WP 509, No More
Its hard not to remember the good times we`ve had in WP 509, home to the infamous former clubhousers. During my Junior year, I`ve probably spent more of my time there than at my own apartment. Its been over a year now, and the guys (Bill, Allen, Roy) have molded me into one of their own. I admired their loyalty, I respected their past; as a result, I was able to learn so much from these guys. When I wasn`t learning, I was killing brain-cells (but even then, I was learning how to have fun).
Roy was always the polite one, respectful of my thoughts and ideas. I was able to witness a change in him; to a more goal-oriented and responsible human being. Despite the "I don`t care" and the "no b*tch" remarks (mostly referring to Bill), he was always there to offer help in my classes, share with us his massive Dragon Ball DVD collection, or introducing me to his wide variety of Dallas friends. I`m glad I`ll have someone with Roy`s expertise and know-how to help me throughout next year and beyond.
Then there`s Bill, the local grouch andart-guru. Because our career path is similar, I know I can always count on him to offer valuable advice about art, advertisement, or computer stuff. On the basketball courts, I`ve come to appreciatehis hard work on the glass, strong picks, and his improved offense in the paint. Off the court, Bill would always keep things interesting. If it wasn`t prank wars, then it was some crazy antics (ex. feeding a beetle to his `pet` spider). Luckily, we still have one more year to enjoy another jack-@ss filled school year.
Finally, there`s Allen, the one departing member of the RR crew. I`ve never met anyone with his kind of leadership qualities, his prospectives in life, or his ability to ensure all of his friends a good time. It was unfortunate that I had only really begun to know the real Allen Lee until my Junior year. In that span of one year, however, I had learned and grown so much because of my mentor. I am damn proud to have been his protege in college, and I will ensure that his legacy will live on through myself, as well as others that have learned from him. He instilled in me the confidence I needed to give me that edge; a necessity of life in order to succeed. KSA Basketball Game 6 - a moment in my life that will stay with me forever. That game had all the makings of an instant classic (in a lesser scale of professional sports, ofcourse). There was the comeback from a 15 point deficit. There was the playoff implications that came from winning or losing that game. There was the crowd, who`d supported us all throughout the season. There was the perseverance and will to win in all of our players. All of that was generatedby one man. He wasn`t just our starting point-guard, he was our coach. He wasn`t just our coach, he was our leader. He wasn`t just a leader, he was my mentor. So when that pass came out of a double team down low with less than a minute left in the game, I caught the ball and shot it with confidence, something I would not have done ayear ago. swak. The 3 went in, and we took the lead. Running down court, I`ll never forget who was the happiest for me. That assist, ofcourse, came from Allen who gave me the wide openlook. In a way, that assist epitomized everything he`d done for me - leading me to success in so many ways.
Sometimes, I am unsure about the post 509 era. It was a 2 minute walk from my place, and it always served as a comfort zone for me. Next year, I won`t have that to depend on. Perhaps it will be our apartment that will serve as someone else`s WP509. If that is the case, I know I`ll treat them with the same kind of courtesy and respect as the guys have done for me. Thanks for everything.