Passion

As I move through the midpoint of my Stevens career, I often find my thoughts drawn towards questions of what will be. What will my final two years be like, compared to my first two? What will my life be like upon graduation, and how have my decisions until this point affected that? What will be my fondest memory of Stevens after I am gone, and have I already lived through it? What will my legacy be here? Will I be remembered by my peers and professors? If so, what will be the impression I have left in their minds? Positive or negative, lasting or fleeting, singular or vague?

I, luckily, do not have an answer to most of these questions. My college experience would be unbearably boring if I knew exactly what would happen throughout it. However, I do have some clues. Stevens certainly has a unique character, and the people I’ve met here are not quite like any other group of people I’ve known before. I have found spots in this university — in its people, its organizations, and even some of its physical locations — that feel more like home to me than my actual South Jersey house or 13th Street apartment. Stevens has immersed me in a world in which there is so much to care about, so many great experiences to be had, and wonderful memories to be made that I have had countless nights where I considered it a crime that I had to sleep.

The story of my first two years at college is, ultimately, an experiment in passion. I have found every aspect of it, visited every edge of its bell curve, and returned to the center time and time again. I have watched the ardor of only a couple of people revive a student organization from near–death and let it go on to create new memories for new generations of students. I have witnessed friends rediscover joy in their work after switching majors — and ride their newly–found dedication from a near-failing GPA to a spot on the Dean’s List within two semesters. Every finals season, I watch (and participate) as all of my peers desperately try to summon every ounce of will and intensity from their minds in order to remain at Stevens and at their highest possible academic standing. As far as passion goes, I consider all these sights to be truly beautiful, and among the greatest things about life at Stevens.

However, I have also found passion’s darker side. The amazing memories, experiences, and friends I have made at SITTV, The Stute, and other organizations have led me to defend them and the passion they have instilled in me whenever I can, out of a sense of duty to give back to the environments that have given to me. This way, I hope, I can help these organizations continue to provide future generations of students with the same amazing experiences that I’ve had, and instill in them the same sense of passion that I have felt since my first semester here. This has, many times, led me into conflict with individuals or groups who my gut has told me will harm the potential for new memories and renewed passion. The amount of cordial-yet-confrontational emails I have sent in the last year alone is, quite honestly, too high. I have been accused many times of being rash, hasty, or too headstrong by members of Stevens staff and administration as well as my fellow students, but I have always interpreted this as someone telling me that I am just more passionate than they are about whatever is the subject at the moment. As a result, I’ve taken such accusations as the most intense compliments I could possibly receive. I truly love the memories I have been able to make here, and I will always stand up to defend everything that helped me make them — even if sometimes I, perhaps, should not.

My message to every student — incoming, incumbent, or outgoing — is this: if you haven’t already, find your passion! This campus may be small in terms of population and square mileage, but it’s enormous in terms of possibility. There is no place like Stevens. If you grab hold of it and find a way to truly care about it, you’ll sculpt this chapter of your life into a shape you’ll never be able to recreate. As I enter my twilight years in college, my greatest hope is that I can find new things to love about Stevens and new places, people, and moments to call home.