THE INDIVIDUAL who penned the aphorism, “It’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey” had no connection with the real world. The destination, in fact, matters a great deal. It is often the difference between choosing a potentially fulfilling career or a vacuous, insipid, but well-paid existence. Occasionally, it is the choice between good, evil and boredom. The destination also can include deciding whether to write for a well-regarded, daily university newspaper.

When folks choose their destinations over the next few months or years, I want to offer old-man advice on two matters: passion and perspective.

First, choose goals for which you will exhibit a passion. By its nature, writing a weekly op-ed forces an author to get upset about something every seven days. Passion, however, does not have to carry with it anger or outward excitement. Instead, passion simply reflects one’s intense interest in some activity, philosophy or goal. The world has plenty of flaws and gaps that should merit an energetic response. Thousands of innocent individuals die daily for no particular reason — they’re hungry, a government does not like their political views, a mob doesn’t like their gender and the like. C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, noted, “The safest road to Hell is the gradual one,” the one most people do not recognize or consciously choose to ignore. We have an obligation to improve (if only slightly) an imperfect world.

Secondly, in choosing a passionate destination, remember to keep that goal in the correct perspective, in relation to one’s other relationships and goals. Please try the following: Write out, on a sheet of paper, the people, pets, relationships, etc. that matter. Every day, consider whether the day’s activities have greater importance than the people on that list.

Work — the kind that lurks in “the real world” — occupies over half of one’s waking hours. Passionate pet projects can take up even more time. When we pursue selfish goals, attempt to make the world a better place or just try to attend to daily obligations, we quite often may ignore the people who matter the most to us. This point may sound like something from a bad Sunday school lesson. However, relationships and individuals about whom we care do not simply remain in stasis because a competing activity has great importance to us. Like anything else, they require attention and time. If they matter to us, they deserve such attention.

For approximately two years, the people who run this paper have kindly allowed me to write a weekly screed about, well, whatever. I thank them for their patience in allowing some discretion and for not (personally) insulting my writing style. As I have finally realized that 25-year-old college graduates should not obsess about paper mache cherubs and chocolate, I would like to apologize to anyone associated with Valentine’s Day. My parents deserve great thanks for their general (often unappreciated) support. I thank Robert Brill for his lessons regarding split infinitives and comma faults. Finally, thanks to all those friends with whom I had the pleasure of spending time these past three years. I truly enjoyed the law school experience and wish it — and the Stafford loans — would continue indefinitely into the future.

(Seth Wood was a 2000-2002 opinion columnist.)

I NEVER wanted to attend the University of Virginia. It was probably my last choice of schools, but when all the acceptance and rejection letters were in and all the tuition numbers had been crunched, U.Va. was it. I had wanted to go to a small liberal arts school, so I wasn’t looking forward to the big school mentality, the Greek-dominated social scene, the emphasis on sports. But I came, I saw, I got used to it; and now that it is time to leave, I am sadder than I ever thought I’d be.

This is, in large part, because of the people who put together this newspaper you’re reading right now. I joined the staff as an opinion columnist in the spring of my first year. In the basement, I found amazing writers, colleagues and friends.

The 113th Managing Board consistently amazed me with their dedication and the grace they showed in dealing with what turned out to be a trying year. Thank you guys for being so consistently kind and committed to seeing the staff through difficult times.

The 114th Managing Board consistently amazes me with their beyond average height and stratospheric level of foxiness. You boys aren’t doing a bad job as journalists either.

One of the best things about working for the paper was working with the smart and passionate kids of the opinion department. They and their words were what made the many hours in the basement worthwhile. Thank you guys for your guts, your diligence and your friendship. Soccermom (and my alternate bad-cop personality, The Deadline Nazi) will miss you.

Special thanks to my former associate editors. Laura, I think you might have made me laugh harder than anyone in the office (especially with your illustrations of a certain poncho-loving troll). Anthony, my little fire-starter: I really believe you have done a lot to raise the level of debate on this campus. Thank you for that, and for all your help and humor. Becky, you are the most dedicated opinion staffer I’ve seen in my four years here. Thank you for all your hard work, your friendship and for being my fellow literature dork.

