Welcome back ramblers...

Welcome back to Senior Struts - and now that I've graduated, I'm searching for a new title...any thoughts? I'll be unvailing the new header next week...
After graduating Suffolk four months ago I've returned to this venue to recount my adventures post-graduation. For those of you new to these readings, allow me to introduce myself...
My name is Drew Allison and I attended Suffolk for the past four years. After visiting over fifteen campuses from Boston to San Diego, Chicago to Seattle, I settled on Suffolk.
As most of you know, or will soon find out, picking a college is much like digging for that proverbial needle. Not only that, there are a slew of needle-looking-pieces-of-hay to distract you. When I visited Suffolk in the October of my senior year, three things immediately grabbed my attention: I had never been to Boston, and growing up outside of Chicago, the prospect of full-time city life was appealing enough. But other cities had done the same, so it was up to the school to complete the sell. I was able to sit in on a philosophy class after my campus tour. Its funny calling them "campus tours" when there are more non-Suffolk buildings along the route than university facilities. But that was it...Suffolk only makes sense in the context of the city. The connotation of Suffolk was different for every person on that tour, and yet, works so well for so many different types of people.
Back to that philosophy class I mentioned...it was an entry level ethics class with one of the full time professors. As I sat, waiting for the class to start, I was invited to a weekend paintball game...yep, this Mid-Western highs school senior was suddenly apart of this East Coast community. This coupled with the amazingly interesting lecture and discussion had added to the overall good-vibe I had gotten from Boston, and Suffolk. Between the school-within-a-city vibe, friendly folks, and stimulating philosophical discussion...I was hooked.
I moved to Boston in the fall of 2004 from Chicago and lived in Miller Hall up until one month ago. After my freshman year I was hired as an RA (Resident Assistant) and began working for Residence Life and Summer Programs, a relationship that would last three and a half years. Also in my sophomore year, I was hired as a Trustee Ambassador and tour guide with the admissions office.
I was lucky enough to enter college knowing what it was I wanted to study. Even knowing this, I was still tempted to pick a "practical" major and entered Suffolk with a focus in advertising. Day one I went to the registrars office, picked up a change of major form, and headed to the philosophy department. The only other thing I knew, besides knowing I wanted to study philosophy, was that I did not want to spend my whole life competing, constantly trying to outdo others for a chance to move upward in my profession. Naive perhaps, but I still hold this belief today. Competition is inescapable, but by minimizing it, I've improved my quality of life exponentially. In my sophomore year I declared a film studies minor within the communications department, and incorperated my film interest into my final undergraduate philosophical endeavorer. I spent the past four years studying numerous fields of philosophy, focusing on phenomenology and what I called "the philosophy of film", completing my studies with a year-long honors thesis.
As I wrapped up my career at Suffolk I sincerely felt as though I had something to say. And not just an homage to remembrance, but an insight that was universal yet readily overlooked. I feel that too often people spend days of celebration merely remembering what had come before, never taking a moment to sit and appreciate a day, such as graduation, for what it is. It was with the motivation to remind everyone to enjoy the day that I applied to be the student speaker at graduation. The auditions were on reading day, the last day of the semester before finals, and if you are a philosophy major with a thesis to defend, the most important week of the year. The early morning adrenaline burst must have been enough, as that afternoon I got the call, awarding me the responsibility of the only student speaker at my graduation. I could not think of a better way to sign off at Suffolk. With four years worth of friends and mentors, and my family in front of me, it was a tough day to top.
Well I think you have a good idea of where I've come from, and in the next weeks I'll give you an idea of where I am now, and where I plan to be. If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts please leave a message! Until next time...enjoy life -- cheers