Cougars & Mustangs 

The elegant footprints of your collegiate spirit animal have led you here. You have perhaps identified by now that these tracks are of feline origin. For those without the ability to separate out-of-game knowledge with the knowledge your character would have, you may already be aware by the title of this lowly column that this beast is not the bear of love, but the cougar of Cuesta. If you abide by the philosophy of the mighty cougar, you will indeed prevail in the Community College Trail.

The cougar is also known as the mountain lion, a fearsome beast able to traverse with ease the forbiddingly-craggy and ruggedly-steep terrain of the mountain. Live by this. Even the most terrifying of obstacles, such as homework several pages long, setting an alarm for a decent time to wake up, tackling an uncomfortably high number of courses at once, and so on and so forth are achievable. You will face what you believe to be your limits, and it’s up to you to truly discover if they are.

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Similarly, the cat is said to have nine lives, a far more impressive attribute than James Bond’s ability to only live twice. Just as there are many lives, so too are there many opportunities for great change as your path trails on. It is not unusual for a person to change career paths. It is difficult, yes, and not something to be considered lightly. But it is very much up to you to chase your dreams—provided you not shirk the responsibilities that your drifting dangerously close to the threshold of adulthood continues to bring for you.

This idea can also be considered the Wildcat philosophy, as attempting to be true to yourself as both a jock and a musician in true Effron style is feasible at a college providing, for example, notably-excellent programs in athletics, music, paramedics, and the like, all of which Cuesta has. Also, a cougar is technically a kind of wild feline, and the person who wrote this speech thought he was making a clever pun by referencing outdated popular culture material. He was not.

Of course, a school is not a school without students. You will not be alone on your Cuesta quest. If the desire for companionship is strong within you, it is highly recommended that you seek opportunities for social interaction such as a club. A good place to start would be the Associated Students of Cuesta College (ASCC) club, easily locatable within the courtyard possessing a fountain and a bookstore. In addition to often having snacks or seasonal events, the associated room offers comfortable seating and activities such as billiards and video games for those who’d like a competitive get-to-know-you. This is also where you’ll want to go to ask about information on the many places around town that offer benefits/discounts for members of the student body. Blaze your trail well, Cougars!

Intern Chris White-Sanborn held this stirring pow-wow. Send collegiate news to [email protected] and have a wonderful school y—aaah! 
A ball of string!