The Campus Newspaper has been one of the only constants I have had during my time at Allegheny College. When I first joined The Campus, I was a first-year student who wanted to become less afraid of speaking to people and through my experience, I gained confidence and skills I could not have gotten anywhere else.
I still remember how nerve-wracking it was to interview people the first year I wrote for the newspaper. For the first time, I had to reach out to people and ask them for something: their time. After every experience, I found myself surprised at how welcoming the students and faculty were.
One of my favorite parts of being on The Campus was that I persistently had a common goal to work toward with other students and every week we would have a finished product to celebrate. Additionally, I appreciated that being a part of the paper made me a part of the community in a way I could show to my family back home.
From this experience, I have learned that there are so many stories to tell within this small community and it inspires me to stay curious. Coming from a big city, I never thought I would have the opportunity to connect with a community I am a part of in a unique way.
Overcoming some of the challenges I faced throughout my time writing for the newspaper changed me in a lot of different ways. One of the ways is that I have a higher sense of responsibility to my community and I want to be more involved.
Throughout this experience, I want to thank my Editor-in-Chief and fellow senior Sami Mirza especially. From the start of my journey, even when he was not EIC, he guided me through the process of becoming a reliable reporter and it made me feel more comfortable in continuing to learn. As he is one of the last faces left in the newsroom, I can see how much he and I have grown and I am proud of the work we have been able to accomplish through journalism.
Lastly, I want to say that to anyone who is considering whether they should join, I say give it a try for a semester and explore if it’s for you. Whether you are an artist, writer, photographer or social media expert, there is a place in The Campus for everyone.