Well, this is it.
Like many of my friends and classmates, I will be a college graduate in two weeks. For most seniors, this is a stunning realization that has yet to sink in. At the risk of sounding too cliche and overly sentimental, how did the past four years fly by so quickly? It seems like just yesterday I arrived in Gainesville as a wide-eyed freshman, clinging nervously to my campus map and feeling so cool to be sitting in my first college lecture hall. Oh, those were the days.
Considering this is my last weekly opinions column for the Alligator — and yes, I am feeling slightly emotional and sappy about it — I want to use this space to share some final thoughts and express my gratitude.
First of all, thank you to the friend who encouraged me to apply to be an opinions columnist. You relentlessly bugged me about it, mostly because you were kind of desperate to hire enough columnists for the semester, but also because you knew I could do it. I am so glad I finally listened.
On that note, thank you to my readers. I hope I have done a decent job of entertaining and informing you these past two semesters. I have learned so much from displaying my opinion for all of you to see, despite how uncomfortable it could be at times.
When I started writing this column in August, I felt intimidated by the prospect of sharing my opinion on such a public platform. What if people posted nasty comments online in response to my articles? What if I accidentally ended up offending someone and giving the wrong impression?
Thankfully, I have finally learned this incredibly important lesson: The freedom to speak your mind is more important than the possibility of other people not liking what you have to say.
Do not ever be afraid to express your opinion, even if it may be unpopular or controversial. Sometimes people may celebrate you for it, and sometimes they may try to shame you. Either way, you have the right to share your beliefs, and anyone who tries to silence you is not worth your time.
With that being said, having a strong opinion does not mean you shouldn’t try to have some empathy. We can passionately defend our convictions while still being open to asking other people why they feel differently.
I am consistently amazed at how disrespectful people on different sides of an argument can be to each other. If you disagree with someone’s point of view, feel free to attack what they are saying, but do not attack their character as a human being. A little kindness will go a long way.
And so, readers, I hope you know how much I have enjoyed sharing my opinion with all of you this year. For those of you who are getting ready to say goodbye, I hope you feel happy and confident as you prepare to take on the world. If you find yourself struggling to hold it together, try not to completely freak out yet. Though this feels like the end of something great, it is also the beginning of something even better.
I wish all of you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
Moriah Camenker is a UF public relations senior. Her column appears on Tuesdays.
[A version of this story ran on page 7 on 4/21/2015]
