As a senior (with one more semester) my perception of certain events and quirks of our campus has changed. Eating alone isn’t as scary as it used to be, going out isn’t as important and taking an 8 a.m. class is not a good idea. Quest day is definitely one of those things that has changed for me. As a day committed to academia and the work of students and staff, it’s an interesting opportunity to share what you worked so hard on.

When I was a freshman, Quest day was just another day for me. The idea of going to the building I worked in and took classes in on a day off just didn’t make any sense to me. My roommate and I both woke up late, sauntered over to our friend’s room and basically treated it like a Saturday. There’s nothing wrong with using a day off as a recharge day from your busy schedule, but let’s remember, I was a freshman. The worst thing about this is I’m not alone.

It’s more than common knowledge that Quest day is really “Questmas” to us in Oswego and “Questmas Eve” is a night to celebrate, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There isn’t really a good chance I’ll be convinced out of going out when I get a day off, but getting me to come to school is a little tougher. Like I said, this is a pretty conventional thought for the student populous, but it’s kind of a shame.

[su_quote]Normally papers are written, graded and then they collect dust. This moment is what Quest is all about. As students, we do work all semester long and Quest allows you to get some face time for that hard work.[/su_quote]

This past Quest day, there were presentations on every subject possible. It’s truly amazing. Admittedly, I paid a lot closer attention to the presentations, since I presented this year. One constant thing kept striking me as I watched the presentations by my fellow peers was, “I would never have saw this if it wasn’t for Quest day.” Even though this is a simple thought, it’s so true. A friend of mine turned a paper about “Space Jam”— yes, the Michael Jordan and Looney Toon classic—into an amazing presentation and another shared her short film about the strength of the women in her family.

Normally papers are written, graded and then they collect dust. This moment is what Quest is all about. As students we do work all semester long, and Quest allows you to get some face time for that hard work. Another great aspect of Quest is the presentation of capstones. It’s sad to think about all the people who put so much work into their capstones and no one hears about it. It’s really the little things like these that make Quest great.

While I understand that not everyone is going to come out for a symposium dedicated to students, faculty and staff, I can’t help but stress how special the chance really is. We have some talented people on this campus and thankfully an administration that understands that they deserve their dues. Quest day isn’t a day to waste. Think about this: if it wasn’t for Quest, I wouldn’t have read about a zombie grandma or be able to understand the ins and outs of shield laws in journalism.