College years bring wisdom and fun classes

Justin Fowler

For the first time in my tenure at Western, I did my homework. I spent the extra two hours outside of class going over materials from it this weekend. I actually took the advice from freshman seminar.

I learned how to play three chords – G, D and C.

That was the assigned homework for my group guitar class. It’s one of the two classes I’m taking just for me this semester. They won’t fill one of illustrious positions on my degree program like other classes. I took them just because I wanted to – just for me.

Over the summer, I had one of those epiphanies. You know the kind I’m talking about. Everything makes sense for a split second. It only happens when Mars is in the third quarter of the moon or something like that. You have to be ready for it.

“Dude,” I said to myself. “You’re about to finish college.”

I’m not at liberty to express the true words that I responded with, but “uh-oh” would suffice. I freaked out for about 10 minutes, then went back to being a normal 22-year-old guy thinking about the girl that just walked by and how I could find a way to get her number.

So this is my last year here at Western, I better make it good. I’m almost done. I just need a General Ed class here and there and a couple classes to finish up my minor. I decided it was time to do something I’ve always wanted to do – learn how to play the guitar.

“I wonder if Western has a guitar class I could take,” I thought to myself. It didn’t take long to find an answer. My roommate was actually taking it. Well if this isn’t destiny calling to say hi, I don’t know what it is.

I now have group guitar and drawing, two things I’ve always wanted to do, but never made the time to do.

College is your chance to experience all that life has to offer. Your options really are endless here. I came to Western wanting to chase tornadoes around the country, but discovered my love of photography and I couldn’t be happier. If there is something you’re interested in, jump on Topnet and find out if Western offers a class dealing with it. Don’t stress that it doesn’t have a place on the illustrious degree program. You pay to take classes here, take what you want. I can tell you after the first week that I will value the experience from these classes . I try to live by a lesson I learned from the cinematic genius Kevin Smith. Life is just a collection of moments, that’s all it really is. Go out and try to make as many as you can. So if you ever wanna stop by and play G with me, you’re welcome to.

I’ll be on the porch doing my homework.

Justin Fowler is a senior photojournalism major from Columbia