I started at The Montclarion in the typical college freshman fashion—stumbling into a situation without really knowing what it was or what it would require of me, determined to get involved, make a difference and fake it until I made it.
Looking back onto where I started to where I am now, I hope I can say that I have successfully “made it.” I’ve learned a lot about the ins-and-outs of journalism during my time working for the newspaper, told a lot of stories as a writer and oversaw a lot of firsts for our publication during my time as chief: the establishing of our first social media team, the creation of our first fully-updated website, the publishing of our first award-winning articles since 2009.
All of this wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing editorial staff, writers and, of course, our advisor Tara George, who has given an immeasurable amount of help and support to the paper in the first year that she has been its advisor. These people are all rock stars on a daily basis, and I can’t thank them enough for the work that they do to ensure that the newspaper continues to be published and to explore interesting and important topics.
Leaving The Montclarion after four years of service is obviously sad for me, but in my final goodbye to the publication which has greatly sculpted my life at Montclair State and who I am as a person, I would like to celebrate my time on its masthead and thank it for fostering my personal growth. Without it, I certainly wouldn’t be who I am today, and I wouldn’t have nearly as many friends and supporters behind me as I move on to life after graduation.
I also want to leave a few words of advice for those who will be working to make The Montclarion even better next year: Be bold. Tackle topics that are important to Montclair State in your reporting. Editors, be meticulous, at times annoying. Double check. Strive for creativity. Read and write as much as possible. Take advantage of the many opportunities that the university offers, both inside and outside of involvement with The Montclarion. Don’t be afraid, and above all, use your voice. It’s there for a reason.
Here’s to a successful year of reporting Montclair State University’s news and to many more. My time at The Montclarion is over, but I know the paper is in good hands and can’t wait to see what stories it will offer in the future.
