I am not sure about all of you, but this semester has been one of the hardest in my life. Each day started out early as I seemed to get up at the same time as the sun. And the days lasted until late into the night. It was a semester of sleep deprivation, crying to my parents on the phone and lots and lots of coffee.
However, if there is one thing that seemed to get me through it all, it was the wonderful friends standing right beside me.
On a small campus such as Gannon, it is common to walk to class and see 10 friends in the span of five minutes. This might seem annoying to some, but for me, I see it as a true blessing.
Life is tough, but I believe that God blesses us with individuals who will help us along the way. We aren’t supposed to do this life alone, especially during these crazy four years of college.
Lydia Fennessy, the Knight’s copy editor, can attest to the fact that gross anatomy was so hard. It doesn’t just work on you mentally, but it can mess with your emotions as you feel the constant tug to study 24/7.
But it was the study breaks with great people that got us through it.
Yes, this semester was so incredibly hard, but it is in these times that you find who your true friends are. They are the ones who don’t judge you for being silly when you are sleep-deprived. They drag you to the gym to burn off stress when all you want to do is sleep. They can always bring a laugh when the last thing you can think of is a good joke.
In fact, I think that during my time in college, God has blessed me with people who know what I need before I even know myself.
If you could describe this semester in a few words, what would you say? For me, you would think “stressful and draining.” In reality, I would say “challenging, yet totally worth it.”
Summer is about to hit and hopefully we can all catch up on some sleep. We can all gain that beautiful tan, eat lots of ice cream and visit places — some old and some brand new.
However, the summer will not be complete without a trip to visit my Gannon pals in their hometowns. Thanks to God, I have a new concept of home now. It happens to not just be where I grew up or the streets of Erie anymore. Now I have a home in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, N.Y. and one all the way in Smethport.
They say home is where the heart is and God has given me a heart for this college and these beautiful people. Until next year, GU.

RACHEL NYE
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