BROOKE SKIBA
I had to give a speech at my high school graduation. I wanted to say something that would sum up my four years. Something that
would make people laugh, make people think and leave a lasting impression on everyone who heard me speak that day. I ended up babbling on about swimming pools and losing pets or something. There is no good way to put an experience into words, especially when you’re about to leave it behind. Nevertheless…
During my time at Wooster I have met many new people and had countless experiences that I will never forget. I found a lasting friendship in my four-year roommate; I met someone I love with all my heart; I won a bike in the C-Store drawing a week after having mine stolen; I consistently spent all my flex on macchiatos; and I’ve been to the hospital from an injury resulting from crowd surfing. Overall, I’d say my four years have been quite a success. Still, I can’t help but think back to my first night here after mo(o)ve-in. The cars driving by outside my Compton window seemed to rumble vehemently all night long, keeping me from sleeping in my new extra-long twin bed (which would only fit in my room a foot away from my roommate’s bed, who was, at the time, still a stranger). I stayed up most of the night feeling out of place and worried about the idea of being away from home for four years. It didn’t take long to feel that I had actually found myself a home away from home on this campus.
After a long, but too quick, four years, I and the other seniors are finally about to restart this process of finding ourselves in a new place. For some of us that may mean regaining our niche in our hometown, and for others, like myself, it means starting new in a place totally unknown to us. My time at Wooster has proven to me that I will find a kind of home wherever I put my heart, and I hope that the other seniors find the same in their own lives. I will miss my friends; I’ll miss the wonderful people who work here; and, of course, I will miss my furry family of campus squirrels. I encourage all underclassmen to take full advantage of the time they have left here — wear your lanyard regardless of your class year because it’s convenient, have a movie night in an empty classroom and never be too busy to go get Hartzler’s ice cream, because it’s delicious.