Sitting here thinking

"To the moon to study dust," will be my response to the next person who asks me where I'm going after graduation.\nMy plans for post-graduation life currently remain steadfast within a plethora of attainable possibilities. Translation: I have no job.\nFor long, I would blame my unemployment on schoolwork, my responsibilities at the IDS, El Niño -- any excuse seemed legitimate. But now I've come to accept my lack of future and attribute it to a single cause -- I'm not ready to give up college life.\nAnd as I sit in Assembly Hall on Saturday during the commencement ceremonies, wearing my cap and gown, listening to a voice echo overhead alerting members of each school when it's their turn to "stand and be recognized," I'll be thinking about my time here, and what the future might hold:\n"College of Arts and Sciences," the voice bellows off the walls, which for decades have housed the proud tradition of Indiana basketball.\nIt's a shame my tenure at IU can't last longer. I want to remain entrenched in the beauty of waking up at 10 a.m. every day, just in time to watch "The Price is Right" and prepare for my 12:30 p.m. lecture. I want to enjoy the fine luxuries of eating cereal at every meal, ordering pizzas at 3 a.m. after a night of "socializing," and drinking coffee that's so expensive it comes equipped with a financial aid package. Unfortunately, next year will not permit me to do these things. I will most likely be working as a reporter at a small television station somewhere within the continental United States.\n"School of Continuing Studies ... "\nFor those who aren't familiar with the world of broadcast journalism, let me assure you, landing a job in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles doesn't happen. Here are just a few places that currently have job openings: WHNT in Huntsville, Ala.; WCTV in Tallahassee, Fla.; KXLF in Butte, Mo.; WYIN in Merrillville, Ind., just to name a few. Nothing spells metropolis like Butte, Mo. To put it in perspective, Marion County probably has a larger population than the entire state of Montana. And if that's not a large enough selling point to get into television, a salary of $16,000 will surely turn you on.\n"School of Informatics ... "\nThe money doesn't scare me, nor does going to a new place, because I know I'll be doing something I love and care deeply about. My love for journalism mirrors my affection for IU basketball. Often times, I find myself very critical of both. This year, both failed to take risks, and consequently, ended with lackluster results. But I have that older brother mentality when it comes to journalism and basketball. If an outsider decides to pick on either, I rush to the rescue, touting an intimidating list of disparaging remarks about your team, your major, and how I really hope the copying, collating, and stapling job at Price Waterhouse Coopers works out for you. I don't plan to start a fight; I just want to make sure you know I'm there, and that my admiration for both will never falter.\n"School of Journalism ... "\nOh, boy it's time to "stand and be recognized." Good luck to my family and friends who will struggle to spot me from section EE in Assembly Hall. I'll be the one of the thousands struggling to leave IU, wanting to explore new things, trying to get ready for the post-graduate uncertainty. Good luck to everyone.