I remember eagerly anticipating the approaching Spring 2023 Semester after receiving word that I would be joining The Parthenon. I was filled with both excitement and anxiety as I looked to prove myself as a writer.
Little did I know that The Parthenon would become the bedrock of my experience here at Marshall University.
As the first day of the semester came closer, I began to worry about the possibility of not fitting in. As a non-traditional student, I always felt a little out of place amongst my classmates. However, after walking into my first meeting, these worries were laid to rest almost instantly.
I found myself sharing all the stresses that come with operating a newspaper with some of the most kind, hardworking, sincere and fun people that I could have ever imagined.
The stress that came every Tuesday as print deadline approached was soon replaced with anticipation. The feeling of insecurity over my writing was soon replaced with a sense of confidence. What was initially intimidating soon felt like home and became a highlight of my week.
In my first semester as news editor of The Parthenon, a bond formed between the entire team, and my facade began to fall within weeks with Conner Woodruff making it impossible for the environment to become too serious. As my time went on, I only became more and more comfortable in that newsroom, and, despite a couple of rotating faces, I had my niche on campus.
I quickly understood the adage of college being the best time in one’s life. What I once thought was a necessary chore in obtaining my degree quickly became an experience that is difficult to say goodbye to.
As the time comes to leave The Parthenon behind, I want to thank the amazing team of people that I have been lucky enough to work with.
To the amazing copy editors, Rafael, Scott and Baylee, you all work so incredibly hard to make this paper the best student-run paper it can be and make all of us contributing look like we know what we are doing and have been doing it for years.
To my fellow editors, Evan, Sarah, Victoria, Abigail, Emma and Joe, thank you for dealing with me talking to myself, acting as neurotic as can be and sharing this amazing experience as we pulled this paper together time and time again—despite what feels like the universe sometimes working against us.
To the reporters, thank you for being there when we need you and contributing when you already feel as if there’s an impossible weight of assignments already on your shoulders.
Finally, I would like to thank Charlie and Sandy for your incredible belief in us and for making sure The Parthenon maintains its reputation as a reliable news source for our community, despite being put together by a group of sleep-deprived students.
Charlie, if it weren’t for you and your encouragement, there is absolutely no way I would have the belief in myself that I do now. You made me the competent writer that I am today and helped set my sights on the writer I hope to become in the future. You made an amazing impact on the entire newsroom and have made all of us infinitely better writers than when we started as reluctant JMC 301 students.
Sandy, thank you for motivating me and helping me out, even if I didn’t ask for it. You are so extremely selfless, and it shows that you will do whatever it takes to see your students succeed. Your passion for The Parthenon and the students who run it is obvious to every single person in this department, and your commitment to this publication is unquestionable.
Upon reflection, I remember my first week at Marshall; I picked up an issue of The Parthenon and admired the initiative of a group of students publishing an informative and reliable source of news for incoming and established students.
Now, after all the time spent in that newsroom, I begin my career in a new one, and I can’t help but draw parallels between the two. I look back fondly on the times I had at The Parthenon, and I hope that I can carry the memories with me because they are truly one of a kind.
