Editorial

Romer Jed Medina

Editor-In-Chief

There are times when giving up is an infinitely easier solution than staying and fighting for what you believe in. Leaving behind what is important to me has been difficult; my fraternity, my family, and my friends will always hold a place in my heart. The memories shared were both good and bad, but the stress and effects it burdens me with leaves me depressed day-to-day.

Speaking freely for a change, the choice to leave my brothers behind and the decision to not support my family any longer has been dotting on my conscience for a while. The time spent working and studying to catch up on increasing debt and class work have left me with limited time for a person who should be a priority on my list: myself.

It has been stated that my decisions are not supported. This selfishness to leave for reasons that could potentially be temporary has caused rifts between myself and people whom I still love and care for. Yet, for once in my six year career at NJIT, my last year should be about me moving forward in life.

So instead of worrying this time about what others feel, my thoughts will look solely to the future and to those who stay. They will be filled with hope and the potential life that may be led, but most importantly they will be about me, the “me” that has been neglected for these last few years.

It is my belief that we should always be working to improve ourselves and not lose our way to whatever challenges may come. Support from those close to you is not the deciding factor; it is whether you believe in yourself to make the decisions necessary for change.

The lessons learned and memories shared will always stay with me. The growth you experience in college is not one of an academic standpoint, but a lesson on how to become a better person, one that represents who you truly are.

You will learn how to fail gracefully, win humbly, and fight tenaciously. There will be a greater appreciation for laughter and more compassion for tears that as children, we did not fully conceive past the two-dimensional fields of emotion. And if you’re lucky, you will experience the joy of holding someone’s hand in a late night walk through Branch Brook Park and the sadness of holding the hand of someone who is dying in a hospital bed.

All these memories will form the basis to someone who can withstand the strongest of storms and appreciate the gentleness of a breeze. It will allow you to learn that this world is not a solitary story of good and bad, but a mix of lessons that will help you weather the days to come.

And you will change throughout the years. Every year will give you a reason to give up and a reason to stand tall, but only if you can make the decisions that help you grow will any good come from it.

Of course, words from an older student will not always resonate well in younger ears, but if any lesson is to be learned from my story, it is this: “Try, fail, win, cry, laugh, and most importantly, do what is best for you.”