Coming back to IU

Every year in May, after exams are over and I find myself back home, I can't help but wonder what will change during summer. Will I be different when I return in August? Will my friends change? What will change? It's only three months, but it seems like forever. And every year, I come to the same conclusion: the only thing that doesn't change is the campus of Indiana University.\nThree months will do a lot to a person, myself included. This past summer many of my friendships have changed, some for better and some for worse. I cut my hair, got a new car, and experienced several things that have changed me for life. And now, as I step onto campus, I remember why I came here in the first place.\nAs I turn off Highway 37, I can already see the top of Assembly Hall. Then of course there are the residence halls on Fee Lane that bring back memories from freshman year. The Arboretum is especially beautiful, and even the library looks spectacular. From Kirkwood Avenue to the Indiana Memorial Union, I start to feel pride in this school and nostalgic at the thought of a new beginning. \nAfter reuniting with good friends, I realize how much everyone has changed. Some of us will remain friends, some will move on. But we are all still students here. And each year in August, we are reminded of the great spirit of IU. We reminisce about past experiences and what might have been. Of course we all think about the future. But bottom line, we all have found something to call home in IU.\nPeople say to appreciate something, you have to take some time away. By mid-April, I hate everything about Indiana and I vow to make my summer last as long as possible. With finals lurking in the future and stress piling up, campus doesn't seem so beautiful. The spectacular library now brings out feelings of pain, sleepless nights, and terror. Assembly Hall reminds me that we lost to Kent State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Freshman heavens like McNutt and Briscoe prove that I am a year older and a year closer to the real world. \nBut being back home again in Indiana in August helps me forget about finals, basketball games, and the stacks. This campus means so much to so many of us, and a new beginning brings out the best in everyone.\nOf course, by mid-September, this pro-campus euphoria will disappear. It will get cold and the leaves will fall. The grass will no longer be green. I'll forget just how much I love this school. \nYet this campus never really changes. It's not about the new building on Jordan or the addition to the business school. The campus will always physically change, but the atmosphere will remain the same. The first week of classes will be the only time I hit the bars for four nights in a row. The first football game allows die-hard Hoosiers to truly believe that "this is our year." And as we all become used to being a college student once again, the beauty and spark about this place may disappear for a little while. \nBut it will come back, it always does. There will always be another August so we can cherish this school and remember why we love it so much. And until then, enjoy your new beginning, and don't forget that you are a part of IU.