As for non-Cav Daily people, thanks to my parents for their love and support and for always believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.

To my girls: Amanda, Jeanne, Katie, Katy. I have often marveled that I was lucky enough for the Housing gods to place me in a suite with the four of you our first year. Thank you for four wonderful years of adventures and friendship. To Megan: You’ve become more than a roommate, you’ve become family. Thank you, for everything.

And finally, the best for last. Brian, my darling boy, co-editor, fellow associate, fake boyfriend, surrogate brother: I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for putting up with my freak-outs and for keeping me sane and laughing through that crazy year. Thank you for Sports Night nights, Dean-love, God phones, EMPSU, giant bunnies, opinion sleepovers, Former Co-Editors’ Big Day in the City, that pederast Hanrahan, defamation armadillos, yelling out of cars and the hate mail wall. I am so proud of you and so thankful for our friendship.

Four years of opinions, but now my words are spent, my bags are packed and my heart is full.

(Laura Sahramaa’s was a 2002 opinion editor and a 2001 associate opinion editor.)

FOR A LONG time now I’ve wondered what it is going to look like when I head up to the top step of the Rotunda and set off on my last walk down the Lawn as an undergraduate. I’m somewhat of a worrisome person by nature, and so I’ve already pictured the entire event in my head a hundred times over. Hopefully it’ll be like some cheesy ’80s movie ending where all the pieces suddenly fall into place and I’m not left with anymore questions or uncertainties.

As I picture it, I’ll have a copy of this issue of The Cavalier Daily in my pocket as I make that last walk. Not only will the comics page provide its usual distraction in case some of the speeches get a bit tedious, but I’ll also carry this paper as a reminder of where I’ve come and where I want to go.

To be honest, I originally didn’t want to have anything to do with journalism. I remember my mom and I got into a huge fight when I was in high school because she wanted me to take journalism, and I wanted to take some new easy cooking class that was being offered that semester. We fought, mom won, I took journalism, and I realized I actually liked it. So when I came to U.Va. and was looking for something to do, I decided to get involved in The Cavalier Daily. I wrote my first story about a heating unit in Brown College that blew up and roasted a pet turtle alive while its owner was on fall break. That story about Ronin the turtle began a fantastic four-year career at The Cavalier Daily, and in that time I’ve realized that I actually love journalism.

As I walk down the Lawn, I’ll be thinking of that turtle story and that argument I had with my mom. Four years ago I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn’t in the A-School or Comm School, I wasn’t on track for any particular job or career. But now I found something that I love doing. I plan on making my living by informing others about the world and people and stories in it. I worried about what I wanted to do a lot, but I guess it’s true that life has a way of working itself out. A friend of mine recently gave me a quote that I think I’ll remember as I walk down the Lawn. It reads, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” That’s good advice, advice that I think more people need to hear.

So I’ll step off for my final walk as an undergraduate. In my mind I’m in the center of an enormous crowd of people who have made my life here so amazing. I’ll be walking with Amanda, Pat, Adam, Holman, Fitz, Kym, Colin and too many others to name or even begin to count. Instead of places I’ll see memories. I’ll walk past the column I sat against as I read aloud from my favorite book one cold fall night. The Lawn will be crowded and alive, and I’ll suddenly remember the nights that it was the quietest and most still.

In my mind it’ll be a long walk, where I’ll see my family and they’ll know how thankful I am for all their love and support. I’ll see my adopted grandmother, who has taught me that friendship is not something that can be restricted by age or generations.

That’s how it looks in my mind, but you know what, it probably won’t be that way when it actually happens. It’ll probably be over in a flash just like these four years at Virginia have passed by in a flash. It may not be exactly like that cheesy ’80s movie; I may be left with some questions still unanswered. But I guess that’s OK. I won’t worry about that today. No matter what it looks like on Sunday, I know I’m always going to remember this last walk as an undergraduate.

(John McArdle was a 2002 focus editor and a 2001 associate news editor.)

I STILL remember the first day I worked at The Cavalier Daily. I even still remember the title of my first article: “Faculty work for Judaic major.”

When I entered the University, the Jewish Studies major still was in the planning stages. Today, the Jewish Studies Program will host a graduation ceremony for its majors.

