I know that a farewell piece is typically reserved for the Editor in Chief, so just look at the other page if that’s all you want to see.
I think it would be impossible for me to not write a goodbye piece for the section I’ve managed since the fall of 2023.
I felt wildly underqualified to work at the Torch, let alone starting as an editor. Working here has forced me to do work that I really felt I wasn’t cut out for. I can’t really say I considered myself to be a journalist- I didn’t write my first news article until October of this year.
Aside from the confidence boost, or at least the ability to feel scared and continue on, I’ve made some of the most important friendships of my life. Dylan, our previous Editor in Chief, was my first friend here, and the reason I joined. If it weren’t for him hitting me with a newspaper every Wednesday in our English class, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
Without Blase, I don’t think that I would have stayed for my final year here. Without our old News Editor Emma, I wouldn’t have such meaningful friendships. Without Lucas, I wouldn’t have someone to talk to about my favorite shows. I think I could list just about every person on our staff, past and present, and attribute a part of my life to them.
I believe that I would be a fundamentally different person if it weren’t for the Torch. Imagining a world where I never joined feels impossible.
Some of my closest and most valued friendships have come from this paper and weekly meetings and outings. There’s a definite bond that can only come from complaining about something related to the paper, borderline mental breakdowns, working together on last-minute changes and late-night editing.
I’d also like to thank the countless number of staff members throughout the years who have reminded me how important the Torch is. And for letting me complain about it during office hours or after class. A special thank you to Professor Emily Fransted and Aaron Madziar for helping me so willingly with my first news article and with any other questions I ever had.
I’ve been given the gift of watching those around me grow for three years. Seeing each member of our staff improve and gain confidence has been such an incredible experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful to witness it.
This year at the Torch has been a bit more difficult than previous years as we’ve faced issues with our budget and being short-staffed. Every person on the staff has put in extra effort here and there to ensure that this paper survives and prints. Each member of our staff makes this paper what it is.
This year has continued to remind me how important journalism is, how important each section is. This newspaper is important. To have a student-run newspaper is crucial to do what our mission is: to illuminate the truth. It’s going to be weird, more than anything, to step back from the paper and give up something that has been so consistent in the past three years of my life.
I can’t wait to watch the staff next year grow, to watch the staff I’ve known for almost my whole time at Ferris take on new roles and responsibilities and continue this work.
Graduation sounds terrifying, but I know that my fellow graduating torchies feel the same, and I am so excited to see what next year brings for this paper and for some of my closest friends.
As I write this, I don’t know who the next EIC will be, but I know that the Torch will be in the best hands possible. I know that my section will be in good hands as well.
You guys got this.