With the 100 years of Student Journalism Celebration rapidly approaching, I can not help but get sentimental about student journalism’s impact on my college experience thus far. I have been writing for The Spire weekly since September of my freshmen year. As a second semester sophomore, I currently serve as its Chief News Editor. Writing for the Spire has integrated me into campus life and shaped my aspirations for the future in a way I never imagined when I first joined. And while I just began writing for HERCampus this past semester, I can already attest to its positive impact on my life.
At the first Spire meeting I attended, I chose to write for the “news” section on a whim and have not looked back since. After it initially dawned on me that the commitment level was drastically more serious than that of my high school paper, I began to venture out of my familiar niches on campus to collect quotes and information about events taking place. I quickly became acquainted with the vast amount of clubs, organizations, and events on campus. I have interviewed more club chairs and attended more lectures than I can count. The reason I currently serve as co-chair of the Benedict Joseph Fenwick Debate Society is because the former news chief asked me to cover a debate session and interview club members there. Although I had no idea what I was walking into that day, I walked out as a new member of the club.
I also credit the Spire with changing the way I write. If you asked me if I was a good writer in high school, my freshman year of college, or even last week, I would have probably answered “yes.” But if you ask me now to read back my writing from any of those periods of my life, I would probably cringe and say I can’t believe I thought that was good. While this may seem self-deprecating, a healthy dose of self-criticism is part of evolving as a writer. Writing for the Spire and HERCampus has and continues to refine my writing style. I no longer think of the Thesaurus as my best friend because I now understand that excessive wordiness deflects from a writer’s central message. While I am still working to develop my voice as a writer, my progress can be seen in both my journalistic endeavors and academic papers.
My appreciation for student journalism has only grown since being promoted to Chief News Editor. While my responsibilities have increased tremendously, I deeply enjoy the work I do. This is, in large part, due to me now feeling like an integral part of the Spire community. This past year, I have developed genuine connections with my fellow e-board members and staff writers, many of whom I would have never encountered or talked to otherwise. Our connection extends further than just working together as we support each other in all of our respective endeavors.
This past year, I have been fortunate enough to tackle major stories on campus. While covering the rumored shutdown of the beloved FLA program, the Editor-in-chief, Ben Lepper, and I unintentionally became active agents in saving the program. Other events I have covered this past year include the Prior Performing Arts lawsuit, the College’s announcement of its commitment to cover tuition for students making less than 100K, and just recently, the Fauci-Grady residency. I would have never exposed myself to so much of what our campus has to offer had it not been for the Spire. The imperative to publish articles every week has pushed me to reflect on the events I attend and ingratiate myself with new people. Because of this, I now have an archive of my writing’s evolution over the years and major events that took place during my time on campus.
Without further ado, here’s to 100 years of an active student voice on campus. Let’s aim for 100 more years and then some.