Winters have their charm. They come in and take us all in its warmth. Winters I tell you has its own charm especially when you reside at the epitome of beauty – The SIU hilltop campus.

A lot of things change when seasons change. People, situations, relations, celebrations, habits, environment, but one thing that goes constantly is – Change. A change to a new belief, a change to a new smile and also to some extent, a change to a new year.

Rewind ourselves a year back, we sat amidst a beautiful crowd of mentors, which we called our seniors, and now today, we sit among nervous legs that want to capture the world, we call them juniors. The change of life is such that every role replaces the other.

Today, when I look back to the fantastic year 2016, has been, and on the other hand, I look forward to the exciting year that 2017 could be, I see a ray of Fear and Hope. Fear of what could be lost, on the other hand, Hope of what could be gained.

And life, I tell you, is often an exchange of these hopes and fears. Sometimes, it’s fine to let your fears win, but that torch of hope, keep it lit. Because, sometimes a torch of hope, is enough to pull you through a hot winter.

When time blows you off

When things push you down

When self-confidence is not anymore an option

Let another candle light your hope!

And that would suffice. It always has, it always will!

– Abbas Akbar