Wow...My last Echo article ever. I find it hard to believe that it has been almost four years. It certainly does not seem like it was that long ago that I had my first assignment for the sports section, covering the football team - an assignment which ended with the football coaching staff refusing to talk to The Echo because they did not approve of my writing style. Since then, I have had to put a bit of a filter on my columns, because, realistically, that whole ordeal was probably more trouble than it was worth, and I have been aiming to avoid a repeat. But now I am graduating in a few short weeks, so finally I can say all the offensive little things I have refrained from saying for the past four years! Nah, I'm kidding.... Even if I can say whatever I want, I am not going to go on a tirade. I love this place too much to out on such a vindictive note. So instead, I am going to write a very clich' article, but I really don't care because it means a lot to me. It's my last chance to impart some advice and knowledge on those of you who are lucky enough to be returning to Colby in the fall.


Make sure to make the most of your four years here. This is a great place to be, and it only gets better the more you work at it. I have played four years of rugby (the best decision I made after coming to Colby), written for The Echo for four years, written for InsideColby for two years, worked in the Eustis mailroom, and had all sorts of great opportunities here. Looking back, I still wish I had done more'more outing club trips, more sports games outside of rugby, more launching water balloons (or rotten Dana produce) off of the Dana beach onto my friends (or enemies). I wish I had spentless time watching TV and more time playing campus golf or having snowball fights. I wish I had gone to more student music performances and plays. Especially to the freshmen reading this, know that your next three years are going to fly by, so do your best to do the things that you cannot do once you graduate. Because the end of college is going to hit you a lot faster than you expect, that I can guarantee.


Well, I think all I have left to write are my final expressions of gratitude to everyone who made my Colby career as fun as it was (an impossible task in 600 words). So...Echo editors, thank you for giving me some creative license in my columns and not removing every line that could possibly be construed as inappropriate or politically incorrect. Professors, thanks for the great classes, and even if the facts I learned from you may disappear over the years, the overall skills and lessons will definitely stick around. To the rugby team: the four years I have hung around you guys have probably lowered my GPA half a point and taken 10 years off my eventual life span, and I don't regret any of it. It has been an honor and a pleasure to take the field with every one of you. To my close friends, the people I could never escape in dorms and dining halls, the people I argued with about sports or inevitable weekend die games, thanks for putting up with my (sometimes ridiculous) shenanigans over the years. It has been an absolute blast. And to every person out there who ever read one of my articles and laughed, smiled, got angry, was offended, cried (doubtful, but who knows) or was in any way affected by what I had to say, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings, and thanks for Playin' the Field with me.