The long haul is over (with a big long sigh and a tear in one eye). After the most stressful semester in the history of semesters (that being fall 2007) and the less painful spring semester, I will be graduating. This is probably the time to get nostalgic.

In November 2004 my unit was deployed to a small operating base in eastern Afghanistan. My training prepared me for what I was about to encounter: long sleepless nights, rationed food and water, traversing rough mountainous terrain, and staying alive during arduous firefights.

Food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent these days, allergies like nut allergies, gluten allergies, lactose-intolerance, and many more. About 1% or 2.7 million American adults suffer from a food allergy according to wrong diagnosis or WD.com, one of the world's leading providers of on-line medical information.

It's funny to be writing a "farewell" column. I'm not leaving. Well, at least I'm not leaving in the traditional sense. I won't be joining my classmates on May 17, I won't get a diploma and I won't have to start paying back my loans in November. I think that this is fitting though.

The semester is coming to a close, finals are upon us. The weather seems to be behaving, with the amount of nice days outnumbering the not so nice ones. I see the end in sight, a summer of only working, not balancing both a full time student and a full time work schedule.

Springfest 2008 has come and gone, raising the issue of alcohol use and abuse. With every student who drank responsibly, there are two who drank irresponsibly, and I think it's time that we consider how this college can better ensure the safety of its students.

That's right, I said it. Because I am a biology major I'm so much smarter than any other person outside of the major. I'm better than education majors, English majors, and even math majors; oh and don't get me started on the art majors, they don't even register on the map compared to biology.

For my final opinion this year I would like to try writing something other than my usual rants and raves about the sporting world. Instead I would like to reflect upon my first year here both at The Comment and Bridgewater State College. Overall I had a great freshman year here, I made new friends, learned how to live on my own and gained a sense of maturity that I didn't have during high school.

It's hard to miss anything that is going on with the race for the presidency. Not only is it all over the news, but everywhere you go you hear people talking about it. Especially on campus. Believe me, I support a healthy dose of politics. With this election in particular, everyone seems to be more involved.

Anytime someone writes about fashion and style they are expected to fit the mold. They must be up on all of the latest trends and always put their best foot forward. One tiny misstep and people begin to question how fashionable you really are. It gets to a point though, when you want to cut yourself off from the fashion world for some time.

Though I know almost ninety percent of the people who read this will disagree with me I still have to let it be known. The Boston Red Sox made one of the biggest mistakes by not signing free agent Alex Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez, who is hated throughout Red Sox nation, is no doubt the best player in the game today.