Zach Perrier
Viewpoints Editor
The following is based on when I was asked to give a senior speech on the Scot Symphonic Band tour. I wanted to take the core of what I said and expand on it to look at my whole experience at Wooster.
In 2019, when I visited Washington and Jefferson, a small college in Western Pennsylvania, the tour guide carted us all into a lecture hall and spoke to us about the opportunities should we choose to attend. I had erroneously asked about joining the marching band — what I did not realize was that there was no marching band at W&J. I felt my energy shift. My dad, who loves college visits and college marching bands as well, was not hoping for that answer.
This is in no way to criticize W&J’s programming or extracurriculars. Regardless, that visit made me realize the struggle of looking at small, liberal arts colleges while still hoping to participate in the programs and ensembles that shaped my time at a large public high school.
And then there was Wooster. I chose to go for Independent Study, for the kilts in band, for the stellar faculty. And Wooster graciously gave me the opportunity as a first-generation student to get all of this at a price that worked for my family.
Music certainly shaped that college journey — marching band games, four Symphonic Band tours, a slew of concerts and solo Tuba performances. But music in college is a great example of a substantial issue in post-college life. Student musicians will spend hours and hours in practice rooms, show up to tons of rehearsals, possibly play scores of performances and then … for many non-music majors, that’s it. Done. Grab your diploma and never play another note. Pack away the instrument and be done.
Now, for some — including myself — you might not be in the financial place to procure a personal instrument, or have the same amount of time to commit to music making. But the point is, many college students will choose to close the book on their journeys, academic or otherwise, instead of sitting down and getting to the next chapter.
At the end of every academic year, you will hear seniors say that college “goes by fast,” implying that they wished they relished in it all more. And sure, your time at Wooster is limited. But I am striving to tell you that at the end of college or any other point of your life, you should not leave behind the talents, the ideas and the abilities you picked up. Instead, they should act as core tenets to the rest of your life.
What you did here is not just to receive a very expensive piece of paper that will get you a job. You learned to write better, to read more, to critically think about new ideas, to work (sometimes begrudgingly) with others, to understand and empathize. You probably made some lifelong friends along the way, too.
So, I ask you, whatever your class year, to think less about the dwindling time you have here and instead fixate on what lies ahead. And when you graduate, use what you learn. Pick up a book and read it cover to cover, write and research for the hell of it, talk more with others and understand their perspectives. Don’t be afraid or unwilling to join a community band or buy art supplies and make art, or find a free class and find a new interest.
Coming back to music as an example of this, I think about my older sister hosting a holiday party every December for her friends. The party involves everyone going into the basement of my sister’s house, instruments in hand, and playing Christmas carols. The ensemble ranges wildly in experience; some are music educators, some continue to play just because, some have not touched their instrument since high school or college.
If you could imagine, it sometimes is a bit hokey having a bunch of people sitting around playing “Frosty the Snowman” together, but really you see people relearning not just their instrument, but why they chose their passions and interests over the course of their lives. College should not be viewed as simply a time for career prep and networking. The truth is that college is a time and place to find out who you are and reveal the joy of seeking answers and seeking greatness. I want to thank all of those who I met and befriended at Wooster, the fellow students and faculty and staff, who revealed that truth to me.
