My Sun career comes down to this: 800 words and then I’m finished, done for good. What that means I don’t know, but it does leave some room to be creative. No matter what I've written, there will be no worrying about firing or suspension, no need to take angry calls and no requirement to respond to livid e-mails. There will be no looking back.

I’ll start by noting that the very fact that you’re seeing this column means I’ve moderated a bit. There are many things I would have loved to have written but, if I did, this would be in the trash and instead you’d be taking in some wisdom from the College Exchange. Thus, in the spirit of getting this printed, I’ve forsaken some of that wiggle room.

Being that I’m leaving Cornell in just a few short weeks, some reflection seems appropriate here. Many thoughts come to mind as I look back. University has been an interesting experience to say the least. I’ve learned much over the past eight semesters, wherever they may have been. I recall fondly the five spent here, two in Israel and one this past fall in Turkey. Every stop along the way has taught me something new. I have come out a different man.

There has been much good, yet I still find myself a bit more cynical today than I was four years ago. I now doubt that which I once saw as self-evident; that Cornell would be the ticket to a secure life. A few years ago it seemed that all it would take would be a few visits to the Career Services office and then Presto! A job! But, being that I’m unemployed right now, I think it’s safe to say that things didn’t work out exactly as planned.

It has been a bewildering few months, witnessing the economy collapse as it has. One of the major lessons the recession has taught us is that life can be a funny game. It’s a real wakeup call recognizing that you can never be quite sure if you’re secure or not. Watching executives who once lived in the cradle of comfort go broke, jobless or worse has been shocking to us all. A friend who lives on Wall Street described witnessing grown men walking out of their offices, boxes in hand, crying openly as they left. It was not an easy sight to take in.

This has led a good deal of people to reevaluate what was once seen as the “golden path.” Many of us now shut off to that world of easy money and relative comfort have been asking what’s really important in life. The questions have led to a broad shift. Today, AmeriCorps and Teach for America applications are at a record high as Americans are looking to give back more than ever. People are also turning their skills away from finance and toward new innovation as our computationally talented are now beginning to apply their skills towards more concrete pursuits. The talk of a “recession dividend” looks to be wholly well founded.

While in the end the recession may end up benefiting our society, the damage it will leave behind in the field of print journalism will be immensely ugly. The industry was already hurting before but now looks to be nearing “worst case scenario” territory. The rise of the Internet and the fall of the economy have taken a serious toll. We’re starting to see papers forced into the terrible position of actually writing their own obituaries and closing up shop. Just a week ago the New York Times Company posted a 75 million dollar loss — perhaps it’s only a short amount of time before it must write its own final chapter as well.

I don’t believe the newspaper will ever totally disappear totally but, as many say, radical changes may be necessary for its survival. The direct impact of that is starting to be felt now. The journalism profession is changing; papers are hiring less, cutting salaries and, in some cases, taking their publications completely online. This means a lot fewer journalists will be employed than ever before. Finding a good job in the profession — never easy —will likely become close to impossible, at least in the near term.

With that in mind, I’m glad to have had my shot. My experience here at The Sun is likely my last as a staff writer at any publication and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every second. Writing a consistent column allows you to view the world with new eyes and do crazy things with a good excuse, I will miss that sorely.

I’d like to thank you all for reading, your comments and feedback have brought me great satisfaction and made it all worth it. And so, I now say goodbye to Cornell and its Daily Sun. For the last time, I leave you with the wisdom of our dear friend George W. Bush.

“Yesterday, you made note of my — the lack of my talent when it came to dancing. But nevertheless, I want you to know I danced with joy.”

— George W. Bush, speaking with the president of Liberia, Oct. 22, 2008