When I entered the University, I was a little uptight, shy and had never danced a step in my life. Today, I consider myself to be more open-minded, more outgoing and perhaps even a decent dancer.

People change, institutions change. I credit the following people with helping me become a better person over the past four years:

My friends: Mike, Jeff and Chris, who helped me realize and accept an important part of myself. Luke, Matt, James, Greg, Cari, Greg, Kevin, Kim and Esti, a fun group of people to know and hang out with. I will remember our trips to D.C., phone calls, LJ, e-mails, IMs, etc. It is a wonder I had any time to do any work at all.

The Cavalier Daily: What a wonderful organization to become involved with. I have always been happy Lindsay Wise chose me to be an associate news editor four years ago. Thanks to Margaret Chipowsky and Katie Dalton for being two great news editors. To my co-associate editors, especially Abby, who made being in the basement fun. Thanks to Sam Le for being a model managing editor to work under, and to my excellent co-editor Christine Buurma. Thanks also go to the many, many people I met and worked with during my three years and three positions.

Professors: To Mr. O’Brien who helped to kindle my interest in the Supreme Court and constitutional law my first semester and for serving as my thesis advisor this past year. To Mr. Moomaw for helping me rethink my stance on the First Amendment and grow to appreciate it. And a special thanks to Professors Kromkowski, Mershon, Waldner and Sofka.

To Mr. Elzinga for causing me to make “the dismal science” my second major at the University. Another thanks to Mr. Elzinga for helping me realize antitrust law actually is pro-competition and not anti-business.

Thanks also go to Mr. O’Connell for restoring my interest in astronomy.

The University: What a great place to spend four years. I think I never really appreciated how nice U.Va. was until I visited other colleges. The hype may just be genuine; U.Va. really is one of the nicest places to study. Charlottesville, although lacking the excitement of a big city, also is a nice place to live.

I give mixed reviews to our Honor system. After living in a community of trust for four years, I sensed culture shock when I started touring potential law schools. At other schools, I faced belligerent security guards who would only let me see their libraries if I handed over my license, my eternal soul and my firstborn child. I had never before realized how open our Grounds truly were.

But, on the other hand, I hope the Honor system will stop being in denial about the culture of cheating that exists in large lecture classes.

Overall, the University has been a great place to spend the last four years, and I hope will be a great place to spend three more years in law school.

(Michael Loatman was a 2002 news editor and a 2001 nation/world editor.)

As another year winds to an end, another generation of University alumni embarks boldly into the world beyond. Class of 2003 graduates will go on to do many things — some will be doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, engineers, parents, volunteers and teachers — but one quality will unite them all. One single shared experience has instilled in these graduates a sense of place, purpose and pride they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, and that is their four years at the University of Virginia.

Looking back at these years, graduates and parents of graduates will find that they have been some of the best of their life; perhaps some of the most difficult, but ultimately the most rewarding and fulfilling. Each and every one of us–professor, student, parent — will take a piece of the University away with us when we leave, and, in recognition of that fact, we should all preserve the role of the University in the lives of future generations of students by giving something back.

Never before has Jefferson’s University been forced to provide so much for its students for so little. Budgets are increasingly tight, and low funding has caused vital faculty members leaving to seek better opportunities elsewhere, a reduction in course offerings and increases in class sizes. The University will weather this crisis as its weathered those in the past — tremendous new construction projects are testament to that fact — but only with the encouragement and support of its alumni.

So as you, the class of 2003, leave to make the most of the skills the University has given you, remember to give something back so that future University students — for generations to come — can have just as fulfilling an experience as you did. And parents, whether you yourself walked the Lawn in the spring or not, surely you have been touched by the effect of this place on your son or daughter. Remember his or her experience (and forgot your tuition bills) and give a little something back. Investing in the University of Virginia is an investment in the future of thousands of students and an investment in the future of our society.

THE STORIES in this newspaper impact our lives in profound ways. One changed mine forever.

I was excited yet paralyzed with fear. It would be a great chance to do something worthwhile, but God, what a challenge … I really wasn’t sure if I was up to it.

