We’re only one week into a new semester and already things seem to be back to normal on campus. There are plenty of students in the IC on a Sunday afternoon, the downtown campus shuttle is always full, and the Damen Student Center has been busy with student organization meetings all week. At first glance it looks about the same as any other semester, but Spring 2016 has us all in very different places.

The freshmen are starting to find their feet and feel comfortable on campus. The sophomores are embracing their last year of underclassman-ship and are (hopefully) settling on a major. The juniors are buckling down to await senior year with joy, relief, and perhaps a little bit of fear. And the seniors are battling “senioritis” while making sure they pass their classes, make plans for post-graduation, and enjoy their last semester of their undergraduate careers.

So, here we are. Each of us looking at Spring 2016 from different perspectives and all pushing ahead hoping for similar things.

I hope that as we tackle this semester from our different walks of life we find time to enjoy each other and be grateful for our experiences. I hope we find time for weekend naps and coffee shop dates. I hope we get involved on campus and befriend students different from ourselves. I hope we get the grades we want and have a chance to leave this campus better than we found it. I hope we explore Chicago and reach out to our community. I hope that our professors cancel a class or two so that we can sleep in and I hope it doesn’t feel like winter until May. I hope that we find peace in our differences and that the Spring 2016 semester treats us all well.

Let’s see where this one takes us, Ramblers.