Editor’s Note: Traditionally, graduating seniors working at The Collegian are given the chance to write a farewell note at the end of their tenure at CSU.

Having only worked at The Collegian for a semester, I might not have as much to say as some of the more veteran reporters and editors graduating this semester.

Despite this, I still feel like I was able to take full advantage of the time I had with The Collegian to learn new skills, make awesome connections with interesting people and report on some engaging and worthwhile stories.

One of the beauties of working as a reporter on campus is the ability to see so many different perspectives from across the university and really tie into the culture, events and opportunities present here. Doing that for a semester, I was slightly surprised at what I noticed, and well, I want to talk about it.

None of you asked for this advice thrown over the shoulder of a senior who took five years to get a history degree as he sprints out the door into the professional world, but it’s my goodbye column, so y’all get it anyway.

I am shocked at the opportunities I found working at The Collegian to meet and make connections with influential people and engage with fascinating resources. What I was even more shocked by was how few students take advantage of them.

We had an ex-ambassador to Ukraine speak on campus this semester. The room was filled with community members concerned about one of the biggest and most alarming armed conflicts in recent memory, but not students.

Similarly, we had an expert panel from across the university come together to discuss and answer questions on ChatGPT this semester. The crowd was full of professors and instructors engaged with a topic that may grow to be the single most influential issue of our generation, but there were only a handful of students present.

And for a final example, there was a roundtable organized by Associated Students of Colorado State University to allow students to speak to Fort Collins City Council Members that I covered less than a month ago. The turnout from students was abysmal, while almost every City Council member showed up.

I do not want to sound like the old guy yelling down at the younger generation to get off their phones and touch grass once in a while. That is not the point I’m trying to make. I place just as much blame for the lackluster engagement from students on the university’s poor ability to communicate.

All I am saying is that these events exist and are very much worth your time. A simple Google search can bring up tons of events similar to the ones I mentioned above. If you have an interest, there is probably an event or organization that deals with it on campus, and if there isn’t, that’s your opportunity to make your resume look really good by organizing one.

For me, one of the only regrets I have about my time here at CSU was not getting involved with The Collegian sooner. This last semester opened up a whole new fascinating, engaging world that has been here the whole time I have been at CSU, and I only wish I had stumbled into it earlier and enjoyed it for longer.

The people have been amazing, the environment welcoming and the job rewarding. What more could you ask for in your last semester of college?