Katherine Daniel ~ Editor in Chief
As I sit here writing this opinion piece, it hits me that this is the last time I will be writing an opinion piece as the Editor-in-Chief for the University of Lynchburg and the Critograph. In this piece, I want to reflect over the years of being a part of this university, reasons why I chose the university as my place to call home for the past three years of my undergraduate degree, and want to thank those who have helped me along the way through my time at UofL.
The University of Lynchburg has been my home away from home for the past three years. There are so many opportunities for students to get involved with on campus, whether that be sororities/fraternities, clubs/organizations, or sports. During my time here at the university, I have gotten involved with club softball, the Critograph, university ambassadors, and Alpha Phi Omega. Through these clubs and organizations, I have made so many friends and I am very thankful for those friendships. So if you are reading this right now, get involved with different organizations or clubs on campus. These people have become some of my greatest friends, so if you are looking to make more friends on campus, this is definitely a way to do so. UofL host many events and one of my favorites is doggies on the dell. My first year here at the university, I went to that event and thought it was the best event ever because I did not worry about being homesick or stressed about classes for an hour with all of the puppy love. Now, being in my senior year and a commuter student, I got to bring my dogs to the university for other students to play with and let their stress of classes disappear for a couple hours. Just to know I was in some of the freshman footsteps back then, makes me smile to know I might have helped them take their stresses and worries away for a couple of hours by bringing my dogs to campus.
I started my college search process in the eighth grade. I was dead set on going to play ball in college. I had wanted to study different things: marine biology, speech pathology, or physical therapy. When I was in my college search process in my senior year of high school, I was debating whether I wanted to play softball in college or focus more on my education. I also had decided maybe the science route was not for me, so I would do communications instead. I applied to big schools and small schools and it was hard at first to narrow down my college search to a top 10. My number one school, where I was going to go play softball at, rejected my application. I was honestly crushed and so embarrassed. I did not know where to go from there. I then narrowed my list down to the top three schools: University of Lynchburg, Coastal Carolina, and Meredith College. What made me decide to go to the University of Lynchburg, was the small class sizes, the one-on-one conversations you could have with professors, and the beauty of the campus. When I came for a scholarship competition earlier that year, I instantly felt that I could really call the place my home away from home, so I did and I have loved this place for the past three years.
There are many people I would like to thank, who have helped me on my journey in my undergraduate level. First off, I would like to thank UofL for accepting me into this university and for allowing me to pursue my education. Secondly, I would like to thank the Communications Studies department for being the best and always being amazing professors. The communications department at UofL have truly made my experience the best and I cannot thank you all enough. Some of those professors I would like to give a big thank you to are: Dr. Lewis, Dr. Mike, Dr. Roux, Dr. J.E., Dr. Noel, and my advisor, Dr. Langett. Thank you to all of you who have made my experience in the classroom the best and I have enjoyed you all as my professors. Thirdly, I would like to thank the Critograph for allowing me to be your Editor-in-Chief for the past two years. This job not only has prepared me for the “working world” but has allowed me to make so many connections with people and have many experiences that some college students might not get to have. The thrill of being able to tell stories to the campus body has been amazing and I will never forget the memories I have made with this position. Fourthly, thank you to my mom, who has supported me through this journey. All of the late night calls and advice has helped me get through these past three years.
I honestly cannot believe I have this week of classes and next week of exams left, and I am done with my undergraduate degree. I hope that every student that comes to UofL gets to have some of the best experiences and memories. I know I have, and I am going to miss it once it is all over in two weeks.