Five months ago, on the night of Christmas Eve, I received a present from my parents, that would turn out to be one of the most valuable presents I ever got.
They gave me the opportunity to stay here at the University of La Verne for a second semester.
I was happy and excited, but how little did I know about what would await in the maybe five best months of my life so far.
The picture of me, that is grinning down on you from the top of this column is not as happy as it seems. It was taken for my goodbye column at the end of last semester and behind the smile on my face sad emotions and the feeling that I will miss out on something big going home.
But I stayed and experienced something big. It started in the Interterm, when I took an acting class and performed in “Marat/Sade.” One of the girls caught my eye and never let go, sometimes even distracting me from my performance.
Then one night, we talked for hours, opened our souls and on the next day, it was sure that I found here in La Verne what I had never hoped for and maybe did not even want to find here.
The syphilitic girl in the play turned out to be my princess, my Cinderella.
Thank you, Whitney, for four and a half wonderful months so far. I love you more than I could express in any language in the world. Call me naïve, but I know we have more great times to come. He who does not hear the music thinks the dancers have gone crazy.
During the Interterm, I asked Elizabeth Zwerling, the Campus Times adviser if she would want me in her writing staff for another semester and she offered me the position as LV Life editor. Thank you, Elizabeth, for what has been the best and most joyful journalistic experience I had in my life so far.
Thanks to all the Campus Times staff for making this paper an amazing publication, considering the size of our University.
Thinking about being an editor, I was first afraid to step into the shoes of my great editing staff from the fall semester. But this semester’s amazing editors, helping out each other in every situation, made editing not only easy but also fun.
There are two editors I have to drop a special note to. Coincidentally, they are those two I share this page with. To my right, Chrissy, and to the top, Todd.
Thank you, Chrissy, for being the person bringing the joy to journalism and for always having a smile on your face. I will miss you so much – and not only because chair racing looks kind of retarded without a competitor.
I know that you will make a great editor in chief next semester, even though Todd leaves huge shoes to step into.
Todd, thanks for becoming a friend. I am very proud to be a friend of maybe the most interesting and talented guy I have ever met. Just keep yourself out of trouble and you will make it to the top.
Last but not least, I want to thank my free-time friends, a group that has brought me so much fun and that I will miss the most back home, the international students (of course including Greg, according to the ISO).
With one car for the whole group we had a great time. I will never forget a single one of you guys.
Now it’s time to say goodbye and that is the hardest part of my time here.
On my plane back to Germany, I will cry a tear or two for this small community in the town of aged people that will always have a place in my heart.
Goodbye La Verne, goodbye my friends, n’oubliez jamais.
Max Zänker, an international student, is LV Life editor of the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at zaenkerm@bits-iserlohn.de.
