I didn’t like OU when I was growing up.
My family was either Nebraska, Kansas State or Oklahoma State folks. Not a lot of love for the crimson and cream in those circles. My first ever live sporting event was actually watching the Huskers beat the Sooners at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska. I toured Creighton and Oklahoma State before I even stepped foot on OU’s campus. Creighton was my dream school, but money made it hard, so I settled on UCO. Then a really good ACT and a scholarship offer and suddenly — magically — Norman became my home. Fast forward four years and I’m set to graduate from a school I love with all my heart.
It wasn’t easy. Everything they tell you about college is true. High school is fun. College is a daunting task. That schedule you get during syllabus week with all your readings for the semester? Yeah, you need to read every page (your professors know when you don’t).
I started strong. Dean’s List the first year, did homework on time, went to class every day, the gym every night and on the weekends, I went home to see my parents. My sophomore year, though, I stopped all that. Greek life became more important, parties replaced studying and hitting the snooze button became second-nature. And look, I’m not here to shit on greek life. There are some incredible people balancing their time wisely and doing incredible things. I just wasn’t one of them.
Failing a class is bad enough. Failing because you didn’t try is worse. Having to tell your parents that’s why you lost your scholarship is something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. But that was me. I’ll spare you the details, but the gist was this: I failed my first class of my academic career, I ran relationships sour (my current roommate likes to joke that he’s the only guy I haven’t run off), cut out friends, made terrible decisions and didn’t apologize for any of the damage I caused. I went home that summer, tail between my legs, and re-evaluated who I was and what I wanted.
My freshman-year roommate had me peer edit one of his English papers late one night our first semester here. When I woke up the next morning, I found a text from him telling me about how impressed his teacher was with his paper and with my review — that it was the best he’d seen from a college student and how I needed to go into journalism. “No thank you,” I thought at the time. I love writing, but journalists don’t make money. I’ll stick with pre-law.
Clichéd as it may seem, you have to do what you love, not what will make the most money. It makes you happier and makes things easier. After that year from hell, I took that advice and switched my major to journalism. My mom had been telling me this was my path for years, but I stubbornly didn’t listen (Pro Tip No. 2: listen to your mother — she’s always right).
I listened, and in the spring of my junior year I started as an unpaid news reporter. I moved to the sports desk, became a summer editor, covered football and basketball, and then became an assistant editor. Sometimes I still hear, “Oh, I forgot you worked here,” and that stings a bit. But at the same time, I know I didn’t get to leave my mark at The Daily. I wasn’t there long enough. That’s my single biggest regret — I screwed around for two years doing something I didn’t want to do.
But the thing I’ll remember most? This last year-and-a-half. Andrew Clark gave me my shot and taught me how to be a reporter. Judy Gibbs Robinson and Seth Prince gave me direction and constant guidance. Joe Buettner and Spenser Davis believed in me when I didn’t. Siandhara Bonnet (yes, you’re first on this list, College Mom), Tanner Osborne, Noor Jaffery, Jesse Pound, Kelli Stacy, George Stoia, Abby Bitterman, John Walker, Emma Keith, Dana Branham and so many others gave me this kind of lasting friendship that I have never really experienced before.
They saved me.
I can honestly picture myself sitting at a desk somewhere far from Oklahoma in five years and think “ITVI” in my head. Thank you for that, Seth. Thank you for the constant advice, support and encouragement. It’s meant the world to me. Spenser, I hope one day I can be the kind of writer you are. You’re incredibly talented and it’s been an honor to learn from you and call you my friend. Siandhara, sweet Sian, I don’t really have words. You’ve done more than I could ever say thank you for.
You guys made this place home.
When I look back at OU, that’s what I’ll think about. The bad times sucked — hard — but I needed that to get me ready for what was next, to get me on the right track. The Daily saved me in more ways than one. It might not do that for everyone, but you have to find the thing that makes you happy, the place that feels like home. You can’t wait like I did.
I love this school and I’m proud to graduate from it. I’m even prouder to say I was a part of The Daily. It’s weird knowing I’m at the end of a road that began, like, 16 years ago, but I’m ready to move on. I’m ready to see what’s next. Thank you to everyone that’s helped me along my journey, and good luck to everyone still traveling down theirs. I’ve never been good at goodbyes, so I’ll end with this:
#MambaOut.
Derek Peterson is assistant sports editor at The Daily.
