I started at The Oswegonian as a copy editor my junior year after a train wreck start to my college career due to COVID-19. I did not know anyone working there, which freaked me out, but, as a journalism major with only a few friends, I knew newsroom experience and joining a club would be a good thing. So, I left my comfort zone and made one of the best decisions of my life. 

Joining The Oswegonian and becoming a part of a media organization on campus has given me a plethora of knowledge about writing, journalism and working with others. It has given me incredible opportunities, such as interviewing Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer and Hot Ones host Sean Evans. But it has also given me some of my best friends and amazing memories that will last a lifetime; nothing is more valuable than that. 

It has not always been sunshine and rainbows. During my first week as a copy editor, I spent over 20 hours in the office staring at printed news stories with scribbles from various colored pens. That same year, fellow copy editor Spencer Bates and I, mostly jokingly, hid under the office desks while a few others had a heated argument (“Mom and Dad are fighting!”). 

For my second year at the ‘Gonian, I became the managing editor, the vice president, a role I would never have thought I would be in at the start of my junior year. With Annika Wickham, the editor-in-chief and Spencer, now the chief copy editor, by my side, we became the three-headed monster. And we ran one heck of a paper if I do say so myself. Along with the rest of our staff, we printed a paper every week with no major hiccups, finished the paper on Thursdays in record time each week, and published some great examples of journalism. 

The three-headed monster had to deal with office drama, early morning paper deliveries, pen fiascos and a mysterious, concerning package from a random person in Florida, to name a few.

Not to mention a presidential search and an anonymous letter filled to the brim with accusations about the officer-in-charge that led to multiple interviews, countless hours of work and lots of anger and stress, but all that hard work paid off, and it was one of our biggest victories and proudest moments.

Despite some stressful points, there were many more moments of laughter, fun and antics. I would not change a thing about my ‘Gonian experience, except to maybe make it last a little longer. 

In the blink of an eye, my time here at SUNY Oswego and The Oswegonian is complete. I hope I have achieved my goal of leaving the paper better than I found it. And I know the ‘Gonian is in fantastic hands with Ben Diamond, Faith Smith and Kenzie Shields at the helm, among the many other great staff members of the 2023-2024 Oswegonian.

Good luck, kick rocks and viva la ‘Gonian.