The Good Old Days: What We Will Look Back on After High School Graduation

Michael+del+Rosario%2C+posing+with+baby+sister%2C+will+attend+Northwestern+University%2C+majoring+in+journalism+and+computer+science.

Agata Brannon Photography

Michael del Rosario, posing with baby sister, will attend Northwestern University, majoring in journalism and computer science.

Michael del Rosario, Production Editor-in-Chief

So I was looking through photos with my friend the other day, and she said something that kind of shook me. She told me, “I feel like these are the pictures we’ll look back on as ‘the good old days.’” And while Megan admitted this was one of the cheesiest things she has ever said, it was also one of the truest.

Days become more and more fleeting as I get closer and closer to the end of this year. As this fast pace takes over every aspect of my life, I’ve gotten a lot better at staying in the present and focusing on what’s right in front of me. By doing so, I’ve grown closer with my day ones and built new friendships when I least expected to. But, since this is our Senior Issue, I’d like to give a few shout outs to some of the people who have stayed by my side on this long journey with The Mustang.

Thank you, Mrs. Didzbalis, for your endless supply of patience. You have always encouraged me to report stories from a new perspective, and this encouragement has ultimately shaped the way I approach many unfamiliar situations in life. It’s not often that someone gets to say that they attended their teacher’s wedding ceremony, but we will always cherish the honor of being present for such a monumental day, as you have played such a monumental role in all of our lives.

Melissa, ever since the death of Steve Jobs, there has not been a single moment where I could not count on you to be there for me. From your NSYNC phase to your anime phase, you’ve always managed to stay true to yourself and helped me to do the same through some of the most confusing situations. Thank you for always making me do the things that I should, even when I’m at my most indecisive.

Stefani, your iconic mannerisms alone are enough to make me laugh on my worst days. You remain the only person who can actually get me to go to Denny’s, and that says a lot because I don’t really like the food there. At the end of the day, though, there’s no one I’d rather order all-you-can-eat pancakes and only eat two of them with. Thank you for being both my mom and adventure companion through all our years of shenanigans.

I could not have dreamt as a freshman in Intro to Journalism that the three of us would end up being co-editors-in-chief. I feel like a lot of friendships would suffer some pretty heavy damage after working together so closely for four years. However, the countless layout weeks, “artickles” spreadsheets (Oxford comma) and emails from Nadya only have made our friendship grow stronger.

My initial approach to doing my senior column was to just not do one at all. But as I kept looking through all the pictures of moments with my friends, I realized I would have regretted not acknowledging what these moments mean to me. I just wanted you guys to know I am grateful for all of you. Decades from now, if I ever refer to this time in my life as “the good old days,” it will be because of the great people with whom I got to share these memories.