My time at the Torch is nearing its end, and I’m extremely sad to close this chapter of my life. I came to the Torch as a news reporter and quickly jumped into the job, not knowing that I would find my confidence as a writer and lifelong friends along the way. I’ve met experts in the field, expanded my portfolio, spoken at a conference, completed an intensive internship and won awards for my writing.
In high school I didn’t think that this would be the career I would pick for myself, but I am immensely happy with my experiences here at Ferris. I’ve always felt a little uncomfortable in my own skin, like I grew into myself a little too quickly, and the power of words have given me the passion I’ve been chasing. I don’t want to leave the little family I’ve found, but the future is something that I greatly anticipate. I’ll miss the feeling of a freshly printed newspaper in my hands, the literal culmination of all of our hard work staining my fingers in black ink.
One of the things that a lot of people don’t comprehend is the influence of community journalism. Without reporting the news, there are avenues on campus that would not be questioned or explored, and I am so thankful that the Torch is available on campus to do this job. Working with my peers to report on articles dealing with tragedies and triumphs matured me to look at the world with a critical lens as a consumer and global citizen. Being conscious of those in power and celebrating the ones behind the curtain is important to me. Taking a magnifying glass to the goings-on of our campus ecosystem is something that we do, often without thanks or recognition.
With the political atmosphere in America lauding journalists as crooked liars with agendas, I am thankful for those that stand with me to report the news. I am happy for our satire section every month and the wizardry of our production team using InDesign to create graphics that make words jump off the page. I’ll miss my name on a byline every week that distributes all over town, and I’ll miss the jokes from people loopy from exhaustion in the office every Monday.
We pass into time as students phase out and graduate, but I hope my opinions were thoughtful and my words enjoyed. Thank you, Ferris readers: this is my last opinion as an editor at the Torch and it has been a wild ride since I started here as a junior. The newspaper here is incredibly important to the fabric of our university, and while I’ll miss being a part of it, I know I’m leaving my position in good hands.