Since I finish college next week, I will explain my favorite and least favorite things about my time at Eastern or college in general. Get ready to relate, y’all.

My favorite things include:

1. Some classes. I obviously really hated some, but the classes I really loved included Art Appreciation with Stephen Eskilson. It was focused on architecture, and I absolutely fell in love. Thanks for introducing me to the world of architecture and a new love.

I also loved the Spanish classes I took. Excellent department. Carlos Amaya is a great guy.

History of Modern Japan with Jinhee Lee was packed with information. It was difficult at times, but Dr. Lee is wonderful and always willing to help. She is incredibly smart and will teach you so many new things, guaranteed.

Ensung Kim’s Race, Gender, and the Media was full of intriguing details, and a research paper is included. She helped me submit research to be presented nationally. Thank you!

2. The friends I met at Eastern. I met my best friend Amanda here, along with other wonderful people like Cassie, Carole, Abbey, Angelica, Adam, Adrian and several others maybe with names also starting with the letter A or C.
3. Nights out at EIU. They were some of the most memorable and not memorable … if you catch my drift.
4. The library. It’s on this list because I spent so much time there. Before I had a laptop, I just gallivanted over to the library and used a good old Mac.
5. The journalism department. It played a huge part in my life at Eastern. I spent a lot of time with my journalism pals and going to conferences, and just a lot of time at The Daily Eastern News.
6. Studying abroad. I got to see new places and meet new people, including my best friend Page from Minnesota. That was neat and I’m grateful for the experience.

To be honest, I’m sure there are other great things I did at Eastern, but this is a column, not a novel, so I’ll end it there.

My least favorite things about Eastern include:

1. Paying for parking and parking tickets. I’m not really a fan … I don’t think anyone is.
2. Walking to class in subzero weather sucked. I’m not a polar bear, so I got cold.
3. Sweating in class in 90 degree weather sucked. I guess I did burn calories doing so, though.
4. Science classes. I’m not Bill Nye the Science Guy.
5. Stupid, meaningless “relationships.” They’re kind of a waste of time, yet they make you grow as a person. I’d just rather not go through them.
6. The budget cuts. I hated the “I heard Eastern is shutting down, is that true?” question I got from any person not at Eastern.
7. Hangovers. Need I say more?

Again, I could think of a thousand other things to list, but I’ll cut it off there. Thanks, Eastern, for a ratchet yet great experience. Maybe I’ll miss you, and maybe you’ll miss me. Until next time … deuces, my dudes.

Kennedy Nolen can be reached at 581-2812 or kdnolen@eiu.edu.