After two long years sitting in the proverbial copy-editor-cockpit, I can’t find the right words to describe my time and how I feel looking back. After all, how could my experience, with all of its joys and struggles, be summed up in a neat, few-hundred-word article? But I think that’s the beauty of journalism, and is what brought me back every semester to fill out an application.
Journalism is difficult, and granted, I have had headaches and late nights much of my time while working for the paper, but I am proud to have worked for The S&B. Reading every article since the start of my time, I have seen firsthand the dedication and care put into the paper by every level of worker, from writer to editor. Despite constant setbacks — the loss of and return of The S&B website, budget setbacks and decreased staff, interpersonal conflicts — the paper persists. The growth I have seen in the staff is amazing, and I am legitimately in awe of how far we have come in such a short time.
Honestly, being a copy editor can be thankless. Regardless, I am so grateful for the time I have had, and even more so that I have been able to leave something behind, a part of myself that will always be with the paper. I’ve gotten to heavily update and organize our style guide, participate in and help cover the caucus elections and pitch and publish articles including a film review column. I have searched every name, every group, every location. Every story, every achievement or tragedy, I have been there to read and edit, and I will never be able to express the privilege it has been to learn about and support this community.
With graduation so close, I really don’t have much more time with Grinnell, let alone The S&B, but I take all of my mistakes and successes with me. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, I know that my time working for a small, liberal arts college newspaper in middle-of-nowhere Iowa will stay with me. So without further ado, thank you very much Grinnell, and goodbye for now.
