Graduating seniors share IU memories

As seniors count down their last days at IU, many spend their time studying hard for finals. But one question that cracked an immediate smile to nearly all seniors this week was: "What's your favorite memory at IU?"\nWith countless memories to chose from, most graduating seniors took their time to assess the most memorable moment during their IU experience. While most reminisced about similar events, the stories themselves were unique for the students that told them. \nWithout surprise, one of IU's biggest traditions slid its way into many seniors' best memories of their four-year journey here. \n"(One of my favorite memories is) Little 5," said senior Catisha Coates. "All the fun and everything that goes with it: the partying, the race, just everything."\nLittle 500 for senior Jaimie Hewitt this year involved riding in the race on an independent team with her friends for the first time.\n"It was totally amazing, and it was something I'd wanted to do for three years. It was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made," she said. "I got to participate in one of the biggest IU traditions and partake in an event I've always wanted to do. Little 5 will always be a fond memory for me."\nParties during Little 500 weekend stood out as memories, no matter how blurry those recollections may have been.\n"You can't forget little 5," said senior Ryan Hart, as he took a break from studying in the Indiana Memorial Union Thursday afternoon. "This year at Little 5 we had a party at 12th and Grant, and at one point we had like 600 people within a square block," he said laughing.\nSenior Ryan Dumas reminisced about another party experience and immediately began laughing. \n"At Union Square (one year) there was a huge Halloween block party," he said. "It was just like a sea of people in costumes. That was a really fun party actually. I felt like it was Mardi Gras or something."\nSome seniors' recollections from their first year as undergraduates were memorable enough to jog their memories.\n"Teter (dormitory) came to fight Wright (dormitory, in a snowball fight) and everybody ran to Wright Quad and had a massive snowball fight," said senior John Demotte. "I think some kid broke his nose it was so intense."\nSenior Tiffany Jaynes also had a snow-related memory from her freshman year. She said that one of her favorite memories was meeting all her female friends freshman year that she still remains close to. She added that she remembers taking pictures in the snow after returning from a movie one night. \n"When I think of a snapshot from freshman year, I see us playing in the snow," Jaynes said. "We were dancing and listening to music from the car too."\nAs the class of 2006 moves on to new cities, jobs and lives, they said they realized some of things they will always love and miss about IU. Many outgoing seniors said one of the main things they will miss is just the everyday life at college, whether silly or serious.\n"(I'll miss) the Sunday after spring break because that's when all the girls come out in tank tops. That's by far my favorite part of IU," said senior Jordan Guse.\nHart agreed with Guse that girls were an added bonus to his college experience.\n"There's a lot of attractive girls," he said. "I'll miss the boy to girl ratio."\nSenior Megan Gilberts said the thing she will miss the most is spending time with her roommates. She added that some of her favorite times at IU were coming home and sharing her life with them and just sitting on her porch and talking. \nSenior Ed Yin summed up what makes it so hard for him to leave IU.\n"When you're at college you're still on an umbilical cord but free to roam," he said. "You have a kind of carefree life with only some responsibility. In the real world, you have more responsibility"