2008 Woodie Awards
Senior Column
"A Transfer Student's Prespective"
Matt Kolesnik
Issue date: 12/4/04 Section: Campus Life
Senior year is here. As I sit here writing this my computer is also opened to the latest email from my Army Chaplain recruiter. This reminds me that in a few short months Assumption College will be a pleasant memory and divinity school and army training will be my new realities. When Kerry from the Provoc asked me to write something I wasn't quite sure where to begin. So finally I decided this might be a good place.
I do not have the pleasure of saying that I attended Assumption for all four years. My freshman year was spent at Nichols College. This decision was made because it was next to my home town. My decision to come to Assumption, however, was brought about by the fact that Nichols was not challenging me enough in the history department. What I found when I got to Assumption, were challenging professors (sometimes more than I had bargained for), as well as a great community of students that made me feel like I had started with them from the beginning.
I only lived on campus for the spring semester of my sophomore year. In that short time though, I met a lot of cool people and have many "interesting" experiences. Like, for example, what happens when you leave your car parked in the wrong spot overnight? Campus Police will call you at 2 a.m. in the early of December to move it. This was, of course, much to my displeasure as my friend in Alaska was having warmer weather than we were.
One of the other things I realized is that Assumption has a great abundance of things. In Taylor we have a great abundance of what they try to tell us is food. The jury is still out on that one, but I had never seen so many different choices of food in my life. We also have an unnaturally large amount of squirrels. It occurred to me that we might consider changing the school mascot to a squirrel, instead of a greyhound. I have seen exactly one greyhound on campus and about a thousand squirrels. Squirrels, of course, are not a name to strike fear into the hearts of our opponents. So sticking to Greyhounds is a good idea.
On a more serious note, being Protestant on a Catholic college campus has proved better than expected. I didn't always agree with the dogmas being taught to me in my theology classes, but I did get a better understanding of Christianity's beginnings and where it might be headed in the future. I also had the opportunity to get involved with Campus Ministry. They gave me the outlet to finally allow myself to fully listen to what God was telling me. They offered support and well wishes when I announced my intention to accept God's calling as a U.S. Army Chaplain. I found a community of people that shared my faith in God and the desire to know Him better. I met a lot of great friends that I hope to have into the future.
So all in all, though I didn't come here with the rest of the Class of 2005 I will be graduating with them in May, and hopefully this will not end some of the beautiful friendships I have made these last 3 years here at Assumption.
I do not have the pleasure of saying that I attended Assumption for all four years. My freshman year was spent at Nichols College. This decision was made because it was next to my home town. My decision to come to Assumption, however, was brought about by the fact that Nichols was not challenging me enough in the history department. What I found when I got to Assumption, were challenging professors (sometimes more than I had bargained for), as well as a great community of students that made me feel like I had started with them from the beginning.
I only lived on campus for the spring semester of my sophomore year. In that short time though, I met a lot of cool people and have many "interesting" experiences. Like, for example, what happens when you leave your car parked in the wrong spot overnight? Campus Police will call you at 2 a.m. in the early of December to move it. This was, of course, much to my displeasure as my friend in Alaska was having warmer weather than we were.
One of the other things I realized is that Assumption has a great abundance of things. In Taylor we have a great abundance of what they try to tell us is food. The jury is still out on that one, but I had never seen so many different choices of food in my life. We also have an unnaturally large amount of squirrels. It occurred to me that we might consider changing the school mascot to a squirrel, instead of a greyhound. I have seen exactly one greyhound on campus and about a thousand squirrels. Squirrels, of course, are not a name to strike fear into the hearts of our opponents. So sticking to Greyhounds is a good idea.
On a more serious note, being Protestant on a Catholic college campus has proved better than expected. I didn't always agree with the dogmas being taught to me in my theology classes, but I did get a better understanding of Christianity's beginnings and where it might be headed in the future. I also had the opportunity to get involved with Campus Ministry. They gave me the outlet to finally allow myself to fully listen to what God was telling me. They offered support and well wishes when I announced my intention to accept God's calling as a U.S. Army Chaplain. I found a community of people that shared my faith in God and the desire to know Him better. I met a lot of great friends that I hope to have into the future.
So all in all, though I didn't come here with the rest of the Class of 2005 I will be graduating with them in May, and hopefully this will not end some of the beautiful friendships I have made these last 3 years here at Assumption.