Plenty of students in the Assumption class of 2025 are taking chances in different ways. As an individual I am taking chances this year by doing all opportunities and events I skipped out on last year, my sophomore year, and new experiences that weren’t an option last year.  

I joined my friends at the Luke Bryan concert that took place in Mulberry Orchard, Shelbyville on September 14, 2023. The night was long, and fun, but also it was something I had never done before. We all danced, sang and said to each other once the night was over, “I want to go back already.” We witnessed, together, a lot of beautiful, amazing moments in front of us, and we also endured some tough, hard obstacles. It was not easy to stand in the pit for 5 hours, wearing boots that ached our feet, and in a crowd that kept pushing us closer together. But we stayed strong, and we pushed through and took the close nature of the pit as a bonding experience for us all.  

The Assumption Walk of Fame was a week later, and it was incredibly fun, as always. The way I took chances that night, however, was by agreeing to tailgate with some friends who I had not seen in a while alongside my new Assumption friends. It was fun, and it was worth leaving my house a little bit earlier, instead of taking a longer nap. But I did witness obstacles there just as I did with Luke Bryan. It was quite long, and it was very hot. My Assumption friends and I were all very tired. Yet, we still managed to have fun, we fought through the heat, and I don’t regret it at all.  

The obstacles and issues we face when taking a chance are often what pushes people away from making that leap. But those are the obstacles that help make those chances worth it—the hardships of the Luke Bryan concert made it better looking back because we endured it, and we still managed to have a good time. The heavy heat of the sun when tailgating allowed the nighttime cool in the stadium to be more refreshing.  

Taking a chance isn’t going to always be perfect and easy, obstacles and problems are going to arise when you take them. But by letting them scare us away, we miss out on all the amazing memories and opportunities open to us. As Wayne Gretsky says, “we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take”.  

Keep taking chances Assumption.