To those of you who have been kind enough to pause briefly during your week to grant me a moment of your time to share my thoughts, I thank you. I am an amateur and have no delusions about my aptitude for putting my thoughts onto the page. These last few months I have been granted a profound privilege, and the faith in me shown by my colleagues and the administrators at the Branding Iron I can only say I have been deeply moved by your support.

The support and criticisms I have received for my work has been both heartwarming and instructive. I make no claims to perfection, and attribute those pieces which have been well received more with luck and timing than a personal predilection for the word.

Those of you who have found a moment during the day to tell me a piece was enjoyable or enlightening did a great deal to assuage my fears of sharing my thoughts with so many, and for that I cannot thank you enough. It is a frightening moment to open the paper or look around campus and see my words open to public critique and consideration. But this challenge has been intensely fulfilling, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

A lot can be learned about what kind of person a student in college is going to become based on what they do during these formative years we are all experiencing. I have been impressed by some who I never thought I would be, and I have been disappointed by some who I thought would stand out as individuals with character and vision.

I have been at times very critical, and I hope no one will walk away thinking I am simply a thrower of word laced bombs. This has not been my intention. Where I have seen failure and lack of vision I have called it out into the open for further public inspection. I dislike seeing perfectly intelligent young people who strive more for recognition than contribution, and hope I have conveyed this message more than any other. I do not deceive myself into thinking my job is particularly necessary or even important, but hope in my short tenure as the opinion editor I have provided a small piece to the conversations and debate around campus.

The opportunity given to me this year by the administrators of the Branding Iron is something I will be eternally grateful for.

To those who have been so kind as to give me a moment every week to share my opinions I hope I have from time to time entertained you, and at worst failed to bore.

This has been fun, and I hope you all have a summer you will never forget, or at least be unable to remember. Either way, see you around campus.

Bob Kubichek

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Opinion Editor