Fellow students, I must admit that the second week of school has been painful, for many reasons, as I’m sure most of you will agree.

Not only has the excitement and spontaneity of summer become a fading star in our memories, the fall looms before us like a solemn mountain in the distance, threatening us with all the hazy unknowns in our futures.

As Baylor undergraduates, we must feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, rent apartments and purchase textbooks. We pay dues for extracurricular activities, pay for parking decals, and gas up our vehicles all by ourselves…or with the loving assistance of our parents. Regardless, somebody’s pocket is taking a major hit. But as tuition and fees continue to increase, are we really reaping any benefits, or just paving the way for future debt to ensue?

All things Baylor will pass.

To think otherwise would be foolishness, it has happened before and it will happen again.

For example, there used to be a very large pool where our very large practice field is now. Brooks College and Flats — the insular havens for “potterphiles” and married couples ­— is a completely new creation. It used to be a men’s dormitory called Brooks Hall. The face of Baylor has fundamentally changed over the years, and will continue to change in the future.

August 29th, 2005.

On undeniably the darkest day in the rich history of the city of New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina absolutely destroyed the city, its coast and the surrounding area.

The city was filled with standing water of several feet for days, the storm surge reached twenty feet high and sustained winds exceeded 140 miles per hour.

People looted houses, martial law was in effect, businesses were closed, families were separated across miles of state lines, people died from both natural means and from violent ends.

Order was no where to be found.

“I never talk about politics or religion. They just make people angry.” This is a statement I have heard often around campus, usually while trying to discuss deeper issues with fellow students

It’s my final semester on campus and predictably — to cope with a fear of having regrets — I’m making an effort to do things I wish I had done a long time ago.

Tortilla tossing at the suspension bridge, going to every away game and spending an afternoon at the marina might be on some “Baylor bucket lists,” but this university’s richest offering lies in its faculty, staff and students.