Well Panthers, it’s that time of year again: two weeks of classes, then finals and then graduation.

It’s unbelievable how fast time flies when you’re in college. It’s hard to imagine that four years ago many of us were just about to graduate high school, worried about not seeing our friends anymore and wondering if college is actually like it is in the movies.

Honestly, I was hoping college was going to be like “Pitch Perfect,” joining a wild group of friends and an organization, along with going to events and parties.

But was my college experience actually like that? Well in a sense, it kind of was.

I joined multiple organizations, made a variety of friends and went to some events. Looking back on my last four years in college, I realized that many of the events and places that I went to over the years were ones that were in the UNI Traditions Challenge.

Remember that little purple book that you were handed at orientation when you first attended UNI? That’s the UNI Traditions Challenge Book and inside that book is not only the history of UNI and many of the events held on campus, but also a checklist of 51 different traditions.

Those 51 different traditions are challenges to you and your friends to create and capture lifetime memories here at UNI.

The Traditions Book states, “the pages you hold in your hands gather UNI’s great feelings into one scrapbook,” which is exactly what it does!

Granted, I didn’t take the challenges very seriously until my senior year, but within this last year I have experienced so many wonderful things that I never really knew about before.

For example, did you know that on the roof of the McCollum Science Hall there is an observatory where you can go and learn all about the stars and see them crystal clear?

Neither did I, but that’s one of the traditions, and after I went, all I wanted to do was go back!

The Traditions Challenge has helped me experience new things here at UNI and make memories with my friends that I will look back on long after my graduation.

Not to mention, upon completion of the traditions you receive a commemorative piece to wear at graduation.

Upon completion of 25 traditions, you receive a pin, and for 45 traditions, you receive a pin and medallion to wear at the graduation ceremony.

With this achievement, you officially become a Traditions Keeper! Am I the only one who thinks that’s really exciting?!

Once you check in your UNI Traditions Challenge Book and a member of CATS (Connecting Alumni to Students) counts the number of traditions you have completed, you are then officially invited to the Traditions Keeper Ceremony where you will receive your pin and/or medallion.

Then the next step is graduation, and you realize that another four years of your life has gone by, just like high school.

What do you have to show for it?

As for me, yes, I’ll have my diploma and some photos of friends from over the years. But I’ll also have my Traditions Challenge scrapbook, which is full of memories that I’ll never forget — not to mention my pin and medallion saying that I’m an official Traditions Keeper.

So again, I ask: what do you have to show for all your years at UNI?