It is kind of insane that in just over a week I will be (hopefully) walking across the field of Seth Grove Stadium to receive my diploma and officially be a college graduate. I say hopefully because I do not want graduation indoors; my grades are… fine. When the adults in your life tell you that these four years fly by, they are not wrong. Maybe COVID-19 keeping much of campus closed for the first full year of my college career played a part in the passage of time being a nonexistent concept to me.

Anyway, I am not going to waste any time “reminiscing” about the pandemic, as I think we have all done enough of that for one lifetime. I also do not want to play into those people who try to complain about the Class of 2020 complaining about COVID (even though we are completely justified for your information).

I do not really have a specific goal I want to accomplish with this article. If you know me, I am the rambling type, and the following piece will reflect that greatly. I have served as the proud editor of this section for two years and wanted to make sure I contributed to it one last time before all was said and done.

Where to begin honestly? My past four years at Shippensburg University have been a rollercoaster, with many highs but also a lot of lows (shoutout to you junior year; you were a real one). It is kind of insane to me, the person I am today leaving Shippensburg versus the person I was when I arrived. When I was in high school, I was a rather below-average student. I got by being the class clown but thought little of the prospects of life after my four years. I know you are gagging at the thought of me being one of those people who say “high school is the best four years of your life,” and you are right to do so.

Shippensburg University was one of the only two schools I visited when searching for a college, and I picked it off the basis of having a nice TV studio, it was close to home, and they accepted me right away. I was much less thorough in my research than I am today. Thankfully, even though times were tough and Shippensburg was not always glamorous, I do not regret my decision in the slightest.

Once I arrived at Ship, I knew that getting involved was the only thing that would keep me sane. Trying to interact with others in my dorm halls and in classes was not cutting it. Might have been the whole 6-feet apart thing, but who knows? Student media thankfully was still pretty active and very welcoming to new members. Before I knew it, I was writing for The Slate, anchoring for SUTV, and hosting my own show on WSYC. Admittedly, I look back on a lot of my earlier stuff and die a little bit on the inside, but that is a sign of growth after all. I still remember my first review was for “The Boys” Season 2, and the note I got from the A&E editor at the time was, “You didn’t need to write 900 words worth.” Reading it nowadays, he was sort of right, but I stand by my lengthier writing style. If you are still somehow reading this, you know that has not changed too much.

I made so many indelible friendships with my experience in student media, not just with the students alongside me, but the professors as well. At any other school, in particular ones of larger size, I doubt I would have the connections I have now with the hardworking educators keeping our department going. Shoutout to Mike Gardner in particular; he taught me so much about TV, even down to the simplest forms of wrapping cords after a broadcast.

Now things were not always glamorous in student media. Our budgets were cut (a lot), I butted heads with leadership every now and again, and maybe we were not always the most favorite group on campus. However, the great memories far outweigh the negative ones, and I feel I would not have had the full experience without those tougher days. I needed to learn from bad leadership in order to become a better leader myself. I needed to learn how to work with less money so I could budget more efficiently (I would still like more money if possible), and I needed people to dislike us to remind me that we are doing something right.

As I wrap up my final two weeks of the semester, I start to wonder what my high school self would think of me today. Sure, he would probably comment on the mustache and 50 plus pounds he put on, but then I would tell him about all the amazing stuff we have accomplished. We got to host election night coverage, have stories on the front page of the paper, play show tunes on the radio. You got to speak with film directors and people you have looked up to since you were a child for a 12-hour horror livestream you hosted. You are an award-winning student-journalist who is now moving to Texas. Honestly, out of all this, the Texas part might be the hardest thing for him to believe.

Above all the accomplishments and accolades, however, the most important thing I would tell my past self is this: keep being yourself. That’s right, I definitely became a more organized, professional and responsible person, but I still consider myself a bit of a goof. Sometimes it has bitten me in the rear, but I still pride myself on being someone who tries to keep the mood light. Perhaps it is a defense mechanism. I have been cracking jokes for quite some time, but maybe I just enjoy making people laugh.

I am going to miss coming into the Slate office and bugging management before running across campus to cover a gas leak or some other breaking news. On the other hand, I am ready to take that next big step and further my career as a journalist. 

And even though I will be over 24 hours away from home and those I love, their support and the lessons they have taught me will be with me forever. 

I owe any previous or future success to them, and I hope each of them knows just how much they have meant to me.

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