It was one of the first stories I wrote for The Cavalier Daily. A fellow college student’s life hung in the balance, and it was my role to tell his story to the U.Va. community.

We are told — so often, in fact, that it’s almost become a cliche — that the experiences we have in college completely change our lives. Of course, this is true — and it happens in ways we never expect.

True, we are only a short walk away from our diplomas, but the relevance of a story I wrote in the early months of first year could not be clearer. It gives me a sense of continuity and a better understanding of how to look at the future; most importantly, it changed the way I looked at the world in a profound way.

I’m from a small town. With the exception of a cousin, no one in my immediate family had attended a four-year college before. All of us were apprehensive about college, of course, but I felt really isolated. And insecure. And worried coming here was a mistake.

No one was a less likely messenger for the story, I thought. But I’d give it a try. After all, what did I have to lose?

My assignment was to profile a football player who had recently been hospitalized and placed on the waiting list to receive a heart transplant.

Because of his height, however — a towering 6’7″ — the likelihood of finding a heart match was slim. I was set to interview someone who had to deal with the very real possibility of death every day of his life.

Although doctors had installed an artificial device to help his heart pump blood, a fault in the machine caused it to leak a substantial amount of blood, almost killing him.

He was a fourth year who had to enter the hospital only a few weeks before finals and these coveted seats here on the Lawn.

Life had beaten him down in ways most of us cannot imagine, yet he fought on. He learned to play the keyboard. He read avidly. And, of course, he watched every U.Va. sporting event the local stations televised.

He didn’t give up. He refused to let his illness define his character, and for the nervous, latte-sipping first year sitting opposite him, rapidly scribbling down his every word, that really meant something.

Three months after I wrote the profile — and against all odds — the long awaited dream came true. He got his heart transplant. His last words at the second interview never left me: “Instead of sitting in here rotting like a vegetable, I’ve learned something valuable I can take with me the rest of my life.”

I’ve never forgotten those words. That interview changed my outlook on life in important ways and taught me the most important lessons I’ve learned in college.

As Emerson once noted, “There is properly no history, only biography.” Sometimes it takes others to teach us the most important lessons.

(Adam Justice was a 2001 production editor and a 2000 associate life editor.)

AS I SIT here writing my last words in The Cavalier Daily, I can’t help but remember how petrified I was when I came to write my first article during the first week of my second year.It was not that I did not want to write for The Cavalier Daily; I had wanted to do that ever since I went to the Newcomb Hall Crawl my first week at the University.

But for some reason there was always something holding me back. Sometimes I had “too much work” or “too little time.” Or sometimes it seemed that getting an article published in the paper was too much of a distant goal that would be too good to be true.

Yet when my second year started, I was still looking for my place at the University.Finally, out of desperation, I put away my apprehensions and ventured down to the basement.

I’m so glad I did!Nearly three years and many articles later, I can say that writing for The Cavalier Daily was definitely one of the highlights of my time at the University.

I liked the writing, the interviewing and getting to the heart of the story.Whether it was for articles pertaining to Sept. 11, political elections, higher education budgets or my very first article on the new director of Clemons Library, I got an enormous amount of satisfaction from these experiences.

But, even more than that, at The Cavalier Daily, I found my niche.I was finally doing something that I liked and felt was meaningful.I learned a lot about how the University works, and truly began to feel like a student at the University, not someone constantly searching for a place at a large, overwhelming school. And I found lots of good friends, a fun time and some of the most dedicated people at the University, which made for a wonderful experience.

I’ve learned many lessons during my time at the University, but one that I have particularly learned from my Cavalier Daily experience has been how important it is to put away the hesitation and make the most of one’s experiences.As they say in Latin, “Carpe diem” — seize the day.When you know what you want — whether it is writing for The Cavalier Daily, becoming an impassioned University Democrat or College Republican, running for a Student Council position or something else inside or outside the University, it’s important to go for it, full speed ahead.You only live once, so live it up.

That being said, my time at the University would not have been so great without many, whom I would like to thank:

First, to my friends at the paper. To my editors, Emily, Abby, John and my fellow news associates — it’s been a blast, thank you for so many fun times and so much encouragement.

