Antone

By Sarah Salemy ‘21

It is more than a building—

It’s my second home.

It’s where my favorite professors on campus reside, or rather

sometimes try to hide as I have a million and one questions.

It’s where I met some of my closest friends—the ones who

help me remain sane, make me laugh, and always have my back.

Late night memories were made as I crammed for finals

that I should not have passed but miraculously made it

because somehow I managed to pull it all together at

the last moment. Thank you to the whiteboards for

providing me a space to think and create without judgment.

This is where I got to teach my first college level classes.

The dynamic duo was born here—may the bond persevere.

And I may or may not have gone out on the balcony

after advising my students specifically not to.

I’ve spent hours upon hours sitting in those chairs,

listening to words of Shakespeare, Toni Morrison,

Edgar Allen Poe, and Edna O’Brien. Hours spent

talking with friends and professors about different

approaches, assignments, projects, and papers.

These walls have welcomed many and have seen my tears.

These windows have shown me the seasons year after year.

The ceiling has provided me shelter from the stress

of the outside world because when I’m in this building,

Antone, I know I’m out of harm’s way.

And now today is the day when I will walk through

your doors one last time. This is the last time my

steps will echo through your hallways. It’s the last

time I’ll stand in this space as an undergraduate student.

Antone,

the place my journey began.

Antone,

the place my journey ends.

Antone,

my solace.