What I learned in my four years at Penn is that no one will pamper you to excellence.
It is very easy to slide by in mediocrity at Penn, but it is difficult to truly maximize the vast resources that this large university has to offer.
A little extra effort and ambition can go a long way. Penn's sheer size offers every student the opportunity to try something new to expand his horizons.
Joining The Daily Pennsylvanian's Only Section That Matters was one way in which I improved my time at Penn by trying something new.
Three years and 108 articles later, I had many unexpected, unique experiences.
Though I assumed my time with the DP would only consist of writing articles, the moments I remember most do not involve any master features or breaking scandals. The one trait that all these moments have in common is that they were experiences that I did not expect to have.
In fact, when I think of the contributions I made to the DP, the first that enters my mind is not one that I made to the front page of the sports section, but one I made to the Franklin Field press-box bathroom.
After a long 21st-birthday celebration, I woke up the next morning to cover the Penn-Brown football game. I got sick three more times during the game; the Brown athletic staff could hear me from the rickety bathroom. Apparently, Gatorade was not the elixir I needed.
But I think Gert enjoyed the show.
On the less disgusting side, I had no idea that my desire to be a good reporter would lead me to voluntarily drive to the hell-hole that is Ithaca, N.Y. I nodded off at the wheel a couple times on our drive back. Sorry, Shafer.
I did not expect an invitation to be a panelist at a Temple Masters of Sports Administration event for my "expertise" in student free speech. Apparently, writing one article for a student publication makes you an expert. Word to the wise, Dunph: don't hire any of these people as your staff.
I learned a lot from DPOSTM -- primarily the importance of being a fan. That might seem strange, since journalists strive to be objective. But true appreciation for college sports is rare, especially on Penn's campus.
Working for DPOSTM helped me recognize the value of all of Penn's sports, varsity and club alike. Moments like watching the Olympians run at the Penn Relays and the overtime buzzer after last year's Penn-Princeton basketball game at the Palestra will always be part of what I remember when I look back on my Penn undergraduate years.
Acknowledging the fact that I am graduating has been a humbling experience for me, so I want to take this time to recognize the DP for making me feel like one of the family, even though I was never the most visible staff member. I thank all the editors for their guidance, as they are always the best minds the paper has to offer.
Finally, my work pales in comparison to what my fellow seniors have contributed to this department. I thank them for allowing me to share this space with them, as they are the true heart and soul that will be missing from the "back" page next year.
Andrew Goodman is a 2006 College graduate from Washington, D.C.
