Tower Editorial

In 2013 a few hundred students, mainly from “right outside Philly” and a couple other towns, showed up on the CUA campus for orientation knowing nothing and nobody. They went to a few classes, complained about the food in the Pryz, changed their major two or four times, made, lost, and made some more friends, learned French, developed a taste for gin and tonics, wrote bucket lists and crossed things off, and they remembered most of it. Those same students, give and take some members, are together in the feat they have accomplished even if they don’t realize the connection.
In two weeks, the Class of 2017 will be gone from this campus. Some with plans, but many still avoiding answering the eminent “what are you doing after graduation” from nosy aunts and friends who already got hired. No longer the awkward, naïve, over-confident freshmen who took part in Playfair orientation weekend, jobs are sure to come along.
CUA hasn’t always been the best to us or for us. The days of #NAKASNATION and Curley Court are over and all that remains is one snow day a semester and mice in the mills. And us.
It’s easy to lose yourself in college. Pick up a minor in something totally unrelated to your major, decide you like coffee because you need to pull two all-nighters in Mullen in the same week, and actually learn to think independently outside of the opinions of your parents.

Plans or no plans, jobs or no jobs, the entire graduating class is together in the experiences had as a generation in Catholic U’s history. As students at Catholic we have ideas, we have opinions, and we have memories no matter if we are a freshman finishing our first year or a senior crying into their black polyester gown.

In two weeks, the graduating class will no longer have a quick answer of major and hometown when introducing themselves, it’s time to start thinking outside of CUA to form our identities. But it will always be a part of us.

So maybe you never skinny-dipped in the Law School Fountain. Maybe you never shotgunned a beer, maybe you had the same friends since orientation, maybe you never talked to the person you see in Starbucks every day and you’re pretty sure is your soulmate, but you made friends here, you made memories here, and you undoubtedly learned here.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017 for your favorite moments, worst memories, bad habits, and genuine accomplishments.