Matt Vaghi
Graphic Design Editor
As I write my final piece for The Springfield Student, there are many words that I could write down attempting to capture my emotions, but I will do my best to be as concise as possible.
Over the past three years I have had the opportunity to write and design for The Student. By doing this for such a prestigious and acclaimed publication, the opportunity to excel in my literary and artistic skills was immediately expanded.
As a Sport Management major, I first found somewhat of a disconnect in working alongside a newspaper crew that consisted of mostly Communications/Sports Journalism (COSJ) majors. At Springfield College, the newspaper team, at least for the past few years, has consisted of mostly COSJ students. With a passion for writing, I took the leap to write for The Student, and it has proved to be an extremely beneficial decision.
Writing is, without a doubt, a craft that can continuously be improved. The ability to proofread and edit your own work, let alone having other editors mull it over, is sometimes an underappreciated characteristic of writing. After three years of being a writer for The Student, I have been able to see this process in work and reap the benefits of constructive criticism in terms of putting words to paper.
Many times a quick conversation cannot convey true, authentic feelings regarding a situation or a story. The power of written words allows so many individuals to express themselves fully with clear transparency. Additionally, human interest stories of courage, perseverance and integrity cannot be fully conveyed in a simple five-minute conversation. In the Sport Management field, just like any other major, there are countless stories of human interest, and I have been grateful to be able to cover a handful of them over the past three years at Springfield College. As I depart from the college, I will always have a nose for digging deep into stories and finding those particular characteristics.
A farewell column is not complete without sincere thank you’s. I’d first like to thank Professor Marty Dobrow for his role as newspaper advisor. His acceptance, approval and critique of all my pieces was greatly appreciated. I’d also like to thank all of the editors and writers that I have worked with over the past three years. The Springfield Student is, without a doubt, a team effort, and I could rattle off a list full of talented individuals who have contributed to its success.
Finally, I would like to thank my older brother, John, who initially inspired me to get involved with the college newspaper. He was the former editor-in-chief for the Providence College newspaper called The Cowl, and without his push I would have never gotten involved with The Student.
If I could give one piece of advice for anyone it would be this: pursue your dreams, but do not be afraid to engage in an activity that you may seem out of the norm. Many times those experiences may not directly apply to your current body of work, but they may play a pivotal role in your future career path.
I would like to express my appreciation to The Springfield Student and wish it the best in the upcoming years. Although I am leaving after this semester, I have been able to discover and sharpen many artistic, technical and writing skills that I will never lose.