As a graduating senior, I can say that UCA has been a fulfilling experience. Not all of my time here has been the best, but overall, I feel like I learned something worthwhile. I learned more from my peers and from other students than I thought I would as well as a great deal from my professors. I learned that politicians are the same all the way down to student government and that the Student Government Association cares less about representing its “people” than it does about advancing its own agendas. My challenge to the organization is this: We are the youth. We should be making the change. Represent the interests of everyone, not just yours, or we’re no better than the politicians running the country.
I would like to thank the Physical Plant for keeping campus looking as beautiful and clean as it can. I know it’s hard to work around Arkansas weather. I would like to thank the Student Activities Board for the things it does for the students on campus.
I would not like to thank the administration and those misusing university funds for dumb things like brick-stamped sidewalks, a purple and gray striped football field or a second pool on campus because the current one isn’t new enough.
Gripes aside, my time here has been worth the money and I hope to go on and become famous so I can give back to the university that gave me a stepping stone into the world.
I would like to use the second half of my column to thank the UCA professors who made an impact on my life. In the History department, I’d like to thank Associate History professor Don Jones, for the best world history class I’ve ever had and Associate History professor David Welky for the best American history class I’ve ever had. I’d like to thank professor Carl Olds for an incredible film class. In the philosophy and religion department, I’d like to thank Adjunct Philosophy professor Julia Winden-Fey, for the most interesting and unique class I took at UCA (Religion in Popular Culture); Associate Philosophy professor Jacob Held, for teaching me about philosophy in an interesting and unique way and Associate Philosophy professor Jim Deitrick, for forcing me to explore other cultures.
In the Mass Communication department, I’d like to thank Lecturer of Journalism David Keith, for sparking my interest in journalism and giving me a direction to follow after college and Assistant Journalism professor Polly Walter for forcing me to keep a portfolio, because I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I’d like to thank professor Julie Monty and Lecturer of French Melanie Giraud for making French interesting enough to learn.
In the English department, I’d like to thank Associate English professor Isaiah Lavender for forcing me to be engaged in class, a habit I’ve carried since; English professor Wayne Stengel for looking at things and teaching in a truly unique way; Department Chair and English professor Jay Ruud for making the English language’s history interesting and for finally teaching me the right way to write a research paper; English professor Phillip Anderson, for giving me a new appreciation of Homer and epic poetry; Assistant English professor Dwayne Coleman for the driest sense of humor I’ve ever come across; and finally, English professor Henry Rogers, a man I admire and respect, thank you for the British Isles study abroad trip in summer 2011. You are a true gentleman and a good friend.
