Writing this means I am accepting that my time at both Elizabethtown College and the Etownian are coming to an end (which is something I do not want to think about, in all honesty). I have been in the academic world for so long, I do not know who I am going to be once I have to get a real job and join the real world, which is way overrated, in my opinion.

Anyway, you did not come here to hear my existentialist thoughts; I will move on and talk a little bit about the paper.

I have been with the Etownian since my first year and first semester at Etown. Even before I had made my deposit at the College, I knew I wanted to get involved with the newspaper, and I was excited to join as a staff writer. During my sophomore year, I moved up in the ranks and became the Asst. Campus Life Editor for a semester before taking over as the section editor. In the fall semester of my junior year, I was moved into the News Editor position before I studied abroad in the spring. When I was selected to be Editor-in-Chief for my senior year, I was elated that I had grown so much from my humble beginnings as a News writer.

Getting involved with the Etownian was an opportunity for me to see if I actually wanted to pursue journalism, and my time here quickly solidified my career path. I was pretty certain of this during high school, when I worked to start their newspaper in my junior year, and working with the paper at Etown assured me that I was on the right track.

As it is with most things in life, I have had my highs and lows of working at the Etownian office, from long production nights to hilarious inside jokes and frustrations about writers to writing great articles. The challenges have pushed me to learn more about the industry, and the satisfaction after perfecting a layout was a great reward. All of the people I have worked with over the years have all been great, and it is nice to bond over the paper with fellow friends and staff members.

There have been many nights I have joked that I should just move into the Steinman Center since I have spent so much time in the building between work and classes, a sentiment I know many fellow communications majors have shared (and even the occasional professor). To be fair, I have also had a great deal of good memories in that building as well.

I know my time at the Etownian has given me a boost in my communications and journalism skills and has been a great place outside of class to refine my writing, editing and graphic design work. I just hope I can find as sweet of a gig in the real world as I have had at the paper, as scary as that thought is.

Thanks for four amazing years – I know I will never forget it.