The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 19, 1989-Page 15 'The Schef's Specialty IfBY ADAM SCHEFTER There have been signs all along. In the fall of my junior year, my friends and I received a letter from a friend who had graduated from Michigan the previous April. "Every day you wake up at school, whether its snowing or raining, whether you have a term paper to finish or a final exam to take, be thankful you are in Ann Arbor. Because before you know it, it will all be over. And, take it from me, you'll wish that you were 4 back there." * Well, it didn't say exactly that, but you get the idea. I r laughed. Here I was, almost two years away from gradua- tion, and I was being lectured about savoring every mo- ment of college. Even the crummy ones. Then there was this past December; the moment I fi- nally comprehended that college is not like diamonds. It's not forever. I was walking home after finishing a final exam when I came to the house where seven of my closest friends lived. In the driveway was a red Nissan, filled to the top like a child's toy box, with duffle bags, boxes, books, the essentials for a college student. In the front of the car sat Tec a Mr. Rodgers look- alike, and his girlfriend Leah, both of whom had gradu- ated in December. I approached the car with two of my roommates and stopped. "Ted," I muttered, looking at the car. "You're leav- ing..Leaving!" Silence. Words are tough to come by at moments like that. Ted nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders helpless- ly. He lifted his right arm, slowly waved good-bye, put his car into reverse and my head into a tailspin. My roommates turned to me. They asked me why I would say such a thing, why I would emphasize Ted's al- ready agonizing experience. I explained I didn't mean to. I was stunned, mesmerized by the fact that someone I started college with four years ago was backing out of the driveway, heading home. Not for a weekend. Or a summer. But for a lifetime. Now, I am in in the unenviable position of having to say good-bye to the finest years I've ever known. So this is my good-bye column. My chance to try to express what it means to have the best four years of my life come to a close. What it means to have to say good- bye to the friends that I love so dearly. What it means to have been lucky enough to have had four years at the best school in the country. In the past, I have often heard adults say that they would give anything to have one more year at college. Can I consider myself an adult and say the same thing? I've certainly done everything possible these past few months to prolong my final year. I have walked down State Street slower than Iever have, staring nostalgically at trees that I once sat under, eating Steve's ice cream, taking in all that a sunny day in Ann Arbor has to offer. I have lied on the hammock on the porch of my house and gazed out at Church Street, replaying a road trip to Chicago or a fraternity football game that was salvaged in the final minutes. Yet, like I imagined, none of this has made a A time to say so long difference. The days have picked up speed, almost like watching Leroy Hoard breaking through the line of scrimmage and into the open-field against USC in this year's Rose Bowl. In the song America by Simon and Garfunkel, there is a line that puts this passage of time into perspective: "Michigan seems like a dream to me now." And today, my alarm clock is going off, louder than ever before. But this time, unlike so many other morn- ings at college, there is no snooze button to press. Time to get up. Say good morning to the real world. Sure was the fastest dream I've ever had. They say you always remember your first kiss. Well, your first day at college is just as memorable. Lasts longer, too. I remember my mother and I arriving at my dorm, Mary Markley. Unpacking all my belongings into a tiny, square-shaped room and going to eat dinner at the Real Seafood Co. to relax my nerves. From then until now, I have accumulated memories that make a college experience, especially a Michigan one, unforgettable. They thought they had a lot of mem- ories to discuss in The Big Chill. Hah. I could talk their ears off. There was Michigan wide receiver John Kolesar pull- ing in a 77-yard touchdown pass against Ohio State and running right at the frantic student section. Spring break trips. Florida and Coppertone. Acapaulco and Corona. Jamaica and reggae. Venezuela and riots. Cooking din- ners. Dinner dates. Laughs. Parties. Barbecues. Intra- mural championships. National championships. More laughs. Life doesn't get any better than that. Never mind the times of being buried in the library and being forced to learn an entire semester of account- ing. Never mind the times of waking up the morning after a big party at your house that looks like only Neanderthals attended. Not to mention simply waking up the morning after a big party. This is not what you remember. But now, I am forced to face reality: the past is gone, the present is fleeting and the future is frightening. Graduation is staring me right in the face. I don't think I have ever wanted to turn my back on something more. Who wants to give up a grown-up life without grown-up responsibilities? Next year, I will be without my best friends, Dave, Gregg, Jeff R., Jeff W. and Sam, who have been my best buddies since my first year at school. I will be without football Saturday's; without long Christmas and summer breaks; without thousands of people, all close in age, all ready to have a great time; without late nights with long conversations; late nights with munchies; and just late nights. And who will ever forget any of it? There are certainly enough memories to fill my car for a long and lonely ride home. Just like I was warned. Just like I witnessed. You know, I never did like saying good-bye. Instead, I say, so long. O 'r_" . ' .."" ". I i I / u0 and the school year's through, Time to pack up and leave, but before you do You got to find some Well it's finals time cash to see you ..-I through June, July, and August too. The Union Bookstore is the place for you! They're gonna give you back CASH for the Michigan .2Zkstore 1 books you can't use! They '11 pay half price for the books that are hot, and a lower amount for the books that are not! Their computer will tell you just what the book's worth. They' 11 Mazda tins0h class of '89 deserves alot of credit. Isn't it time you rewarded yourself with a sporty new Mazda car or truck? Mazda American Credit has a First Reward program that makes it _ easier for college graduates to qualify for new car Mazda 323 financing. And right now, special incentives will save you hundreds of dollars which can be applied to your down payment. Get $400 cash back on Mazda 323, or $750 cash back on a Mazda MX-6 or any 4x2 :.:::or 4x4 Mazda truck. The Mazda MX-6 choice is yours, and the selection is great, but time is short: cash back incentives end April 30. See your local Mazda Dealer or call our 800 number today. And I, / ,. f ..., ! 0 m ""' give you cash spot so stop th I Before you leave town or pack those books away, remember the Michigan Union Bookstore will pay .. . FOR YOUR on the ere first! -9 * BOO Si - - - - I IMICHIGAN UNION BOOKSTORE OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE MICHIGAN UNION 1 1 I ( I