That Graduation Time of Year
The District is bordered by not one, not two, but three higher education entities: to the north, Columbia College, to the northeast, Stephens College, and to the south, the University of Missouri. Fair to say, Columbia is a studious town. Students make up a large percentage of our city’s population and the thousands of Faculties and Staff members which support those institutions, another large percentage. These groups make up a hefty portion of our city’s economic and cultural fingerprint. It’s kind of wild to think about. All these people, all these folks here to participate, in some form or fashion, in a system devoted to learning. How cool is that?
If you live, work, or play in The District at any regularity, you have undoubtedly encountered the spirit and antics of student life. You can’t escape it. The energy is palatable; the sidewalks heavily utilized. Coffee shops, restaurants and bars are often filled with people studying together, meeting with mentors and professors, engaged in the most recent scuttlebut from the reality tv show du jour, deciding what to wear to the upcoming this or that event, or passionately debating last week’s game over a pint. The sights and sounds are often unexpected. You may see a squad of students dressed as Winnie the Pooh trapezing down Broadway or hear Marching Mizzou trumpeting down the sidewalk, galvanizing fans, giving out high fives, smiling ear to ear. If you’re downtown during a game day, you’ll likely hear the oohs and aahs of sports fans echoing block to block. If you come during a concert, you’ll be encouraged to sing along, using the voice of your youth, joining the rising sound of joyful exuberance.
The backdrop to all this, of course, is the daily classes, the homework, the processing of new information, the building of new relationships, the consideration of ideas that will go into each students’ life while they’re here in our fair city. The development of the adult self (boundaries, wellness, financial responsibility, and so on) is all taking place!
This graduation season The District wants to extend a congratulatory HOORAH! to all the graduates who will make their transition across lawns and stages to receive their diplomas, with many accompanying hugs and slaps on the back for a job well done, moving into their futures shining with bright possibility. Wishing you well and we look forward to seeing you back in The District soon.
It’s good to be here!