Firsts & Lasts

As of this Wednesday at 4:59pm, I am officially done with my sophomore year at William & Mary! The spring semester was an absolute blur and full of firsts. Among other things, I went on my first tour as a member of the William & Mary Women’s Chorus, declared my major for the first time (it won’t be the last, I know it), attended my first stroll competition, and watched an honors thesis defense for the first time.

As I’m thinking about these firsts, the Class of 2015 has been compiling a long list of lasts: their last undergraduate final, W&M’s traditional Last Chance Dance a few nights ago, the last time singing the Alma Mater as a student, and, later today, one last trip to Wawa to hydrate after walking around in heavy black graduation robes all morning. It’s so strange to think that just one week ago, the Daily Grind was bustling with people commiserating about finals, and today, some of those people are at lunch with their families, about to join the ranks of Tribe alumni and alumnae. But that’s the reality of this weekend: the Class of 2015 brick is already set, right by the Sunken Garden; seniors have rung the bell; and it’s onto a new chapter.

Campus is truly at a crossroads today. As the Class of 2015 receives diplomas and figures out carpools for Homecoming this fall, members of the Class of 2019 are finishing up AP tests, finding roommates on Facebook, and shopping for wall decorations. It’s bittersweet to see the changeover, but I know that this isn’t the last W&M has heard from the Class of 2015, and that they have some incredible firsts in the future too.

On that note, I nearly forgot another first: I’m spending this summer in Williamsburg! Stay tuned for more updates on my plans, as well as posts featuring the other undergraduates who are also researching, working, studying, and bracing for impact of life without a meal plan. I’ll maybe even arrange a guest post or two so you can hear even more voices from the ’Burg.

A flood of people in matching caps and gowns just magically appeared at the counter of the Daily Grind, where I’ve been writing this post, so it’s time to vacate my table. I promise I’ll be better about blogging this summer, but for now…

Congratulations to the Class of 2015, and hark!