Senioritis infecting attempts at productivity

By James Bickford

It is that time again. At least it is for me.

It's flu season, and, worse than that, it is the second installment of a serious ailment that occurs at least twice in a college graduate's lifetime.

This flu does not come with the usual symptoms, but is harder to cope with than any fever or chills. The causes are numerous, but the symptoms are pretty common, and many of my friends and I have caught it from one another. I have gone through it once before, toward the end of high school, but this time it is much worse.

I am sad to announce to the entire student body that I have officially been diagnosed with senioritis.

I am once again victim to this disorder, and I am definitely not the only one under its sway. As the occasional sunbeam bursts forth from the clouds, school is already a distant memory.

As the job offers pile up, grades no longer seems to matter. As the plans begin to formulate, suddenly that homework no longer seems so necessary.

I'm ready to get my piece of paper stamped with University President Paul Locatelli's, S.J., mass-produced signature and head on my merry way out into the "real world."

Of course, I am not 100 percent ready to run on out to cubicle world.

There are still many nights of college life to enjoy. There are still many friends to see and many Bronco sporting events to scream myself silly at.

I am also starting to get nostalgic about the good ol' days, remembering that "one crazy night" freshman year.

Remembering what campus was like before the baseball stadium or Domicilio -- yup, I've been here that long.

I am no longer quite so angry about the fact that for half of my Bronco career, I have been without a proper library. I proudly watched the men's basketball team beat the University of North Carolina, and saw Bucky transformed into a meaner, leaner bronco (without steroids, I am proud to say).

I am guilty of breaking into the engineering building late at night to finish homework. I am proud to have represented the Broncos at a national event.

I have survived college food at Benson.

And of course, more important than all the rest, I have met so many interesting and amazing people that have truly transformed my life.

Not to get too mushy, but the friends, professors and staff I have met at Santa Clara have directly challenged me and made me into a better -- nowhere near perfect -- but better person than I otherwise would be.

I am so grateful for my time here. And I am super excited to continue being an avid Bronco all my life.

That said, this whole class/work thing is starting to get really hard.

I am starting to feel like an old fart. I am starting to see the next great adventure and the opportunity to apply my competency toward transforming the world.

Maybe there is a cure for this, but they just laughed at me when I went to visit Cowell.

So if you do know any good antidotes, please let me know. Senioritis stinks.

James Bickford is a senior engineering major.