A farewell from the News Editor

I didn’t know if I should take the job.

I mean, working for the school newspaper? That was going to take a lot of time and dedication that a full-time student like myself didn’t necessarily have. Developing story ideas, copywriting content, and creating layout would not be easy, and adding the stress of even more deadlines to my already deadline-intense life didn’t seem ideal in that moment.

But five semesters later, I find myself sitting down at my computer to write one last article for the publication that has single-handedly shaped my college career.

Throughout my semester as a staff writer and four semesters as News Editor, the Reporter has continually provided me unique learning experiences that will be immeasurably beneficial as I move forward in my career. But looking back now, it wasn’t the actual act of managing staff writers and making a bi-weekly newspaper for nearly 16,000 students that taught me the most—it was the people and friends that I made during my many hours spent here that showed me the deepest lessons that I will carry with me as I move on.

I cannot begin to thank all of those along the way that have made each moment here something worth missing. Matt, Tommy, and Gabe: thank you for being the best editorial team I could have asked for my last year at the Reporter. You are all very talented in what you do. Through all of the late nights filled with clicking mouses, content discussion, and to your dismay a whole lot of Ed Sheeran playing on Spotify, we still found joy and laughter in the most stressful of times. I truly hope you keep that joy throughout your life, maybe someday looking back and remembering the joy we shared as an editorial team.

To the sales team: thank you for showing me a different way to approach success. You taught me that success isn’t an easy road to follow, and sometimes we have to put our heads down and think of new, creative ways to move forward as we weather the rough times. Your drive is inspiring, and you have inspired me.

To all of the other people that have impacted me along the way, thank you. Without your support and efforts, these last five semesters could have been a completely different story.

But it wasn’t a different story; it was the story that even I couldn’t have imaged. It was the story I was proud to be a part of. It is a story and a chapter of my life that is in its final page, coming to a close.

Stories will still be written. Pages will still be printed. News will still be made. The Reporter will live on past my time here. But the unique experience and impact it had on my life during this last two and a half years of my life is something that is truly irreplaceable—a unique etch in history that is now forever in black and white.