Well Trinity, it is time to say goodbye. I showed up on this campus three years ago, having no idea what I wanted to do, nor what I would do. I simply expected to walk through the doors that were opened for me. That I did. I never expected that I would be graduating in three years instead of four or that I would somehow be the leader of the conservative club on campus for the majority of my time here. Arriving at Trinity, I never expected to accomplish all that I have accomplished.

When I arrived, I was told that there would not be and could never be a conservative club on this campus. There was simply a Facebook group. The atmosphere was too acidic to our existence and we simply didn’t exist in the student body. Trinity Progressives was considered a dominant institution that would perennially dominate this campus. Fast forward three years and Trinity Progressives is a shell of its alleged former self and The Young Conservatives of Texas at Trinity University drive the discussion on campus.

Now it’s time to give thanks. Of course, the primary thanks must go to God, he has put me through many trials and tribulations to mold me into the person that he wanted me to become. Secondly, to my parents and grandparents. We didn’t have much growing up, but we had each other. Growing up under your hands besides God’s influence, was the greatest influence on my life. You taught me to do what is right, regardless of the consequences. You taught me that no matter how dark life gets, no matter how desolate it seems, no matter the wasteland that you perceive to be in front of you, you can always walk forward. As I reach graduation, I feel as if I finally can see the dawn. The end that all of us have been working toward for over twenty years. I hope that my children will live a better life than any of our three generations have lived, because of the sacrifices you made for me. You took an ADHD chemical nightmare of a child and forged him into something. My children and I will never forget the sacrifices that you made for us. I hope we never have to endure what we, as a family, endured to get here, but I will ensure that they never forget. You each made sacrifices that are unimaginable to most of Trinity, but you did it for me. We made it.

I would also like to thank David Guenthner, Amy Clark, Derek Cohen, Haley Roddie and many others for your mentor-ship and the interest you took in me.

To Dr. Crockett, I hope you always consider me the child you did not want but ended up with.

To the Lax Bros, thanks for letting me be a third line grinder.

To the progressives at Trinity, a parting jab. I found you to be a spineless lot that lacked the courage of your convictions to be a witness for your beliefs. Your rebuttals to my articles in the Trinitonian were either non-existent or weak. If you truly wish to consider yourself a progressive perhaps spend sometime with books this summer and see if you truly are.

To the conservatives at Trinity who are afraid to come out. I understand, being the outed conservative on this campus has had a significant negative effect on my campus life. I found many people had preconceived notions about what we believe and who we are that fall flat on their face after a conversation. I hope that I made life easier for you on campus and that Trinity is slowly becoming a more accepting place for it.

Signing off for the last time,

Manfred Wendt