Class of 2021, we (somehow) made it to the end

People always say that your time at college goes by in the blink of an eye, and I would have to agree, at least to some extent. I will be graduating from Lewis & Clark in a matter of weeks, and yet it feels like I was just moving into my dorm room in Odell Hall freshman year. But at the same time, when I try to mentally unpack all that I have experienced and learned over the past four years, I am not sure I can fully comprehend how much and in how many ways I have changed.

The person who arrived on Palatine Hill in 2017 and the version of me leaving in 2021 resemble each other (with the exception of the inevitable, gay-panic-induced bleach-blond hair transformation). However, I know that I will forever be a different person because I went through this institution.

Looking back, I am so happy that LC will be my alma mater. I do not say that because of the dorm buildings or Templeton Campus Center or even the reflecting pool — although I do adore looking out at Mt. Hood on a beautiful, clear day. What has been the most impactful for me, and what I will absolutely miss the most, is the people. The individuals who make up our community are the real heart and soul of LC, and without them, it would be nothing but an empty collection of buildings with very different architectural styles.

First and foremost, I have met the greatest friends of my life at LC. They have made me laugh and brought me comfort. They have pushed me to never give up on my dreams and they have given me the space to figure out what it means to be my authentic self. This last point probably means the most to me, as I was only just starting to explore my identity after living in the same small town for 18 years. I can only speak from my own experience, but seeing the same groups of people sitting and laughing together at the Bon, on the SOA lawn and outside J.R. Howard Hall over the years leads me to believe that others have also formed incredible friendships.

LC would also be nothing without its incredible faculty. From day one, I have had the honor of learning from some of the greatest educators I have ever encountered. Almost all of my professors have oozed compassion, brightened my days and opened my eyes to look at the world through a different lens. I am so incredibly thankful for each and every faculty member I have taken classes with, and it will be their voices and advice — often completely unrelated to course material — that I will carry with me as I tackle whatever problems await me after LC.

I also cannot look past the immense effort it has taken for faculty to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. From having to transition to online learning in the middle of last spring to teaching the entire past year in a mixture of fully virtual, fully in-person and hybrid classes, professors have had to completely transform the way they teach their courses with little time for preparation. And because most of the faculty I have spoken with say their favorite part of teaching at LC is the personal connections they make with their students, I cannot imagine how difficult it has been to only see studentsbehind masks or over Zoom.

It is a shame for all members of the LC community that this last year has been thrown off track by COVID-19, and as a senior I particularly feel for this year’s graduating class. If you are anything like me, you have had an idea of what your senior year would look like since you were a freshman. Maybe you would be living off campus, having friends over or going out on the weekends. Maybe you would be finishing up your major requirements and presenting your proudest work in a classroom packed full of your peers at the Festival of Scholars and Artists. Maybe you would be taking some easy classes and enjoying your last semester with friends and faculty before all celebrating together at commencement in May.

Instead, our senior year has featured disastrous wildfires, a grueling election season, a presidential impeachment, destructive ice storms and extended power outages, all in the midst of a global pandemic that has kept away from those whom we most looked forward to sharing this time with. It is heartbreaking, and yet after a year of seeing devastating tragedies on what feels like a daily basis in the news, I cannot help but feel a bit numb. I think it is okay, and perhaps necessary, to mourn the senior year that could have been while also celebrating the fact that we made it through the shitstorm that was the 2020-21 academic year.

To those of you who are first years, I hope you are celebrating making it through your first year of college. What a wild way to begin this journey, and I cannot wait for you to see something a little closer to normalcy in the fall. To sophomores and juniors, you got a taste of a normal college experience before the pandemic arrived, and I hope it is not too surreal as you prepare to transition back into the joys of in- person learning.

To my fellow seniors, I am so happy that we got to share even a part of our college experience together. I wish we were able to celebrate like those who came before us, but I know that we will make do with our circumstances and soldier on, just like we have throughout our time at LC. I hope you will not hate me for closing this out with a pronouncement that is so cliché, but perhaps has never meant more than it does at this moment: We made it.

This article presents opinions held by the author, not those of The Pioneer Log, its editorial board or those interviewed for background information.