the times during sophomore year when we stayed up until 5 a.m. studying for organic chemistry tests. As a sidenote, 5 a.m. is when you really get to know people, so thanks for that, Dr. Mullins.

I’ll tell them about how ridiculous the nights at Mr. Pitifuls got senior year and those late nights with my best friends at Dana’s.

Friends are not the reason that we come to college, but it turns out they’re the reason we actually get through all of the bureaucracy of higher education. Between the tests, the presentations, the ridiculous number of forms for clubs and work, your friends turn out to be the only reason you keep up with everything.

So, I guess my advice for the Xavier community is to not get blinded by everything else. The other things are still important. Your job, your grades, your clubs, you can’t forget about those things. But as soon as you sacrifice your friends for those things, it’s already over. You’ll wake up one day with too many regrets.

Don’t be afraid to dream big. You can accomplish a lot in these four years, but keep yourself grounded in reality. At the end of sophomore year, I was doing well in school, I had a great internship, I was leading some clubs and I was having a blast with my friends. But, things took a turn for the worse during junior year after a certain physics department misled me. I switched one major and took on one of the most difficult double majors at Xavier on the promise that it would be manageable… it wasn’t. I tried to be a hero. I honestly can’t tell you about anything from that lost year because I barely saw my friends.

But as soon as I stopped and put my own happiness back as a priority, everything got better. My grades recovered, I did better at my internship and, most importantly, I made some really great memories with my friends. I was disappointed with what happened, and it really derailed my plans for after graduation, but my friends helped me turn it around. I’m happy now and really proud of what I did here.

So in a last-ditch effort to convince you, here’s what I got to do when I was prioritizing my happiness at Xavier. I got to know my squad. I got to make a ton of memories that I’ll never forget with them. I got to fall in and out of love a few times. I got to write a 60 page thesis that I’m immensely proud of and incorporate a Chainsmokers song into it. I was Managing Editor of a damn fine newspaper. I made it to regionals with the Ultimate Frisbee team while wearing a One Tree Hill jersey for every game. I got to celebrate when my friends and I got our jobs for next year. I found out who I really am and what is really important in life.

So, don’t just exist at Xavier, actually live. Let yourself be happy with the people around you. Find happiness and yourself during college. You’re young, and you have time. Stay woke.

Sincerely,

Lucas Scott #3 Shooting Guard