I regret that I have but four years to give to my Juniata

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It must have been love but it’s over now. . .

 I have been writing and rewriting this blog in my mind thousands of times over the last four months.  With each mental draft a new direction on how I want to sum up my time here at Juniata.  I thought about ending this blog very oddly and abruptly like the final episode of Seinfeld or perhaps it would be better to give some deep intellectual interpretation of what Juniata means to me.  However, like any education it doesn’t simply stop when you close that last book or even receive your diploma.  Learning, like Juniata, is a constant thing to carry with you and to further enhance and develop. 

In less than two weeks, I will become one of you all; a Juniata alumnus.  Until then however, I will most likely drink too much with my best friends and reflect upon how the last four years has changed me.  Most of you probably do not know that I am not a pure bred Juniatian. I was a transfer student who came here in the Spring of 2005 after spending just four short days at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (I never quite had my sea legs) then waiting until January for a bed to open up.  Like all transfers at the time, I had to meet with the Dean and talk to him about what I hope to accomplish from my time here at Juniata.  I filled Kris’s office with so much hot air about me wanting to play collegiate football, have a dual major, go abroad, and while I was at it I even wanted to tack on some time with Student Government the roof was probably going to come off and rise high into the clouds.  I told the Dean everything I thought he wanted to hear, so well in fact, that I even believed some of it.  However, during my first semester at Juniata I think I only stayed on campus one weekend and made lots of acquaintances but few good friendships.  I was a loner, a loser even, still too stuck in high school to appreciate Juniata.  As a result, the week after the 4^th of July that summer I transferred to Saint Francis University and lived at home for one fateful semester.  Living at Sumner Hall, as I fondly referred to my parents house, was just the kick in the butt I needed to make me realize that I had to go back to Juniata ASAP and grow up.  I got back to Juniata for good in the spring of 2006 and the rest, they say, is history.

Upon my return all the crap I filled Dean Clarkson’s office with seemed like something to strive for so I looked back to that meeting and said why not.  You are a product of your environment and now finally realizing that Juniata was just what I needed to get on track and be the person my peers had coined as “Most Likely to Succeed.”  I set out to accomplish something.  After some pleading with Coach Alt, I was allowed to play collegiate football and gave the Eagles some lifting records and a few productive moments on the gridiron.  I tried the dual major but after transferring twice there was little opportunity to expand on my already full 18 credit semesters to fit that in so I have a love of politics and a POE in accounting.  As for going abroad, I never went for a semester but this summer was able to go to Greece as an English as a Second Language Instructor for three weeks.  Finally, I was able to get on Student Government, an experience that I look so very fondly upon.  Through Student Government I have been exposed to so many new people and rewarding experiences, too numerous to document for this post.

However, I do not think my experience here is that unique.  Juniata is an A+ college, for B+ students. Simply meaning, everyone that comes here possesses the skills to turn the load of malarkey they tell the Dean into reality.  Juniata is a community that nurtures personal growth and acts as the perfect vehicle to carry you on this journey we call life.  I am so thankful for the times I have spent here, the relationships I have made, and the things I have learned.  I owe Juniata a great debt of gratitude for all that it has done for me.  For me, Juniata is like Disneyworld; here you can make all of your dreams come true. 

It’s all about Respect

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On Saturday afternoon, I made the short half hour trip north on route 26 to Penn State with my friends Mike and Tyler to tailgate for the famed Blue White game.  After driving around for nearly an hour to park, we were able to meet up with other JC students and our friends from high school who attend the state university of this great commonwealth.  Before I go any further in describing my experience, I feel compelled to tell you that I hate absolutely hate and loathe everything about Penn State.  So you are probably asking yourselves if he feels so strongly about Penn State then why go up for a meaningless spring football scrimmage.  The answer to your question is simple.  I just wanted to remind myself why I hate PSU so much. 

My hatred for Penn State began as a youngster, and blossomed throughout my high school years into its current manifestation.  During my college search process, Penn State wasn’t even a consideration even though much of my high school graduating class was headed to State College.  I always said to myself that I was never going to be just a number at some big school where I would most likely only associate with the people I knew before going there.  More recently, I have traveled to Penn State a time or two to take part in the so-called “party scene.”  I hold the editors of Playboy in the highest regard, however naming Penn State one of our nation’s premier party schools was most certainly a typo.  In my experience, people there are rude, obnoxious, and generally unhappy, a far cry from the passing smiles and hellos that you get at Juniata.  The latest thorn in my side was after Juniata announced its “5^th Year Free” program and Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon had the nerve to say, “I forgot Juniata College was even down the road until I heard about this.”  He probably forgot we were down the road because he probably doesn’t even know the name of his student intern. 

The badgering of Juniata was no different on Saturday.  My friend Tyler was wearing one of his Juniata Football shirts and a Penn Stater who probably never played organized sports and got less then a 400 on his SATs had the nerve to say, “Juniata Football sucks and you are an idiot for paying that much to go to a school when you will never be better then a Penn State grad.”  If that doesn’t make your blood boil I don’t know what does.  Don’t get me wrong Penn State has had lots of great alumni but with 12,000 students to a class the laws of averages are bound to reward you at some point.  I mean come on even a blind squirrel can find a nut.  As for the “Juniata Football sucks” comment what we may lack in wins we make up for in character.  When is the last time you heard about a JC Football student getting arrested, however, under the “great” Joe Paterno it seems at least monthly one of those clowns are being incarcerated.  Let them look past all that our alumni have done and the caliber of education we receive at Juniata.  My solution is simple.  Darrell Alt vs. Joe Paterno, in a battle royale.  Coach Alt will out bench press and out jog the 85 year old goat until he breaks a hip.  At that point, no longer will it be We Are…Penn State, it will simply be We Wish We Were…Juniata.