University of Massachusetts Boston - Beacon Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Each of us definitely comes out of college a changed person We change from boys and girls to men and women Physically, we were that already. But in college, we make that all-important emotional and intellectual shift that determines how you plan the course of your life. We begin to become more and more independent, more of our own person than someone else's. This growing independence can make for some problems, particularly on the home front. Growing up is not easy on anyone, and in our struggle to establish our own identity, sometimes our ideas of who we are can conflict with our parents' ideas of what we should be. Our individual experiences in this matter are unique to ourselves and very personal, so no painful detail need be discussed here. But whether it is our family, our friends, our professors, or the people we work with, it is important to understand one thing. While we as individuals may approach those close to us for counsel, encouragement, and even assistance, the decisions we make for ourselves are ones we determine to be in our best interests, for our pursuit of happiness and our method of obtaining that happiness If society encourages its youth to better themselves through education in order to learn of the world and to find and make their place in it, the decisions we make to establish ourselves must be respected. For Q to encourage one to seek a college education and then criticize how one chooses to if implement that education is both a double standard and counter-productive. lf our If relationships with our close ones are to remain intact, our individuality, independence, X and adulthood must be respected. lmplicitly, l hope I can remain true to these words -2 as l continue to change and get older. But enough speech making. This yearbook, The Beacon, more than any other book, has tried to dig into the soul of UMassfBoston to find out what makes the university and the students who come here special and unique. Our Up Close And Personal iUCAPj section is a bold step in pursuit of our objective. ln our words and pictures, we hope to preserve whatever it was that made the students stick it out and get that sheep's skin To have come this far is to be proud. You have survived. The key to the world that is waiting for you is knowing how to survive. The University of Massachusetts at Boston is the stepping stone for what is to come, it doesn't get any easier from here on out, folks. Wherever you go, take this experience with you and take strength from it. For now, the rest of your life begins. And so it goes. W. - YU 7 - Mark larret Chavous

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There is indeed something about UMB that causes a change ii A in those who come here. We become more creative. We become more responsible. We become tougher. This is ' ' because more and more we find we have to make the decisions that not only affect our daily life at school, but our F - future as well. Remember those incompletes you had? Remember how you had to find a way to negotiate with your 'ff' professor on writing some paper to satisfy him? And how about that progress report that came unexpectedly in place of I a competency? Remember how you had to think of something J to hand in so your professor could clear the way for you to ' ' , graduate? This was no picnic. 1 Ah, those epic battles with the Bursar's and Registrar's offices. 'Im sorry, but I don't see your records here. Are you Z sure you've gone to UMass for three years? III understand X that the postal strike shut down the mail for five days . . . but we can't help that. As far as we're concerned, the check arrived two days late, so you still have to pay the S25 late fee. 'II don't know the answer to that. Let me transfer you. I'That's not my department. Try admissions. That's not my department. Try the cafeteria. From the student's view: Whaddaya mean, spell Smith? Why do I have to prove my gender? IlYou're telling me you don't accept American Express Traveler's checks? IlGive me one good reason why I should tell you if I own a car. Yeah, you've gotten tougher. These kinds of things just didnt happen in high school. But then you had the support of your friends at UMassfBoston, because they were going through the same hassles. Friends are important throughout your entire college career. They're going to pull you through the bad times, bring you down to earth during the good times. Good friends aren't just people who'll come through with a S3 bottle of champagne to your Adam West film retrospective party, a good friend is one who will show up at the party at 8:30 when the invitation says, despite the Adam West film theme. A good friend is one who would say, l'Sure, go ahead and borrow my Prince album CA better friend is one who returns it unscathedjf' A good friend is someone who is there when you really need him or her. Even if you need a hug. So while in the excitement of graduation everybody will promise to keep in touch, just make sure you hang on to those who you can count on, those who want to keep in touch with you as much as you do them. And deep down, you know you can tell the difference. We grow up in college. We think we're grown up at eighteen, and some of us are in actuality. But when we go to college, that's when we come to understand what it means. Bills, bills, and more bills. Rent. Car payments. Car repairs. Heating. And of course, tuition. But this is just the beginning. When graduation is through, the party's over. Life begins, Work. Marriage. CHILDREN. And possibly, just possibly, the desired result of our American Dream: a BMW. ! . S? . P . V' Q

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