By: Christian Cullen, Staff Writer

It is rather strange to be writing this. It is becoming ever more real by the day that my time at Xavier is ending. There are a lot of lasts coming up. My last time at the caf, my final student Mass at Bellarmine and now, my final Newswire piece. It should be like any others. I’m sitting on the same couch I’ve written all my other pieces before. It’s just another article, but it’s not. 

Everyone takes their goodbye piece in different ways. Some go rebellious and fan the flames, some go out with humility and in thanks and others go for funny. I had been debating how to write this for the past week. Maybe there will be some deep wisdom people can take from this, but what I hope is understood is my deepest appreciation for people taking the time to listen to what I have to say.

I never really expected to write for Newswire. The start for me was kind of funny. My sophomore year roommates were on Newswire and showed me a controversial article. I read it and thought, “if they’ll publish that then I certainly can write for them.” 

I also failed to attend my first like five meetings. But I eventually started going, branched out and did some local pieces and some for A&E. Something I never would have expected to be a part of my life became a weekly meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Gallagher Student Center room 330. I am, and will always be, quite happy that I did show up to the meetings.

I mainly resided in the opinion section. I’d joke and say that I get paid 20 bucks for having a thought. I have enjoyed the opportunity to get on my soapbox and shoot my belief out into the world each week. Take advantage of an opportunity like that. 

This is not just a goodbye to Newswire, but to Xavier as well. It is certainly no fun to be leaving home when you feel like you found it. But off into the world I go. The places and people that have been the foundation of my time here will forever be with me. As a very sappy senior, I hope that any underclassmen reading know that the best advice is to throw yourself into this experience. You (hopefully) get one shot at college. 

As I reflect on my time at Xavier, what I have ironically thought the most about was the final lesson I had in high school. “Don’t let the perfect ruin the good.” This phrase was all that my spirituality teacher had written on the board on my last day. 

When you reflect on your own time at Xavier, I hope you can see it as good. It may not have been what you expected, and it may not have been what you wanted and I can just about guarantee it wasn’t perfect. But I hope it was good. 

There are ups and downs to everything here. Xavier is in a moment of change and things will likely be quite different when I come back for alumni weekends. No place is perfect, I have written many opinion pieces that are quite critical of the school, but you shouldn’t seek perfection – you should seek out goodness. I do believe that Xavier is full of it. Fight for that goodness. 

As I come into the home stretch of my time here, and in this article, I am overcome with so many emotions. Joy. Sorrow. Sadness. Excitement. Worry. All mixing together into a strange feeling, which I think is just about the only word that works for this time. Xavier is filled with the memories that have made me who I am, the people that have made me who I am, and the love that made me who I am. For that, I will be eternally grateful. For now, the curtain closes, and I must say goodbye. I loved every second.