To my Emmet third floor buddies — Stephanie, Monique, Michelle and Tasha — wow, we had so much fun!Thank you for being such wonderful friends.I’ll miss you all tons next year!

To Michael — thanks for being such a fabulous brother.Enjoy college. Soon it will be you on the Lawn.

Last but not least, to Mom and Dad — I couldn’t have done it without you!I love you both very much.

(Sara Jeanblanc was a 2002 associate focus editor and a 2001 associate news editor.)

Since the members of the class of 2003 began their undergraduate careers, they have witnessed breakthroughs in the evolution of University Greek life, from its 150th anniversary to its remarkable growth in chapters and multiculturalism.

Last November marked the 150th anniversary of the University’s first fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon.

Last semester also marked the anniversaries of three sororities, Chi Omega’s 75th anniversary, Kappa Delta’s 70th anniversary and Zeta Tau Alpha’s 50th anniversary.

The University’s second oldest fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, will turn 150 next year.

“We have now begun a period in which we are marking significant anniversaries,” said Aaron Laushway, assistant dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life.

The Greek system currently consists of four governing councils, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Inter-Sorority Council, the Black Fraternal Council and the Multicultural Greek Council.

“In a lot of ways I feel like Greek life has stayed the same, and in certain ways it has evolved to take on a more political aspect than in years past,” said graduating College student Mike Dunkley, a former BFC co-chair.

Currently the IFC includes 32 fraternities, the ISC includes 16 sororities, the BFC governs five fraternities and three sororities and the MGC governs three fraternities and four sororities, Laushway said.

At the time of his arrival in 1996, the IFC consisted of 33 fraternities, the ISC included 17 sororities, the BFC was composed of one fraternity and three sororities and the MGC was nonexistent, Laushway said.

A transfer student from the University of Maryland approached Laushway in 1999 about founding a chapter of Omega Phi Beta, a Latina sorority no longer active at the University.

“At that point there was discussion about where it belonged,” Laushway said. “The discussion centered around the fact that the majority of fraternities in the IFC had national membership in the North-American Interfraternity Conference, the ISC sororities had national affiliations with the National Pan-Hellenic Conference and the BFC organizations belonged to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc.”

A Greek coordinating committee composed of members of the three Councils, administration, faculty and alumni proposed a fourth governing council, the Fraternity Sorority Council, for chapters without affiliations with a national conference, Laushway said.

“The new council grew very quickly and in the true spirit of student self-governance rewrote their constitution and bylaws [during the 2000-2001 school year] and renamed themselves the Multicultural Greek Council to reflect their emerging membership,” Laushway said.

Since its establishment three years ago, the MGC has grown both in size and scope.

“I’ve seen lots of efforts and collaboration and I think if you see Greek life as system of eras, there was the mainstream period, the organizational period and now it’s a multicultural period,” said graduating Engineering student Emmanuel Smadja, MGC President for the 2002-2003 school year.

Smadja also addressed what he expects from inter-Council relations.

“Some people think in the future things will be very segregated — that there will be an Asian fraternal council, a Latino fraternal council, etc.,” Smadja said. “I’m actually on the other side — I would like to see all the Councils merging because they all have something in common.”

The creation of the Inter-Greek Committee last spring marked one of the first efforts to unite the four Councils.

“I saw a need for increased collaboration and communication between the four Councils,” said rising fourth-year College student Ryan Ewalt, IFC president and IGC founder. “The IGC kind of pulled all the Councils together for a common purpose that the entire Greek system has.”

Among the major policy changes within the Greek system were the ISC’s Resolution 2000, which banned sorority mixers on fraternity property, and the IFC’s limitation of house rentals to Greek organizations only, Ewalt said.

Another change within the Greek system was the creation of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life as a separate branch within the Office of the Dean of Students in July 2001, Laushway said.

“The office was created as a result of recommendations made by the Fraternity Working Group, an ad hoc task force commissioned by the President to study ways in which the University supported and interacted with fraternities and sororities,” Laushway said.

Prior to the creation of the office, Laushway said he had other responsibilities in addition to serving as the University liaison to fraternities, sororities, alumni and national headquarters.

