My last day

As evident by the title today was my last day of classes. I got up and was on campus by 9:30am to do my homework. After finishing earlier than I expected I found time to do something I had not done since my first year at BYU: I went to the devotional.

Every Tuesday morning at 11:00 BYU will have a devotional (an uplifting speaker) or a forum (usually on an academic pursuit). My first year here I would go every Tuesday with my roommate Jacquie. Later on I would go with Dan (who would bring bagged lunches for us from the cafeteria). As the years went on things would get in the way, as they do, to keep me from going. I figured that it would be nice to go to the very last one of my BYU career.

It was an "un-forum" as they put it. Not a devotional, nor a forum but instead a chance to reflect on the past year and the future that lies ahead. How fitting.

After the "un-forum" I was motivated to take on the world and went to my last class: contemporary Islam. It was really interesting and more than that it was now over! As I walked out I saw one of my friend's wife - she was there with their 2 little girls, pom-poms, whistles and a video camera. It was his last class too! It was fun, even though the mini-celebration was not for me it felt like it could be

Our MESA (Middle Eastern Studies & Arabic) club put on a dinner for all MESA majors to mark the end of the semester. It was neat to talk to people I may not see again and hear what everyone's plans are. Michael Gray was awarded a Fulbright to Kuwait; Janice Freij may be living in Qatar; plans for graduate school, travel and government work. It will be neat to get us all in a room together in 20 years to see what everyone has done.

As I walked back to my car after the dinner the campus was alive with activity. To celebrate the end of classes student association had put on a party. Different buildings and squares were full of lights, music, food and students. As I walked I could see the last sunbeams clinging to the snow covered mountains. There was a soccer game in play at the field by the Tanner building.

I have loved being at BYU. While I have been so excited for this day to come, and the adventures before me, it has been bittersweet.

~Katie