Hello there. If you’re reading this now, you’ve probably read something from me before. Unless this is your first time ever reading the Etownian, in which case, better late than never! Welcome to Campus Life! I’ve been the editor of this section for three semesters, and I feel it’s suited me. Prior to being the Campus Life Editor I was Features Assistant Editor and then Features Editor for a semester each. First year I was a staff writer, primarily for Features, but occasionally for News. I enjoyed working in Features, but not the way I’ve enjoyed Campus Life. I’ve attempted to keep this section light and fun, because it’s the only space within the paper where that is really allowed. 

I don’t deny the importance of keeping updated with News about Elizabethtown College and the city. I don’t deny how interesting and engaging it is to read about events or hear about people involved with our campus in the Features section. I don’t deny that reading the Sports section is a good way to engage with a portion of the campus community and feel some pride for your fellow students. However, Campus Life has a lightness I’m in love with. 

It’s a section where when the whim struck me I could fill it with jokes or riddles, sometimes about frogs. Extra space could be a place for a maze, wordsearch, visual puzzle or picture of a frog. Campus Life doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that makes it just as important as other sections. 

I think with all the stresses we endure as students or professionals we feel compelled to be serious too much of the time. I believe we don’t stop often enough to do something a little mindless that could give a sense of accomplishment. Or better yet, to stop and laugh at something silly. That’s not to say Campus Life is all jokes. There is information to convey, but it’s of a different nature. 

This semester I’ve been trying to share some of the confidence in cooking I’ve found during my time as a student. It’s something that not everyone feels they can do, but it’s all about just going for it. Also, if you didn’t read those articles, the most important thing to know is that sauteing vegetables and putting them with pasta is the easiest, but most amazing thing ever. 

Campus Life is the place where you can find recommendations for music to listen to, movies to watch, concerts to go to or video games to play. It’s the place where things that students can write about what’s important to them with every ounce of enthusiasm they feel. 

It’s also the place that people who are not even affiliated with the paper can talk about what they think is important. We’re lucky enough to get letters to the editor, and function as a space for people to voice their truths. It’s an underutilized opportunity, and whoever you are, if you’re reading this, then consider writing a letter to the editor the next time something happens on campus that you have strong feelings about. Others might feel the same way, and you never know what change you might be able to affect unless you try. 

Or… If you are a student who isn’t graduating, consider joining the paper. I’m not saying it’ll change your life, but it could. On article assignments for the Etownian I’ve learned about subjects I’ve never even heard of, interviewed people who became close friends or important networking contacts and attended more events than I would have on my own. If you’re feeling disconnected, writing for the paper will force you to connect. If you’re shy, it will force you to engage. If you’re reserved, it will force you to make a statement. Working as an editor for the paper is something else entirely. Okay, sure, it’s good practice experience for the real world, but there’s also a sense of community in the news room and a strange rush of a production night that runs unfortunately late. There’s an unexpected sense of pride after you’ve made a particularly pretty infographic or when you design a layout where the articles fit just right. Being a part of the editorial staff also gives you the creative space to make suggestions or take on personal pet projects. While running Campus Life not only did I take over the horoscopes, I learned planetary significance, spent a silly amount of time memorizing the meanings of the 12 houses, drew charts and kept track of the movements of celestial bodies. Okay, some weeks I phoned it in if I was tired, but I never made anything up.  

Sometimes I was incredibly busy, and spending eight hours putting together a section really didn’t fit into my plans, but even when I was actively encouraged by professors to perhaps take a step back from the paper I refused. Because a grade in a single class was a lower priority than the work I was doing with the Etownian and I realized that. Maybe it wouldn’t reflect in the gradebook, but this newspaper was (and is) something real and something to be proud of. And now my time working on it is over. I’m handing it over to people who I know will do a good job with it, and trusting that others will find the same value in it that I do. Again, my time is over, and I just need to believe I did enough with it. So, goodbye Campus Life section, and goodbye Etownian. Goodbye Elizabethtown College, and goodbye to you too, reader.