Cadence Paramore – Editor-in-Chief
It’s hard to believe that the semester is already coming to an end. Freshman year simultaneously feels like it was just yesterday and a lifetime ago.
At the beginning of the semester I set goals for myself and for the Weekly as I stepped into the position of Editor-in-Chief, and looking back over this semester I’m pleased with our accomplishments.
We reinstated the use of the Oxford Comma (thank you Clare Greeman), we updated our masthead (than you Carter Brown), the “CAB Calendar” went through some changes and is now the “Events Calendar” to include all activities students might wish to attend (thank you Iza Taylor), we had more interaction between writers/photographers and editors, and we introduced a standard for training new staff members. We also had more people read the Weekly than in all the past years I’ve attended Gustavus.
It’s amazing to witness how much can be accomplished when we work together, and when a few people who deeply care spread that to those around them.
I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work so closely with all the wonderful people who work for the Weekly, and how that’s allowed me to interact with even more people across campus.
As much as there are frustrations that come with slow programs, fallible technology, and exhaustion from long nights– It’s all worth it in the end. My time with the Weekly will be my greatest memory as I graduate from Gustavus.
There have been times, too many times, when I’ve felt small. When my voice has gone unheard, and I know others feel that way too. When we get scared to speak our minds because we’ve been shut down and silenced our entire lives. And when standing up can begin as looking like we’re standing alone– because change can look scary. But we aren’t alone.
It’s my hope that the Weekly continues to amplify the voices of those who have been talked over for far too long, and will continue to aid in a gateway to learning and conversation.
Clare Greeman – Lead Copy Editor
Though I was a part of the Weekly for 1.5 of my 3.5 semesters on the hill, I’ve found that my time working for this organization has defined a good part of my college career. I have made some of my best friends, had some of my most memorable moments, and discovered my passions in the dingy basement of Uhler where the Weekly calls home.
Starting out as a not-quite bushy tailed nor-very bright-eyed Junior, I was still looking for a place on campus where I could belong, as cheesy as it is to say. Part of being a Gustie is being defined by the organizations we are involved in. Up until that point, I was not so naive to say that I wasn’t looking for a community, but had given up on the idea. That’s why I was so surprised to stumble into a copy-editing job that became my most enjoyable and meaningful contribution on campus. More than that, I finally found a sense of belonging amongst my coworkers and a real passion for the work that I was doing.
I hope that everyone reading this has the opportunity to find a group and a hobby that has meant to them what the Weekly has meant to me. I know that when I reminisce on my college years, my time in the Uhler basement will define it (and not just because I hate that basement).
It is with a slightly-light heart that I leave campus in a couple of days, but I know my heart will be leaden when I plod up these stairs and out into the snow for the final time.
Thank you Weekly, thank you readers, and thank you remaining staff (and good luck)!