Graduating Seniors on the Spectator Staff give their thoughts and advice:

Every student newspaper does senior columns. In high school, I prepared for my senior column for four years. In college, however, I prepared for less than four minutes.

This is because I have come to the realization that I have no place giving advice to readers. I am only one to three years older than anyone reading this. That does not make me an authority on growing up, or more importantly, life. Like everyone else, I still feel like a kid and I am still terrified by the real world. I should be getting advice, not giving it.

Every graduation season, hundreds of speeches are posted online from fantastic speakers who have far more experience and wisdom than I do. People like Melinda Gates, Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton. These people have amazing things to say; listen to them.

MacKenzie Blake
Copy Chief/ Managing Editor

I’ll be honest: it’s not easy to be a photojournalist right now. The industry is struggling and photographers are often the first in a news staff to be cut. So how do you stay afloat in a scary job market like this?
Here are two pieces of advice that can apply to everyone:
Intern as much as you can. The best way to know whether you’ll like a job is, well, to do it. Gain as much real-world experience as possible. I learned more at my internships than I did in most of my classes.
Network early, often and like your life depends on it—because it sort of might. LinkedIn? Sounded dumb when I was a freshman, but not anymore. Use your internships and experience to network actively and it might just land you a job. Worked for me.
Good luck!

Lindsey Wasson
Photo Editor

Hello, D-I young-uns. I suppose it’s up to you to carry the torch now. I wish I had some sage wisdom to pass on to you. Instead, I just have a couple crafty tips.

1. Do all the work for a class until the first test. After you see how the test goes, you will know exactly how much you can slack in that class.
2. Make friends with someone who knows someone‘s HBO Go password —they’ve got some quality programming.
3. You live two hours away from the Gorge. You have no excuse not to go to Sasquatch at least once while you’re here. It’s a blast.
4. Fresh eggs sink. If you’ve got a floater, toss it.

André Wyatt
Lead Designer

Short thoughts on my college career presented as tips to follow: I regret not following my passions sooner, don’t regret not following yours… it is important to realize just how much you pay for every class and if you are dissatisfied with what you are getting for your money then speak up… find a teacher that interests you, pick their brain and get to know them… don’t just return to your room everyday when class has finished, do something… don’t try to be cool, make a fool of yourself… make mistakes because you will learn from them… don’t waste your weekends… use the extra time you have to do something creative… be serious with yourself and where you are going… expand your horizons… get outside of the U.S.… and at least once in your college career deeply question everything you do… finally, do something crazy.

Ben Mouch
Designer

In 11 days, I’m going walk across a stage, shake someone’s hand, and receive my diploma.

I’m going to be honest—I’m less excited about getting a diploma than I am about the fact that soon I’ll be done with school. I don’t really care about anything anymore. I haven’t for a while. The only thing that has kept me going these past few months has been the thought of graduating. The thought that on June 16, I can stop going to school, forever.
I hate school, and I am never going back.

So, to all of you underclassmen, get ready to hate school even more than you do now. Get ready to be okay skipping every single class, every single day, for weeks at a time.

Get ready to stop caring.

J. Adrian Munger
Sports Editor

I have probably learned more things about life working at The Spectator than I did in any class these past four years.

I learned that Fr. Sundborg has a secret breakfast nook. I learned that you can run a surreal comic strip for most the year about a Corndog that doesn’t do anything, and nobody will blink an eye. I learned that I truly don’t care about oxford commas (I know—probably a bad editing move. But honestly, I think they add a lot of character).

All those things are great, but one of my favorite parts of working at The Spectator was getting to meet and learn about all of you. You guys are fascinating. You have brilliant ideas, crazy passion, and surprising insights into what it means to be a human being at Seattle University. This year, seeing all the student led arts, environmental, and social justice groups start cropping up and making noise warms my old, Seattle U senior heart. Never stop being loud and interesting and wonderful, and never forget that The Spectator is here to help you do just that.

You are in good hands with Kellie Cox next year. Before she left for Dublin where she will be interning this summer, we watched the first episode of Ke$ha: My Beautiful Crazy Life in The Spectator office together—but mostly, we ended up talking about a brilliant story she is working on about artists, gentrification, and the International District. Kellie Cox is so skilled, she can use her journalism powers to capture my attention from Ke$ha. She will use these magical journalism powers for good next year, and I am excited to see what she does with the digital aspect of The Spectator. Kellie and Collin Overbay, our overqualified, wonderful web designer, have some dazzling plans in store.
Thank you all for an incredible four years. And thank you to our intrepid Redhawks football team, for this year’s enchanted season.

Forever and ever and ever and all of time,

Kelton Sears
Shreditor-in-Chief

I don’t want to graduate. This whole quarter it felt like I slowly walking on a plank, heading toward my death. It is not because I am worried about paying my debt or finding a big girl job (okay, I am terrified), but it is more because I will not be learning as much as I have been accustomed to for the past 16 years. I never want to stop learning.

However, I do not have a money tree in my backyard.

Here was any wisdom to impart on The Spectator’s readers, it is to never stop learning, be intensely curious, and go on many adventures. It is the healthiest way to stay young.

So now I am going to grow a pair and take my advice and take a leap into my next adventure.

Celine Baldevia
Designer