“In the past four years, within Greek system, the influence of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority life has been key in uniting all four Councils together,” Dunkley said.

Nowhere does history repeat itself so rapidly as here. And yet, somehow, real change does take place — the face of the University is an ever-evolving landscape in spite of the ubiquitous vestiges of tradition. How then does the recurring stream of student activism translate to progress?

Like the architects of the ancient pyramids, who would not live to see the completion of the structures they began, Dean of Students Penny Rue said large change often spans time longer than the tenure of any one student.

“Important changes take more than one academic cycle,” Rue said.

There will, however, always be a necessary element of recurrence in student initiatives, Rue said.

“If you get tired of reinventing the wheel, you shouldn’t be in higher education,” she said, quoting former Georgetown University President Timothy Healy.

Starting over each year is not necessarily so problematic, Asst. Dean of Students Pablo Davis said.

“It’s always good toa remind ourselves that a quarter of the undergraduates are new to the University,” Davis said. What may seem like old news to third and fourth years, he said, is “fresh to a lot of people on the other end.”

Rising fourth-year College student Priya Parker, the founder of Sustained Dialogue, described the fast-moving progression of faces at the University as a “curse and a blessing.”

While some initiatives may suffer from a lack of continuity over the years, Parker said this also offers an opportunity for more rapid reform.

“You can change an atmosphere in four years,” she said.

For Parker, the most important goal is to compile a “historical and collective memory” of a school’s past.

“If you have no idea what your school’s history is,” she said, “you’re bound to repeat it.”

Dean of African-American Affairs M. Rick Turner also emphasized the importance of history, specifically citing the 1987 report from the task force on Afro-American Affairs, “Audacious Faith,” as a past study which the present can learn from.

“If we pay attention to that report…we don’t have to write another word, another paragraph,” Turner said.

Turner described graduating leaders in the black community as “courageous and brilliant,” and said he hoped to see more leaders of their mold in the future.

“Unless we get those kind of leaders, we will continue to reinvent the wheel,” he said.

Good leadership, however, isn’t necessarily something one is born with, according to Turner.

“Leadership alone can be a vacuum,” he said. “You only really understand leadership when you leave.”

Documentation of the history which precedes one’s time here is a key element that many student groups lack, Inter-Fraternity Council President Ryan Ewalt said.

“Often, you don’t know what battles have been fought,” he said.

Ewalt attributed part of this problem to the tradition of student self-governance at the University, which often discourages the administration from becoming too heavily involved in student affairs.

“The administration needs to be able to offer a historical perspective,” Ewalt said. “As much as we hate to say it, it is a problem with student self-governance.”

Former Student Council President Micah Schwartz also identified the limiting powers of student self-governance.

“We want the administration to help,” Schwartz said. “The challenge is to define where that line is” between aid and over-involvement.

As far as what is required of an effective student leader, Schwartz said one must look beyond his or her own legacy.

“Leadership requires students to be selfless,” he said. “Students have to be able to check their egos at the door.”

Schwartz acknowledged, however, that there is a natural desire to begin one’s own initiatives instead of building on others’.

“There’s something about this age where you feel like you have a perspective no one else has had before,” he said.

In regard to preserving lasting student programs beyond the scope of one leader, both Ewalt and Rue emphasized the importance of officer transition in student groups.

“Spending time with officer transition” is key, Rue said.

Ewalt concurred: “It’s important that the person who is outgoing maintain a close relationship with the person who is incoming,” he said.

Over the years, some high school seniors applying to the University have been asked in their application to elaborate on this William Faulkner quotation: “The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past.”

Generations of English majors can debate the universal accuracy of that statement. Here, it seems, the phrase is both eerily true and resoundingly false; on one hand, tradition remains an omnipresent force, but by the same token, each year sees a new slate of faces ready to make their own contribution to the school.

Perhaps Rue put these ongoing efforts best in perspective.

“Having students willing to work on something they won’t see come into completion is essential,” she said. “That has to be good enough.”

As I sit by the window writing this column, I’m watching the April showers do their best to bring about May flowers. I can’t believe April is slowly winding down to the last days of classes and a dreaded week of exams. The horses have raced, final presentations have been made and fall classes are full on ISIS.

