Maggie Burnett

Today I saw purple rain.

Well, figuratively at least.

While brainstorming ideas for this good-bye column, I decided to browse through the Wildcat archives and look over some of my old clips.

Lo and behold, I came across one of my first masterpieces (which is mostly just a PIECE if you ask me). It happened to be a CD review of Princeās album The Vault. And no, I wonāt tell you where to find a copy of the article.

Buried at the end of the review is quite possibly the most awful line to ever exist in a story of any sort: ćWill the CD be a chart topping hit? Itās hard to say. Probably not until the next ĪPurple Rain.āä

Wow. What a clincher.

All sarcasm aside though, that line has stuck in my head over the past three years for some reason. And now that my tenure at the Wildcat is winding down, I think I know why.

I started out at the Wildcat as an arts reporter covering odd events. I eventually moved up the ranks to arts editor, then to news editor and now editor-in-chief. It looks a lot easier to do when youāre reading it. But historically speaking, itās a wonder I even made it this far: I wanted to quit after my first semester on staff.

There were a number of reasons why I thought the Wildcat just wasnāt the job for me. I tried to convince myself it was too time consuming, that grades were my top priority and that I just wasnāt ćfitting inä down in that crusty old newsroom.

Despite my misgivings, little things kept me hanging on as a Wildcat employee. Just when the going started to get tough, Iād get a compliment about a story from a teacher or a pat on the back from one of my editors. It was almost as if something or someone was telling me to stay.

And then it hit me ÷ purple rain.

The idea of purple rain is that it never happens, or at least that it is a rare occurrence.

The Wildcat has been my purple rain.

Not many students, or people in general, can say they have had the privilege of being in charge of something as visible and essential as the Arizona Daily Wildcat. This publication has a significant impact on UAās campus and the greater Tucson area. Heck, my parents in Phoenix make an effort nearly every day to get on the Wildcatās Web site and check out the paper. That says something.

Aside from getting the chance to make a difference on campus, the institution of the Wildcat has made a difference in my life. Iāve learned skills, both career-related and personal, that will stick with me my entire life. Not that my classes havenāt been valuable. But the real-life experiences Iāve gained at the Wildcat far surpass any lecture or essay in a class.

Guess what ÷ thatās what college is all about.

College isnāt about going through the motions of attending class and pumping out papers.

College isnāt about making sure you graduate in four, that you have the highest GPA to get into the best graduate school. College isnāt about striving for honors and achievements just so you can have extra stuff to stick on your resume.

College is about filling out your life.

The Wildcat has helped fill out mine.

My one hope for college students would be that they realize the opportunities that surround them right here at UA.

Find a club or organization that you want to join purely out of interest. Or find one that applies to your major. And put your heart into it.

In my opinion, these years in college are the most pivotal of a personās life.

It is in college that people discover who they truly are, and apply that knowledge to their career and personal goals. It is amazing the rapid period of growth a person undergoes while attending college.

Donāt let it pass you by.

Get involved in life at UA. These are the years to capitalize on the vast opportunities available to you. The Wildcat was my chance at self-improvement, and these next few years of college are yours.

After all, opportunities like editor in chief donāt come around very often. Probably only as often as purple rain.