IMG_2440_editAnne Shaffer
Staff Writer

Oh, crap. I’m graduating. Oh, great! I’m graduating! Oh, great. I have suddenly developed bipolar disorder. Graduation bipolar disorder.
Probably like 95 percent of the graduating population, I am starting to feel a little stressed and yet a little excited by the approaching commencement ceremony. I do not know what I am doing with my life. I have no job yet. I do not know if I am going to grad school.
There is so much that I am unsure about. It’s an emotional whirlwind over here.
But now that things are winding down (sort of), I have had a few minutes to sit down and reflect on what I have done here at Millersville.
If I had gotten my degree after two years, it would not be a very long list. I did not do much in my freshman and sophomore years of college. I was too focused on my schoolwork and too terrified of failure to even contemplate getting into activities.
I still have the “fear of failure” problem. I’m working on it.
The real change came when I declared my minor, print media studies. Then, one of my professors pitched The Snapper to us for extra credit opportunities. He also mentioned that it looks nice on a resume to actually have a portfolio.
Since I lacked one of those, of course I jumped at it.
Pardon me while I wax sappy here, but I can honestly say that deciding to become a part of The Snapper was the best decision I made while in college.
I do not say this just because it is the organization I joined so I have a natural bias. That is part of it, admittedly, but I learned so much about myself, about writing and about doing journalism properly since I became a part of The Snapper staff.
I have been through being a writer, an assistant editor and an associate editor. I have been through interviews, deadlines, taking pictures, writing captions, coming up with headlines and editing people’s articles. All of these things made me laugh and cry by turns.
While I was a part of The Snapper staff, I’ve done more things that are a typical part of the college experience than I ever would have without it. I have been introduced to some of the funniest, craziest, most wonderful people on campus who I would also have never met without being on the staff.
They made me nuts—I would never get any work done once some people (who shall remain anonymous) showed up—but they also made me laugh and laugh until my eyes watered. The Flex money on the smoothies was not wasted.
Even if they did make me nuts, I am intensely grateful for the great times that we all went through down in the office. We may have cursed and thrown things (usually not at each other), been mad, yelled at Quark and been in bad moods, but I would never trade the stress of The Snapper for a peaceful Tuesday night. They have made me more enthusiastic about journalism, and while I am still nervous about my future, I am also excited, too.
So while I am getting ready to walk across the stage, simultaneously laughing and crying, wishing I was still a junior and glad to be a senior, I’m going to think of you guys. To close: thank you, seriously. It’s been a great run, and I’m going to miss you.