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"God gave you a life to live, and that's the greatest gift in the world, and people spend it bullshitting.' , barry white i think what i am leaving behind and what i am taking from western maryland college is inter-related and can be summed up one word: relationships. i could just say friends and friendships, but that would not encompass all that i wish to include. i will take with me, and remember for a long long time (as a surviving mechanism), the difficult times i encountered with some of the people and situations. i am leaving behind a few very wonderful people, including students, faculty members, and others whom i have been able to meet. if it had not been for these individuals, i would have transferred after my freshman year, and every year afterwards. these few individuals really made the four years at wmc worthwhile. they helped me to realize what type of person was, where i was heading, and the vast amount of goals that could be mine. on the other extreme, a few individuals caused my years at wmc to be painful and insecure. the "games" that were carried on readily come to mind, as do the cliques and narrow- mindedness of people. granted, some people feel the need for security in a group; there is nothing wrong with this feeling. but, if some individuals do not need the security of groups, others shouldn't reject or wonder why that particular individual is different; afterall we are not the same. sowmehow or other, people on this planet were not made exactly alike. there- fore, we should not scorn or ridicule others for their differences, but learn to accept the fact and learn from these individuals. this is not to say that i came to this school with these feelings, but i have learned, primarily through experiences, that the world and people in it are not supposed to be exactly alike, but different, and should be appreciated, not condemned. criticism and change are initiated by individuals who care deeply for the survival of our so- ciety. be they black, red, brown, yellow or white, these individuals want improvements that are best for all of this planet's inhabitants, and not be stifled by apathy and rhetoric. cheryl irving 196