Laura Hutton
Co Editor-in-Cheif
When I was a junior in high school, I went on my first crazy rollercoaster. I mean upside-down, loops, just plain insane. I was afraid, but when the rollercoaster stopped, the first words out of my mouth were, “was that it?”
I’d expected the rollercoaster to be scarier and not over so quickly.
College is reminiscent of that rollercoaster ride, daunting at first, but more amazing than I thought possible. As my senior year comes to a close, I find myself thinking, “was that it?”
Before arriving on the Hill, I knew I would be writing for the Free Press and attended my first meeting the day classes began freshman year.
Each year, I have been able to advance in editor positions. After staff writing freshman year, I moved up to sports editor sophomore year. Junior year I was able to edit news first semester and became the Budapest correspondent second semester. I was then able to move up to editor-in-chief this year.
I have always known that I love to travel and my time in Budapest meant more to me than any other McDaniel semester. My desire to see the world began at a young age. When I was in third grade, I opened a bank account with the sole purpose of using the money I saved to travel to Ireland. This passion expanded to what I considered my dream job, international corresponding. I enjoyed writing and wanted to travel everywhere. A job that encompassed these aspects seemed like a natural choice.
I was finally able to visit Ireland; in fact, I was there a year ago today. After changing so much while abroad, I still find myself struggling to readjust to life on campus, and fighting the desire to be back in Budapest. I did not realize until returning home, that studying abroad allowed for an escape from the pressures of planning for the future. However, it is amazing to have the friends I made while abroad here with me on campus. We help one another maintain a balance, and the connection we formed abroad will last a lifetime.
Being on the swim team and volunteering with my gamma sigs helped ease the stresses of this year in particular. Harlow pool has been my home these four years and I will miss it more than any other place on campus. I know that I will continue to swim, and right now that seems to be one of the few definite plans.
The future is something that proved to be increasingly daunting as the year progressed, especially as newspapers continue to struggle and disappear. I would love to be able to say that I know exactly what I will be doing in the coming years; but I am not positive.
The time I spent abroad, in the pool with my teammates, and with my gamma sig sisters were some of my happiest moments at McDaniel. It feels like a goodbye not only to the Free Press, but also to the world of journalism, because I am not sure what lies ahead.
My college experience has sometimes seemed unreal. It feels like forever ago, and just yesterday that I arrived on the Hill. But graduation is just around the corner and when I ring the bell on May 23, I know that “was that it?” will flash through my head.