Editor-In-Chief
Twenty-five issues later, and I find myself writing the one column that I knew would come, but wasn’t ready for.
When I first walked onto this campus I was lost, insecure, and scared. I was in a whole new place, surrounded by all new people, with no idea why I was there. I was an undeclared student, with hopes of joining the AEXS major. The work was hard, and I was discouraged. While I was simply trying to fulfill some credits, I found myself in Intro to Journalism. It was inspiring. Marty Dobrow, my teacher, advisor, and mentor had me hooked from my first assignment. It was a whole new challenge for me. My writing was rough, I was awkward in interviews, heck, I didn’t even own a voice recorder.
I became more involved with journalism by joining the student paper. For one year I kept my head down, and kept tackling stories: poetry readings, magicians, and features on professors. The learning curve was huge, but with the guidance from the right people I slowly started to get the hang of this journalism thing.
My whole college career has been a journey, and I couldn’t have done it without the right people behind me.
First: Marty Dobrow. Thank you Marty for being the mentor I needed. You’ve dealt with two years of random office visits, countless emails, and a whole lot of questions. None of which went unappreciated. You treat every student with respect, and guide them all with the same level of care: regardless of talent, involvement, and interest. That is why I, along with many other students, have been able to succeed.
Jody, Kyle, Missy, and Gildea: Thank you all as well. I have enjoyed every one of your classes, and all of you have shown tremendous support inside and outside of the classroom. I respect all of you as teachers, writers, journalists, and I guess, now, colleagues (that’s a weird thought)!
The newspaper can be a strenuous process. Many see the end result, but few know about the amount of (unpaid) work that goes into it. The paste-up process is usually a nine-hour night, that entails laying out the paper, editing stories, and, in some cases, writing last minute pieces. I’m very proud of the paper this year, but very little credit should go to me. I had an amazing team by my side.
Pat Kenney has been unreal this year with aiding in the paper. More or less, Pat is the rock of the newsroom. He keeps people on track, diffuses arguments (yes, those occasionally happen) and keeps the whole process running smoothly. I couldn’t have asked for a better managing editor, and I know that he will elevate this paper in new ways next year.
To the rest of the editors: All of you exceeded any expectations I may have had. You always got the job done with no complaints, and I think it shows. On top of all of your school work, commitments, jobs, and sports… you all still kept the paper high on your priority list, and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.
If I thanked everyone, I think this column would far exceed the space I have, but there are a couple more quick thank-yous.
Mary-Beth Cooper: thank you for always being available to talk. You are a great inspiration. Future students are lucky to be led by such a great president.
Marcom: thank you for the support, as always, and Damon: thank you for answering our non-stop photo request.
The paper can be frustrating. It’s very easy to get caught up with all that I have to do, and throw it to the side. But with the year coming to an end I can’t help to realize how meaningful the paper has been in my life. It’s where I’ve developed my job skills, where I’ve made friends, and it’s given me an outlet.
I’m just a small, small part of a very large legacy, one that I’m beyond honored to be a part of. I know that next year, the team will take it to the next level, and they’ll contribute to their part of the legacy. All great things come to an end, but for them I think it’s just the beginning.