Sean Blanda

Ron Davis and I while waiting to be seated. Photo by Bri Barry.

I remember sitting in the nurse’s office in the 5th grade as she looked up my name on the computer. In my file, right below date of birth and next to my address, read “Date of HS Graduation: 2004″. I remember thinking: “2008. That’s the magic year when I’m done school forever.” Fast forward to this past Thursday, and there I sit in Temple’s Liacouras Center with thousands of my closest friends listening to a former dessert spokesman.

Two things I thought would never happen.

In 2004, Bill Cosby promised the Class of 2008 he would speak at our commencement. Yet, as the date approached he was never announced as a speaker. I, thinking he wouldn’t come, even wrote an op-ed lamenting Cosby’s broken promise. He then surprised the class by speaking. In a cheesy way, it made my graduation.

But now that my diploma is in the mail (or so they say) it’s time to move on to that pesky “real world” thing. Starting this Tuesday, I will be working as a part-time Web designer for the Philadelphia Citypaper. The Citypaper is one of the two alternative weeklies in Philly, and a publication I have read every week since I was a freshman. The Citypaper’s location allows me to work in beautiful Old City Philadelphia, which is a subway ride away from my house. I also enjoy the fact that I will be working with a small independent paper as opposed to one in a national chain.

I will also hesitantly admit that I am not ready to dive full-time into journalism (or any job). The time after college is one of minimal obligations, and I plan to take advantage. There is a great deal of traveling I want to do while I have the chance (and while the student loans are deferred). I also have a list of side projects and business ideas I would like to explore.

In other news…

I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the UWIRE 100. Special thanks to all of my fellow Temple News staffers, many of whom you can find in the blogroll to the right. Fellow Temple Newser (and commencement speaker) Christopher Wink also shared honors.

Recognitions are also due to fellow nominees and Twitter addicts Greg Linch, Kyle Hansen, and Chelsea Otakan. I’m currently on a quest to find the sites of the other 95…