04/22/2021
Noah Wilbur | Opinions Editor
Four years ago, upon first arriving in the Steel City, my expectations were lofty as I said farewell to my small hometown in West Virginia and relocated to a much larger urbanized region of the country. Apart from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the many bridges that cross the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, I knew very little of the city and her surrounding beauty.
Since then, there have been countless unforgettable experiences with a number of wonderful people, many of whom are now lifelong friends. Not to mention, during my time as a student in the Palumbo–Donahue School of Business, it feels as if for the most part, I did indeed learn a vast amount of meaningful and valuable information, albeit a few courses felt painstakingly excessive and slightly ostentatious. Nevertheless, I am now entering the “real world” as a well-rounded individual who is more than prepared to move forward and tackle the challenges that life inevitably throws at each of us.
From the annual ice skate rink at PPG Place, to the infamous Primanti Brothers sandwich shop (you will be greatly missed), Pittsburgh has been a home away from home by providing a place for me to learn more about myself and grow as a person along the way.
That being said, although brimming with ambition for the first few years, it still felt as if something was missing in my life, as if there was a void waiting to be filled by some sense of purpose and aspiration. I was certainly going through the motions required by our very existence, but I continuously failed at actually living in the moment.
There seems to always come a time, after feeling down for too long, when we must reflect on our current way of life, and then make a decision on what is best for us moving forward, in connection with our own personal goals, desires, values, and interests. This is the moment when we finally discover something worthwhile, an aspect of life that fulfills the void and drives purpose in some fashion, shape or form.
By and large, this moment for me, at least during my time in college, was when I joined The Duke as a staff writer, and then later transitioned into my current role as the opinions editor, where I’ve remained for the past 9 months.
My time has not only been remarkably rewarding, but also an enjoyable experience overall as I formed relationships with important people in the Pittsburgh metro area, while also making new friends with my fellow editors and staff writers.
Even after this difficult year with our entire newsroom battling the innumerable obstacles stemming from the emergence of COVID-19, we still managed to enjoy our time together while also continuing to release meaningful and inspirational articles that we sincerely believe had a positive impact on the student body, as well as the community.
I would be remiss not to mention the nod of appreciation that Duquesne University undoubtedly deserves as the union between The Duke and I might’ve never occurred if not for the administration’s intense focus on developing a tremendous extracurricular experience, with a multitude of resources and opportunities available to support those students interested in getting involved.
Despite the good old days now behind me and all the great memories that came with them, I am truly prepared, and excited, to take the next step in life, the “Great Leap” so to speak, as I once again move to a new and unknown city to accomplish the dreams that I set out to achieve years ago.
Thank you to everyone who made my experience here at Duquesne so special – you know who you are.
