My Wabash Valley Wrapped

Every place you spend time at starts to have its own soundtrack. Looking back at Wabash Valley College, a lot of my memories feel tied to specific songs without me even trying. This is basically a playlist of the moments that stood out most to me, with each song connected to a core memory or part of my experience there.

1. "We Are The People" by Empire Of The Sun

The Super-Sectional Trip

One of the coolest experiences I had at WVC was getting sent by the IHSA to stream the super-sectional basketball game at the SIU stadium in Carbondale. Out of everyone, our radio program got to be the one covering it. It was one of the first moments where school stopped feeling like practice and started feeling real.

But, honestly, the game itself isn’t what sticks with me the most.

It was the drive there and back with Max Gerlach and Eli Grimes. Somewhere between talking about movies, music, random stories, and life in general, the trip stopped feeling like a school event and just became a really good memory.

Max Gerlach pictured

I especially want to give Max a shout-out because over the time I’ve known him, I’ve watched him genuinely grow into a better person and a good man. He’s the type of person who really cares about the people around him, even if he doesn’t always say it directly. Getting to know him more on that trip made me appreciate our friendship a lot more.

After the game, we stopped at Raising Cane’s, which I had somehow never tried before, and I finally understood the hype. We also stopped at a gas station where I rediscovered Bug Juice, which honestly feels equally important in making the night memorable. I had one of my favorite childhood drinks, so I felt nostalgic while also making a new memory.

“Empire Of The Sun” fits this memory perfectly because it feels warm and nostalgic while still feeling present, like looking out the car window at night, realizing you’ll probably remember this drive years later.

2. “Changes” by David Bowie

The Instructors Who Helped Me Grow

College changes people, whether they realize it or not.

A huge reason I grew so much at WVC was because of the instructors who made me feel like my ideas and abilities actually mattered.

Kyle Peach(The Peachinator himself) always made me feel valued creatively while also giving me room to improve. He had a really calm and chill personality that made it easier to experiment and learn without feeling judged.

Ms. Winter helped me in a completely different way. In Interpersonal Communication, we talked about conflict, emotions, and how people connect with each other in ways I had never really thought about before. She also helped bring me out of my shell more than I expected.

Her writing class especially changed how I view writing. She gave us freedom creatively while still teaching us how to actually write with purpose. That class helped me realize how much I genuinely love writing and journalism.

Eli Grimes also deserves recognition because he was always there helping people with tech problems while still being one of the most approachable and welcoming people around.

“Changes” feels like the perfect song for this section because that’s really what these instructors helped me do. Change. Not into somebody completely different, but into a more confident version of myself.

3. “From The Start” by Laufey

Lunch Conversations That Became Core Memories

Some of the memories I’ll miss most are honestly the simplest ones.

Many of my lunches with Noah would start with us discussing anime, movies, or games before inevitably turning into conversations about life. We could go from arguing about a show to talking about serious stuff in the span of five minutes.

Keslie and I pictured at my wedding. She became my best woman.

Keslie became a huge part of those lunch memories, too. Statistics class was rough on both of us, so after bad test grades, we’d usually end up at Big John’s trying to emotionally recover over food. Those lunches became a place to vent, joke around, and talk about whatever ridiculous thing had happened that week.

It’s weird how much something as small as lunch can matter, looking back on it. At the time, it felt routine, but now it feels like part of what made WVC feel at home.

“From The Start” fits this section because it feels conversational and warm. The song has this soft feeling of closeness and familiarity that reminds me a lot of those lunches.

4. “Cannock Chase” — by Labi Siffre

The Dungeons & Dragons Group

One of the most unexpected parts of my time at WVC was joining a Dungeons & Dragons group with a bunch of friends, mostly made up of radio and TV majors, along with a few people from theater.

It was my first time ever playing D&D, and I immediately created Sherlock Gnomes, a rogue detective who was basically a corrupt deadbeat with the energy of a weird Italian uncle.

The group itself is what made it special, though.

The DND group

Paige drew all of our characters and somehow perfectly captured everybody’s personalities. Lexi always made sure there was banana bread or some kind of treat during sessions. Noah and I constantly butted heads in-game, which somehow only made us closer outside of it. Bekah somehow managed to dungeon master all of our chaos, and Bennett spent most of the campaign trying his hardest to be edgy.

What started as a game became one of the best communities I found at WVC.

I met people outside my major that I probably never would have talked to otherwise, and I’m genuinely grateful for that. Every session felt chaotic in the best way possible.

“Cannock Chase” fits this perfectly because it has that slightly eerie, atmospheric, but still playful energy, like a group of people wandering through a world they don’t fully understand but making it their own anyway. That’s exactly what those nights felt like.

5. “Ribs” — by Lorde

Realizing It Was All Going By Fast

The biggest lesson I learned at WVC is that the moments you miss most usually aren’t the ones you expect.

It’s the random lunches. The drives home late at night. Sitting around a table playing D&D. Talking after class. Stressing over statistics. Laughing about something dumb five minutes later.

When you first start college, it feels like you have endless time. Then one day, you realize these moments are already becoming memories.

That’s what “Ribs” feels like to me.

The song captures that weird mix of nostalgia and fear that comes with growing up. You want to move forward, but part of you wishes things could stay exactly how they are for just a little longer.

Wabash Valley gave me more than classes. It gave me friendships, confidence, creativity, and memories that I know I’ll carry with me long after graduation.