Allan Collins is a senior psychology major at Gannon University who has done a lot more than just attended class. But who exactly is he? And what does he think about his final moments at Gannon?
Well to start, I know that he doesn’t just like psychology; he also loves mathematics and statistics. He loves and appreciates the simplicity of numbers and how they can work together to create such beautiful things.
I also know that he loves swimming, since he spent four years on the Gannon swim team. The sport means something more to him than anything else in the world could mean.
The way that the sport was always there to help him in his worst days and how it would help him to push forward so many goals, not just in swimming.
I also know that he loves music…well he’s more infatuated with it. The amount of times I don’t see him with his headphones on could fit on two hands, if not one.
He also loves being a part of the Gannon radio station, WERG. His time there was spent making friends, reviewing music and making a mess of the station since he would also bring food into the main recording room.
However, what he loves the most is people and being surrounded by other people who appreciate him.
He has always been a quiet person when you first meet him. He doesn’t want to make a fool of himself in front of whoever it is.
But, when he gets to know you he becomes more comfortable with you and opens his shell. He becomes this wild, silly and personal person, always wanting people to love him for who he is, not who he wants people to see him as.
At the end of the day, I know that the most important thing in his life is being able to be with the people he loves. Whether that be the amazing friends he meets on the swim team, radio station or class.
As he reflects about his time at Gannon the one thought that always comes back to him is his first day of class: 8 a.m. calculus 1 class with Mrs. Cedzo.
He was both excited and nervous. Not knowing what to expect but wanting to make a name for himself. But, thinking what does making a name for himself mean?
He kept thinking back to his time in high school when he had a hard time making a name for himself there. Being a slightly below average student among highly smart and incredibly “bro-ish” individuals.
People knew who he was, but he wasn’t the most popular kid and he eventually bled with the other students.
So, he desperately wanted to make a name for himself at his new school.
I asked him: “Do you think you were able to accomplish this during your last four years?”
“Well it depends on what you mean by ‘making-a-name-for-myself’.” He goes on to say how in a literal sense, not at all. But, for what he sees himself as he believes that he has. He has grown as a son, brother, friend, and person.
Gannon gave him the tools to make a name for himself; to let him explore himself and be able to define himself.
Allan Collins was able to do so many things at Gannon University and I would imagine that most people would have had no idea.
For example, he says how most people on his swim team had no idea he was on the radio and how none of them knew he wrote reviews in the Gannon newspaper, since swimming takes up enough time in the day, why add more stress.
Or how when, at the radio station, several people have no idea that he was on the swim team, or that he wasn’t a communication major, since why would anyone do the radio if you’re not a communication major?
Or how, through his psych friends, they would have never thought that he was into mathematics and statistics, since most psychology people hate math and statistics.
He was able to express himself and learn about himself in so many different outlets and this is something that Collins will take with him forever and will always be grateful toward Gannon for.
In conclusion, I, Allan Collins would like to personally thank everyone at Gannon who gave me the opportunity to do something meaningful with my time here.
First my swim team and all the friends I was able to make. When you must spend time with the same people day in and day out for half the year you inevitably become close with people.
However, some of them I development amazing bonds with that I would have never expected.
Second is my adviser, friends and girlfriend who I met all through the psychology department. All of them gave me the opportunity, through knowledge and development, to explore the topics I have grown to love in psychology.
Third is WERG, especially the amazing friends that I made there. I made some very close friends in swimming, but the friends that I have made at the radio station are something that I will cherish forever.
Before Gannon I never really had a best friend, or a friend that I could go to to talk to. However, now I have three of the closest friends in the world because of the radio and that is something that I could never forget.
Fourth is this very newspaper. Although I haven’t met most of the people at the newspaper, they have given me the opportunity to do something that I have always dreamed of doing and develop my skills at it: reviewing music.
Lastly, I wanted to thank anyone who has read my reviews. There is no better feeling then knowing that I can turn people on to new music.
Being able to show people the love that I share for the medium is amazing and having other people get to experience that is something I could never get taken away from me.
So, thank you to everyone and I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their time at Gannon; make a name for yourself like I have.
Gannon has so many opportunities out there, but you must be willing to go exploring for them and do what you can to find them.
With that, goodbye Gannon University and I can’t wait for other people to experience what I did.

ALLAN COLLINS
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