Everyone knows the school year is an expanse of time that eventually comes to a close. The fall is bound to give way from one season to the next, and yet the regularity of a schedule can make it seem as if that were not the case.  

Yet, here we are in the final stretch of our efforts, the curtain nearly closed. As the plot of a story unfolds, the falling action has passed and the resolution to our own journeys here on campus are upon us. 

It’s times like these when the anticipation of summer fills the air and fond memories of our year rise to the surface. 

Friendships are among the few things in life that have a tendency to last through thick and thin.  Often the ones that are found in unconventional ways are the bonds we look back on in the warmest regard. 

Shared experiences, struggles and joys alike are instances that reside among the many. And as I stumbled across the realization that yet another year has come and gone, I was struck by the familiar feeling of nostalgia. 

When the semester begins to wind down and the anticipation of finals week draws near, I can’t help but be reminded of simpler times. 

Middle school assemblies and their chaos of celebrant activities, the shuffle of footsteps to and from the playground, and even the buzz of hundreds of differing conversations echoing within the hallway. 

One of the core memories I immediately recall from middle school and high school would be the yearbooks. Etches of moments in time that capture the essence of those years in our lives.  From the mundane daily grind to the spray tans of prom season, occasions momentous or not, pasted along the headlines of pages.

The awkward, in-between phases that slowly morphed into the individuals we are today are candidly documented in the binds of a book. 

If your younger years in school were anything like mine, you would undoubtedly remember the hype and excitement surrounding the designated “yearbook signing day.” A time when there was no covert barrier between those deemed popular or not, the excitement of summer a common notion. 

I remember it as the opportunity to ask your crush to sign your yearbook as your friends giggled in the background. When you would sign your name in the best penmanship you could muster in hopes it would stand out to them and lead to a conversation before you parted ways for the summer. 

Silly moments that we look back on and reminisce as we shake our heads. I think it is when we reflect on the moments that mirror the ones we are currently in that allow for nostalgia to play a role in our day. 

Reflections that act as a reminder to appreciate the present moment and take advantage of the time we have to walk in the journey each of us are on. Candid moments that are soon to be memories and stepping stones to the adventures ahead of us. 

Weiss can be reached at [email protected]