the Informer

The finality that comes with the word “graduation” troubles me.

Perhaps the finality of the following statement troubles me even more: this is my last column as a member of The Informer.

The Informer has first and foremost been a family to me. An old colleague and former business manager, Jon Whitson, said it best to me when I was dealing with a staff conflict this year: working at The Informer is about the people. It’s not about pursuit of a career or getting a stipend. It’s about the people.

Working with and leading a group of people I love and care about is one of the most fulfilling parts of doing what I do. I know I have the best job because I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the smartest, most passionate people I know.

Alas, the whole family metaphor has its fatal flaw when talking about collegiate journalism: people can’t be at a student newspaper forever. Because of that, I’ve seen so many iterations of a staff over the years that each brought a unique approach to bringing the reader the news.

I always felt that at the newspaper there was someone there to turn to not only when having a problem with layout or grammar, but also when I had personal problems.

The first person I met at The Informer was Melissa O’Brien, then the entertainment editor. She encouraged me to write every week and I was there at every one of her section staff meetings. Later, she encouraged me to apply for an e-board position. She served and continues to serve as a mentor for me. I can’t thank her enough for her guidance over the years.

When I first came to campus, I had serious doubts about staying here. Now, I look back and wonder why those doubts even existed. The Informer played a huge role in extinguishing those doubts.

The Informer was a home to me as well, for many of the reasons above. It also served as that home base so I wouldn’t trudge back to my room on the other side of campus in my downtime between classes.

The facilities people might not like to hear it, but I also found our couch to be a suitable alternative to my bed in my apartment. One night, so as not to be late for an important meeting, I slept in the office (then went back to my room and showered, lest you think I’m a disgusting human being).

The Informer served as a window into a university I’ve grown to care about. Getting to know the bright and intelligent personalities among the faculty has been great. The classes, particularly those in my major in the School of Communication, have enriched my knowledge in the field of journalism and the media as a whole.

The Informer has provided lasting memories for me as well. Getting stranded in Charlotte on the way back from a collegiate journalism conference—due to an inch of snow ranks high among the most stressful, but yet the staff was able to make the most of it.

The late nights in the office where we were just about finished with the issue, but having laughing fits with the whole staff over a YouTube video or a funny quotation from our white board full of all of the funny things we say.

I could list many, many more. From being a staff writer in 2007 to being editor-in-chief in 2011, I had the best job in the world.

I can’t wait to see what Danielle has in store for the newspaper in the coming academic year. She certainly isn’t short on ideas for the publication and I anticipate she will accomplish a lot in her time.

I’m still trying to figure out what’s next for me, just weeks out of graduation. I’m perusing a career in the field of journalism (don’t act surprised); if a job in the “real world” is as rewarding as the work I’ve done at The Informer, I’ll be in a great place.

So this is it for me. When The Informer hits newsstands on that first Thursday in September, my name will not be anywhere to be found.

But I will be reading.