Opinion | Goodbye, Pitt

Last week, while on a walk through Schenley, I found a bench and sat down, soaking in everything around me. I was coming to the realization that the end of my time at Pitt had arrived.

“It feels like it was just yesterday” is a cliché, so forgive me for using it, but it really does feel that way. 

It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that such a significant part of my life is over — I’m going to sound like yet another sad senior, but I have the mic right now. Yinz can listen to me ramble. I have amazing memories from my time at Pitt, and I’ve organized my thoughts and reflections in incohesive chunks below.

• An ode to floor four

I got blessed with Nordenberg Hall. While it was nice to stay in the swankiest dorm with cable TV, microwaves, lounges and AC, Nordenberg gave me friends and memories I’ll cherish forever.

Just yesterday, my roommate Evan reminded me that we have known each other since the first night of college, when we met on the elevator. I met another roommate immediately next door, Egan. Ethan lived down the hall, and we texted about possibly rooming together our first year, only to randomly end up on the same floor. Owen took a while to crack, but he lived on floor four, too. Teja, Ridwon, Goose and Tesh also made that floor feel like home, and our network expanded from this floor four nucleus, the engine of my — our — social lives.

• Thank you, Kenny

Kenny Football was the only football worth watching during my time at Pitt. I saw him pull the legendary fake slide in the ACC championship game — one that my roommates and I camped outside of the Union for in a blizzard. When the Pitt Program Council announced a $90 package that included transportation, lodging and a student section ticket, you can bet that we were all over that. Narduzzi even bought us pizza!

That night, 14 of us crammed into two small tents, sleeping on top of the cold brick outside the Union. No one actually slept, of course — we ended up watching movies, going on a walk and, when the snow started to fall around 4 a.m., had a snowball fight before the doors opened at 6. Needless to say, I did not go to class that day. 

The years after Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison’s departure were disappointing to say the least, but that didn’t stop us from going to games — junior year, it did, though. I will always remember staying through the rain delay at Heinz Field my first year for an overtime win against UNC — Teja and I got soaked but made our way to the front row of the Panther Pitt, and that “Sweet Caroline” never felt so good.

• The classroom

Sometimes, I forget that I came into Pitt as an undecided major — I was thinking business — because the major, minor and certificates I pursued feel tailor-made for me. I had classes that changed me as a thinker, writer and student, but also as a community member and person. Teachers always had their doors open for office hours, which I went to often. I’m incredibly grateful to have built such close relationships with some teachers. I was worried that I wouldn’t have the transformative professors that everyone tells you about, but I had multiple professors who went out of their way to enhance my learning experience.

I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to have two study away experiences during my undergraduate experience, which have made me a more global citizen and will stay with me forever. In May 2023, I went to the Pine Ridge Reservation on the Lakota Perspectives program, where we learned about Lakota history and culture — this was transformative for my political beliefs and values. A year later, I went to Barcelona for a semester, where I explored a new country and developed my Spanish skills — pero todavía puedo mejorar!

• The rest?

It feels like I just got the hang of this college thing! My time management, procrastination and skills all improved by leaps and bounds, and now you’re telling me my time is up? Four years really do go fast — people aren’t lying. It’s a good thing some of my roommates always had their phones out, because recently, we were looking back at old photos and laughing.

I’ll miss the two times I went to Panther Pit — in between the raids — the Cubs-Pirates games, the Bears-Steelers game, the sophomore year house parties and the general shenanigans — like the Ward Street watermelon affair. It feels like my roommates and I have realized that our time is coming to an end, so we’ve made the most of it with more concerted efforts to do things like go out, take more trips to Phipps, explore neighborhoods and more fun, non-mundane activities. There are only two weeks left — it would be a shame to not make the most of it. But, as Jelly Roll — among others — has said, the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason — I will take what I’ve learned from all of my experiences here and use them to propel myself forward!

But please, don’t ask me what I’m doing after graduation. I don’t wanna be up at night again.