It’s difficult to leave Charlottesville this semestr, knowing I’ll return in the fall for my last year at Mr. Jefferson’s University. It feels like just yesterday that I stood in front of the Rotunda on my admissions tour, and now I’ll be walking down that same Lawn for graduation a year from now.

I know when I return in August, many elements of U.Va. life will remain the same. We’ll still grab Little John’s or Take-It-Away as we pack the Amphitheater for Tom DeLuca. We’ll still watch the first years wander aimlessly around Cabell Hall, trying to find their section of Spanish 101. We’ll try to make it out to Chris Green Lake just one time before the cooler weather rolls in.

And while I look forward to the football games and the bonfires at Monfair, I can’t help but think how empty these events will feel without our friends in the Class of 2003.

Graduation is always a bittersweet occasion because it means celebrating a wonderful four years at a wonderful school, but it also means saying goodbye to people who have made those years so wonderful for you.

Of all those proud graduates walking down the Lawn on May 18, there is one who holds a special place in my heart and in my life. This person has many notable accomplishments from her time at Virginia, but I respect her for her character above all else.

By telling the story of our friendship, I think I’ll highlight (or highlyte) the type of person that makes U.Va. one of the friendliest campuses I’ve ever visited. It’s this type of person who embodies every quality a student at Virginia should strive to represent.

I met Allison Klos during the spring of my first year.Having just pledged a sorority, I was a bit overwhelmed with the prospect of having 100 new “sisters.”

Alli went out of her way to make me feel welcomed and wanted, and she made a very large group feel much smaller to me. When Big Sister Week rolled around, I hoped that all my goodies and fun adventures were courtesy of her.

And they were.

I’m sure that each of us can think of someone who helped us make a smooth transition into college. Whether it was an older classmate or a fellow athlete, having someone look out for you is greatly appreciated during that first year away from home.

Both being out-of-staters, Alli and I could sympathize with some of the anxiety and apprehension that comes with going hundreds of miles away to school. When everyone packed up for Easter weekend my first year, I was left feeling alone and lonely in my Emmett dorm room.

Alli adopted me for the weekend, bringing me over to her Jack Jouett apartment for a marathon cookie-making session. She opened her home to me and was my “family” when my real family was at home in Florida.

I will never forget how grateful I was for the company that weekend.Just to get out of the dorms was a treat in and of itself. And to be with someone as hospitable and loving as Alli made it a very happy Easter holiday.

We are often so busy and narrowly focused during the school year that it’s easy to become absorbed in our own schedules. We are so concerned with our own dilemmas that we don’t go out of our way to help other people.

Grace and graciousness are sadly lacking in our society today, and unfortunately our University community is often no exception.

But Alli is the exception to every rule. She has more class and grace in her little finger than many people exhibit over their whole lifetime.

Although Alli came from out west, she is more genteel and gracious than many of the “Southern” women I’ve met in Virginia.

From her acute fashion sense to her passion for art history, Alli has a love of life and culture that always makes it fun to be around her.

She bought me my first drink on my 21st birthday and is always the first one to come by with a card or beautiful flowers on a special occasion.

Alli celebrates my successes and helps me accept my failures. She supports me through the hard times, and cheers me on through the good. She is everything I imagine having a sister would be.

I’m lucky to have this column to thank Alli today. And though you may not know her or may not know her well, I think it’s clear how extraordinary she is.

I haven’t said much about Alli’s academic achievements or the leadership positions she holds. And while both are numerous and impressive, they don’t capture the strength of character that endears her to everyone she knows.

I know that you may not have 150 lines in The Cavalier Daily to thank the person who helped you ease into life at U.Va. But I encourage you to seek out that person and thank them in your own way before they don that cap and gown.

While we are quick to award brilliant scholarship, athletic skill and service to the University, we often overlook the aspects that truly make someone important.

Strength of character and genuine kindness are much more exceptional, and leave longer lasting impressions on those around you.

Alli, I thank you for your generosity and for your compassion. I thank you for leading by example and for serving with grace. You, and those like you, are role models for all the students at Virginia and for all those who will follow in our footsteps.

You make me proud, Big Sister.